Qualities of Descriptive Writing

Types of Descriptive Writing Objective: To convey information without bias or emotion Subjective: To convey information with feeling and emotion

Basic Strategies Develop a comprehensive list of observations made of the subject 2. Determine a dominant impression intended for the reader 3. Carefully plan the order in which to present the descriptive details

1. Comprehensive Lists Develop before writing the piece Include not just sight, but also smell, sound, touch and taste Include unique details/descriptive qualities Narrow the list to only those items that help portray your intended mood. Some opposite descriptions may be maintained to show stark contrast.

2. Dominant Impression the single quality, mood or atmosphere the writer chooses to emphasize.

3. Organization pattern of organization must fit the subject of the description logically and naturally must be easy to follow Examples: Spatial order Order of impression Order of degree Part-by-part order

Organization, continued Spatial order: left to right, near to far, top to bottom, etc. Order of impression: what you noticed first, second, etc. Order of degree: Least important to most important, least familiar most familiar, etc. Part-by-part order: for example, first the place, then the people, then the activities, etc.

Descriptive Writers use... Vivid language Carefully chosen adjectives (not over-used) Vivid comparisons (metaphors/similes) Personified objects Action verbs (“I glanced around” vs. “I was looking around”)

Strong descriptive writers find a balance of details: not too much, not too little.