Descriptive Writing Tips

Purpose To learn to write in a manner that makes readers understand or appreciate what we have experienced as if they themselves had experienced it.

1. Sensory Details Describe using as many senses as possible.

Sight

Smell

Taste

Touch

Sound

2. Imagine Imagine you are in the situation or the moment that are describing. Relay all the different aspects.

3. Avoid Repetition Don’t repeat adjectives (the beautiful sun rose against the beautiful sky).

4. Creative Word Choice Don’t give obvious adjectives. Example: the blue sky or the green grass Try to be more creative. Example: the cloudless sapphire sky

5. Create original similes and metaphors. Use your own similes and metaphors to describe. The grass swayed back and forth with the wind like a music festival crowd to a classic song.

6. Focus on an aspect which is unusual. For example, when describing a beach, most people focus on the sand and the waves for their description. Instead, you could describe that, but include something different. Say there is a shell in the sand or something else that stands out, then you would describe it too.

Now you write! In groups of four, you will produce a short descriptive paragraph, which you will present to the class. Assign your group jobs accordingly (leader, writer, materials manager, speaker). Start with a draft, then when you are ready, a good copy. You will receive an object in a bag. DON’T TAKE IT OUT! Your task is to describe it using at least 4 senses... After presenting, the class will guess what your object was...hopefully your description will be so good that it will be very obvious.