DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

OBSERVATION
Good writing comes from close observation
of people, places, objects, and even our own
feelings and emotions.
Your assessment will requires you to write a
descriptive/narrative piece based on a
picture of your choice. You will eventually
add this description into another piece later
this trimesterso choose wisely.
What follows are some examples of
descriptive writing which will assist you in
responding to that genre more effectively.

WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVE
WRITING?
The moon with its wisps of white light hung suspended in the frosty air
over the still, quiet countryside. He could see in all directions, from the
majestic outcrop of mountains to the vast ocean on the other.
WOW!!

The reader can certainly SEE the moon and the countryside.
Notice the images of color and shape.

Descriptive writing focuses on observation, is static,

and paints pictures with words.

HERES ANOTHER EXAMPLE:

In a large box out in the
garage, surrounded by
gumboots, shovels and
old paint tins, is a scene
of joy. The happy mother
lies on a tatty red and
yellow blanket, her litter
at her belly. She licks
them, and looks up with
watchful brown eyes
when we bend over to
see. The tiny puppies,
blind and almost
hairless, scramble over
one another, searching
for their mother.

What brings this scene

to life?
Write down the words
that help the reader
visualize this scene.

AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE
OBSERVE PEOPLE AT THE DISCO.
The girls stand in nervous
clusters, wearing their name or moving across to chat
brand gear Rip Curl, Esprit, someone up. Later, in small
Billabong, tight tops with
groups, theyll pour out into the
string
straps. Little black numbers. night street, heading for
McDonalds and the scent of hot
The guys have on their best
Levis, T shirts, gelled hair. The fries. A good night out.
air is full of noise, booming so
loud you cant hear a word.
Rainbow colored spots cut
through the haze of smoke like
searchlights, picking up the
silhouettes of dancing girls.
The boys lean against the
walls, sipping Coke, watching,

Try it yourself
Write about people at the mall,
on the train, bus, or at the
beach.
Make sure you use descriptive
language so that everyone can
visualize what youre writing,
and get a sense of the
atmosphere.

Word Power
Descriptive writing is writing
with flair. It means using words
so that they paint a picture for
the reader, but doing so in ways
that often surprise the reader.
Here are some of the tools
available to you:

Similes
Comparisons using
the words like
or as ( simile)
The surface of the
moon is like
crumpled sandpaper
I felt as nervous as a
fish out of water
As clear as crystal

Metaphors
Comparisons minus
cue words
My tears were a river
I died with
embarrassment
Her heart was on fire
He hit the wall of
exhaustion

Adjectives
Words which describe or
modify nouns
The tall, thin man
entered the spooky
room with
measured steps.
Inside the room
deep shadows
crouched in wait for
him.

Adverbs
Words which describe
or modify verbs
The jets dived steeply
out of the sky, tumbling
rapidly as they
maneauvered gracefully
past each other.
USE ADVERBS TO
DESCRIBE A FIREWORKS
DISPLAY.
(1 2 SENTENCES)

Interesting verbs
It is worthwhile taking the time to think
about the verb for the situation you are
trying to bring to life. Often a carefully
chosen verb can transform a so-so passage
into something quite different.
He ran.
He jogged.
He fled.
He sprinted away.
He stormed off.

TASK
Rewrite the following
passage, changing each
verb to a more
interesting one. You
might like to check your
thesaurus, but be careful
of your choice of words:
The teacher waved at the
coach to stop the game.
However the coach was
interested in the play
and didnt do as
suggested. Surprised by
this response, the
teacher took the
opportunity to yell out,
STOP!

CHARACTER, PLACE AND

ACTION
The best descriptions have a focus. They
arent just lists of everything in the scene
thrown together. Try concentrating on
character bring it to life!

Their jeans brushed the polished floor, scuffed

running shoes squeaking in unison as the two
teenagers crossed the crowded space from the music
shop to the food court. One of them, her hair -jagged
tufts of red and green, smirked at the looks of
disbelief the pointy stud in her bottom lip drew. The
other, eyes narrowed and searching, curled his lip in
a silent snarl, reached deep into the pockets of his
black coat and pulled out a crumpled shopping list.
The girl walked with a swagger that suggested
she was not to be crossed. Her eyes were pin-points,
and her nostrils flared with disdain at what she saw
around her: losers. Everyone round her was a loser,
and nothing would change that.

ANOTHER TASK
PRACTICE WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE
PARAGRAPH ABOUT AN EMOTION, PLACE
OR EVENT YOU FROM ONE OF YOUR
POEMS.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
For your portfolio:
Select a picture or scene from a magazine, or your
life. (a real picture you can turn in with your
assignment)
Write a descriptive passage that contains at least 3
metaphors, 2 similes, and multiple adjectives,
adverbs, verbs, and uses of figurative language.
If your picture has people in itbring them to life!
You will incorporate this into a larger piece later
this trimesterso choose carefully.
This is dueFINAL FORM on Friday, January 14!!