Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing A writer cannot use gestures, facial expressions or voice to convey a meaning like in a conversation A writer cannot use colour, shape, motion or sound like in a movie A writer can only use words to entertain, or to convey experience and meaning Descriptive writing appeals to our senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste) and our feelings It uses strong nouns and verbs with some poetic devices such as similes, metaphors, and hyperboles It conveys a purpose

Purpose Listing off flowery sentences is not sophisticated writing. The best writing is one in which the purpose is strong and meaningful. It can be directly stated or it can be inferred. Regardless, having a clear purpose of why you are writing the piece guides your details, your point of view, your tone and your imagery

What is your point of View? The point of view in your writing enhances the purpose of your writing. It allows the reader to witness certain details or be excluded. Skillful authors can fix their readers attention on exactly the detail, opinion, or emotion the author wants to emphasize In photography, it is objective- we cannot “hear” the thoughts of the subject In writing, you can choose: First person- inside the head of one person using “I” Limited omniscient- inside the head of one person using “he” or “she” Omniscient-inside the head of many characters Objective- like a movie camera, no thoughts

What details need to be included? It is important to create imagery out of our senses: hear, see, touch, taste, smell and feel(emotions) but sometimes the author does not need to add every detail as it becomes too “wordy” and the reader loses interest. Adding details enhances the writing but it must be related to the purpose

Imagery and vocabulary The author wants the reader to be able to feel like they are there, in the scene. A talented writer can create imagery that allows the reader to feel the emotions, see what the character sees, feel it, taste it, hear it. This is created by using strong nouns and verbs with some appropriate adjectives to add detail. It can also create the mood (emotional feeling)

Tone The emotional attitude of the piece also plays a role in developing purpose. For example “we lived in a rundown dump next to a ditch” conveys a different tone than “we lived in a quaint home next to a stream”.

Mood What emotional atmosphere are you trying to create? Mood is usually conveyed through the setting and the language (“The sky was smoky black” vs “the sky was brilliant blue” )