Any time I'm teaching writing, whether it's for CXC English language or SAT's, I can't help noticing how much students struggle with descriptive writing.The problem seems to lie in the mindset that descriptive writing only uses the sense of sight.Then there's the problem of students not realising that descriptive writing must have a structure-just like any other form of writing. Descriptive writing is an art, figuratively speaking, because it is painting a picture with words, but good descriptive writing covers much more than how something looks. As students prepare for CXC English language exams-or experiment with their own creative writing when those exams are finished-they need to remember these important points about descriptive writing:
1. Descriptive writing can be used to describe a person, place or thing, an important event in your life or a place that is important to you. It can be used to link visual imagery and written language. You'll find it in fiction and non-fiction. Don't forget fiction has settings and characters that need to be described.
2. Descriptive writing is more than just a string of images slapped on a piece of paper. Even descriptive writing must have a structure in order for it to make sense. When creating a structure for descriptive writing, find a focal point and move out from that point in a systematic manner.
If you're describing a picture, a place or even a person, you can start from the edge or the top of the picture and work your way down or you can start with the focal point or the defining point of the picture. Find ways to link points together. Create a structure that allows the reader to tie images together. Your reader must be able to follow your description like a road map.
3. When you're writing, use all of your senses. Writers have a tendency to stick with visual imagery in descriptive writing, but if possible include all the senses-how something feels, smells, tastes and sounds. A variety of sensory images make your description pop. It also helps to develop a tone.
4. Use figures of speech to create vivid descriptions. Metaphors, similes and personification are three good ways to create descriptions. Use strong imagery as well. Introduce a figure of speech high up in your description and find different ways to build on the description. For instance, if you're writing about the moon and you say, "The moon is a light bulb in the sky," you can then apply all the sensory images to say how that light feels as well as how it looks.
Descriptive writing gives you the creative freedom of an artist. It makes writing come alive. Remember that practising descriptive writing will help you to be a better writer overall. It sharpens your power of observation and helps you to express yourself in a vivid, lively manner. It can also help you to be a better student overall because almost all of your subjects require you to have good observations skills.Here are a couple of sites you might want to check out on the Internet for descriptive writing.
1. The Writing Site (http://thewritingsite.org/resources/genre/descriptive.asp):
This site offers useful charts that include goals for descriptive writing and characteristics of good descriptive writing. There are useful tips in an outline form including primary, intermediate and secondary tips for descriptive writing. This site also shows you how to use descriptive writing in other forms of writing such as poetry, narrative, persuasive and expository writing. Most important, you'll find useful tips for triggering the writing process when it comes to descriptive writing.
2. Descriptive Writing-Writing with Writers, Scholastic Books (http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/diary/):
Scholastic Books offers an appealing collection of narratives with the late, great, African-American writer Virginia Hamilton. The author uses examples from her own writing and guides students through the brainstorming process for descriptive writing. She presents useful tips for writing a description and excerpts from her own journal of a trip to South Africa. The site shows how descriptive writing can be used in biographical essays and gives samples of students' descriptive writing.
3. Purdue OWLWriting Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/03/):
You can't go wrong with a famous university like Purdue guiding you through the writing process. This is one of my overall favourite sites for any writing tips. The site is well organised, and these tips are geared to secondary students. Simple, clear and concise: That's OWL at Purdue.
4. Model Descriptive Paragraphs (grammar.about.com/od/developingparagraphs/a/samdescpars.htm): Here you'll find examples of excellent descriptive paragraphs so that you can break down a descriptive essay into parts. Click on the blue links for more information about descriptive writing. A teacher offers an example of a descriptive paragraph and comments on three students' descriptive paragraphs. There are many links to useful exercises.
5. Composition Patterns: Narrative and Descriptive (grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/narrative.htm):
This site provides excerpts from a famous writer's descriptive writing.Using George Orwell, author of 1984 and Animal Farm, this site shows how descriptive writing can be used in narrative writing.