Descriptive Writing

Painting Pictures with WordsKaren S Wright

HOW DO YOU WRITE DESCRIPTIVELY?

•When writing a descriptive paper, use the five senses to appeal to your audience;•The five senses help to paint a picture with words..

Appeal to our senses when describing chocolate

Example: Gooey, homemade cookies and cakes lusciously drip with chocolate heaven while filling the air with a rich cocoa aroma.

How does it smell?

How does it taste?

What are the textures?

What does it look like?

Use Metaphors or Similes

Example: Spring is like the promise of a new opportunity, a new beginning, or hope.

Descriptive Writing Emphasizes Ideas or Themes

Example: The depth of the flowing river that winds through the tiny village is like the depth of the human soul.

Personification Use personification to give human characteristics to inanimate objects

Example: With majestic arms stretching toward the sky, the tree waited to embrace the setting sun.

Use Adjectives and AdverbsVivid words will paint a vibrant picture.

Example: Angry crashing waves unrelentingly whip the humble, century-old lighthouse causing it to succumb with a mighty fall.

Useful Basic Patterns for Descriptive Writing

1. Chronological/Sequential

2. Spatial3. Psychological

There are the three main patterns used for descriptive writing.

Sequential/Chronological OrderThis kind of order arranges events in the

order that they happen in time.

•Wake up•Meet Friends•Attend school•Eat lunch•Study•Eat dinner•Go to work

Spatial OrderThis kind paragraph discusses logical order just like this city’s logical order of buildings.

•Organizational order•Order of a room•Order of a town•Order of a city

When using spatial order, use these words:

Up DownNext

Beside BehindUnder

South NorthEast

West AboveOver

Psychological OrderThis kind of paragraph discusses the importance of events, objects, or things.

•Most important to least important•Least important to most important•Over-rated to under-rated•Under-rated to over-rated

What is Descriptive

Writing?Descriptive writing carefully paints colorful pictures in meaningful ways to create images in the mind.