Making people understand exactly what you mean through your writing can be a daunting task. But when you are able to stir up images in your readers’ minds, it can be a powerful tool for getting your message across.
Descriptive writing is a kind of writing technique that gives the reader a clear picture of the topic you’re writing about. It involves skill in choosing the right words, using figurative language, knowing how to make effective comparisons, and even knowing what to include and what to skip in order to set the right mood and atmosphere.
This type of writing enables you to paint pictures for your readers of whatever it is you want them to imagine. This is why writers often say, “Show, don’t tell.”
What Is an Example of Descriptive Writing?
To better understand the meaning of “descriptive writing,” check out the difference between the following sentences:
- By the time I got home, I was exhausted.
- I stumbled home, flopped right onto my bed without even taking off my shoes, and exhaled deeply.
Which of these two sentences did you find more engaging? The second sentence, undoubtedly, shows a more vivid picture of how tired the narrator was without even stating “I was tired.”
Here are a few more examples of how descriptive writing works:
On a clear sunny morning in June two figures might be seen climbing the narrow mountain path; one, a tall strong-looking girl, the other a child whom she was leading by the hand, and whose little cheeks were so aglow with heat that the crimson color could be seen even through the dark, sunburnt skin. And this was hardly to be wondered at, for in spite of the hot June sun the child was clothed as if to keep off the bitterest frost. She did not look more than five years old, if as much, but what her natural figure was like, it would have been hard to say, for she had apparently two, if not three dresses, one above the other, and over these a thick red woollen shawl wound round about her, so that the little body presented a shapeless appearance, as, with its small feet shod in thick, nailed mountain-shoes, it slowly and laboriously plodded its way up in the heat.
From Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Here is another example:
Strange to say, in the full white effulgence of the midday hours the bright colors grow dim and terrestrial in common gray haze; and the rocks, after the manner of mountains, seem to crouch and drowse and shrink to less than half their real stature, and have nothing to say to one, as if not at home. But it is fine to see how quickly they come to life and grow radiant and communicative as soon as a a band of white clouds come floating by. As if shouting for joy, they seem to sprint up to meet them in hearty salutation, eager to touch them and beg their blessings. It is just in the midst of these dull midday hours that the canyon clouds are born.
From The Grand Cañon of the Colorado by John Muir
Descriptive Writing Techniques
Here are some of the literary devices you can use to create more vivid descriptions:
Metaphors
A metaphor compares one thing to another in an indirect way. For example:
- Our youngest child is a real fireball.
- Tom is the black sheep in the family.
- Filipinos consider the mother the light of the household.
A metaphor is stating one object as being another, to show that they have similar traits. It’s not saying they’re exactly the same, but you are pointing to their common characteristics.
Simile
A simile is another way of showing how one thing is like another, but in a more direct way, by using words such as “like,” “than,” “as” or “so.” A good way to help you remember the term is to think of the word “similar.”
For example:
- The teacher is as beautiful as a fashion model.
- The horse ran as fast as a race car.
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement used to make a point. For example:
- I’m so hungry I could eat a cow.
- Her voice is so loud and shrill, she can break a glass window several blocks away.
Sensory Writing
When you describe a scene using your different senses, it’s called sensory writing.
- The little girl dipped her toe tentatively into the water, and shivered from the cold; the roar of the waterfalls filled her ears, and she glanced quickly behind her to make sure her mother was still near.
- The air smelled of pine needles, and the squawk of an eagle overhead made the boy look up into the bright, blue sky.
Top 5 Tips for Improving Your Descriptive Writing
If you want to be more vivid in your descriptive writing, try out some of these tips below:
1. Tap into your imagination.
Because descriptive writing is about painting a picture for your readers, you need to see that picture clearly in your mind first.
Let’s say you’re writing a farm scene: what does the meadow or farmhouse remind you of? How do the people act? What scents do you smell? What sounds do you hear? What shapes and colors stand out to you?
2. Use strong words.
Do you know that some words are stronger than others? For example, the use of some adverbs can be replaced by using strong verbs. Instead of saying “he ran fast,” you can say, “he sprinted.”
You can also choose more specific adjectives. Instead of saying, “She was beautiful,” you can say, “Her eyes were a brilliant blue, and her long brown hair curled majestically around her shoulders.”
3. Appeal to your reader’s senses.
We all experience the world through our senses. Have you noticed how babies touch and taste almost everything they can get their hands on?
Imagine yourself a child again, and see how what you’re describing can be experienced through sight, sound, scent, and even taste.
For example, if you’re writing about a tragic fire scene, you might describe the smoke burning your eyes and the acrid smell of burning rubber making you dizzy.
4. Pick a point of view.
If you’re writing descriptively for a fictional piece, pick whose point of view you’re describing from. The POV character will help you decide which parts of the particular scene stand out.
For example, if you’re writing a fiction scene set during a school examination day, your descriptions would definitely vary if you were describing it through the class valedictorian’s perspective or through the class bully’s.
See if you can tell who’s describing the scene in the two examples below:
- I stared at the test paper, and sweat broke out on my forehead. The first question seemed almost in a foreign language to me—hadn’t I spent the whole week studying? Where did this question come from? I quickly glanced around at my classmates: all heads were bowed and hands writing furiously on their papers. My heart started thumping in my chest. Did they all know this, and I didn’t? I turned back to my paper, quickly read through the next question and breathed a sigh of relief. This one was easy, at least.
- I watched disinterestedly as the teacher plopped a test paper on my desk. Slowly I lowered myself from my half-reclined position and fumbled around for a pencil. Having found one in my desk drawer, I chewed on it while I read the first question, and quickly glanced around to see whose work would be easiest to copy from. I craned my neck around the back of the classmate in front of me, and when I heard the teacher’s high heels tap-tapping closer, I quickly sat back upright, bowed my head, and pretended to be deep in concentration.
5. Use background details.
In fiction, a character’s background is called backstory, and this is an important thing to include when describing them. But even in technical writing, adding background details is a good way of making more vivid descriptions.
For example, if you’re describing an old school house, you might add the detail that it had been used as a hurricane shelter over the last century—this gives your readers the picture of how sturdy it is despite its age.
6. Know when to stop.
Although we use descriptive writing to convey an image to our readers, some details may better be left to their imagination. This is especially true in fiction, where the reader’s imagination plays a crucial role in getting them engaged in the story.
For example, when talking about a haunted house, you can leave some of the dark areas undescribed, which lets your reader think about a million other different things that could be lurking there! Overly descriptive or flowery writing is known as purple prose, and it actually makes your writing weaker.
Improve Your Descriptive Writing Through Practice
The more you practice descriptive writing, the better you will get at it. Study examples of how other writers show instead of telling, and try your own hand at describing scenes as you find them. Refine, rephrase, rewrite, and find the best way to describe a specific topic.
You can also improve your vocabulary by learning different ways of describing a particular thing. You will find that as you become more adept at choosing just the right word, your writing will take on a whole new life!
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- How to Improve Your Writing Using the Rule of Three
- 8 Weird Writers and the Habits That Helped Them Excel in Writing
- Writing Aesthetic: What It Is and How to Find Your Own
- Constrained Writing: Definition, Examples, and Benefits
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
