Writing a descriptive essay is not only a good writing exercise, it is also a relatively simple task. In fact, with the aid of a few tips, you can quite easily compose a descriptive essay of extreme excellence. By employing such methods as making use of “showing” words and the proper observation of detail (and more) you can captivate your readers and pull them into your subject. By properly applying the descriptive writing techniques, you can convey every detail of the subject to the reader vividly and easy.
One thing to remember is that every paper needs a purpose. Even if you are just describing a subject in your essay, there should be an overall purpose or central theme to tie your paper together. This central point is what you will build out from when composing your descriptive essay, the main anchor for the body. A solid central point assists your paper it showing the reader everything you wish to convey and is far more persuasive than a disorganized paper.
The Observation of Details
Details are a crucial element in descriptive essay writing. Whether you receive a subject for your essay or get to choose your own topic, it is imperative that you choose something that interests you. The more you enjoy the subject you are writing about, the better the writing outcome will be.
This essay can be seen as a picture: this picture needs to be extremely coherent and masterfully painted to captivate its audience, just as your essay must captivate and ensnare the reader. By picking a subject you are genuinely interested in, you can take careful not of the fine details of your subject, details that will help animate your thoughts for the reader.
The Difference between Showing and Telling
To properly write a descriptive essay you have to understand the difference between using “telling” words and “showing” words. The difference between these word choices can make or break a truly outstanding descriptive essay.
A “showing” word is a word that provides brilliant sensory details that are pertinent to your subject and purpose. A “telling” word is an ambiguous one capable of being interpreted in a multitude of ways. Making use of sensory details, ones that describe the different sense elements associated with your subject, can elevate the descriptive quality of your essay and give the reader a sense of actually being there.
The Importance of an Organized Description
While writing a descriptive essay you may catch yourself going into excessive detail and while the goal is to distinctly describe your subject to the reader, there is such a thing as too much detail. An abundance of detail in a paper can leave the impression of chaos and easily cause a case of disinterest regarding your essay. Obviously this is something we want to avoid when think of how to start a descriptive essay, so you should write in a manner that is organized and does not jump back and forth on focus points.
For example, if the subject you are writing about is a neighbourhood, it would be disorganized for you to describe the first house, then skip down to the final house on the block and finally bounce back to a house somewhere in the middle of the block. Having a clear and organized essay is as important as the descriptive quality itself. Without the proper descriptive essay outline your paper can be messy and clumsy and leave a negative impression on the reader.
Final Thoughts
With these tips in mind, you should constantly ask yourself a question: what is the aim of my paper? Every aspect of your essay should address the same central theme, while adequately describing the subject. Reader should hang on every word, enthusiastically reading about your subject, and should be able to obtain a crystal clear mental image of the subject. By knowing what you are doing before you start, the time it will take to compose your essay will be drastically reduced and you will find that the paper comes together easily.
Showing your reader sharp and vivid details of a subject you are genuinely interested in, through a clear, organized plan is a very powerful and persuasive tool for many writers. Descriptive essays are an incredibly fun form of writing both for the author and reader and, with the appropriate preparation, are easily executed. With the aid of the above tips, the quality of your final product will shine brightly to the reader of your paper. And the time you need to compose a masterfully crafted descriptive essay will give you ample time to make any changes, should you need them.