Descriptive Writing

“Don’t Tell Me, Show Me!” “You writing needs to paint a picture or create a movie in the mind of the reader.” “Using vivid descriptions can help your readers feel as if they are there with you.”

How to “show” what is happening in your story (or other writing) in an effective way: ¾ Let your word choice be specific, precise, and colorful •

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Specific nouns (No. 2 pencil, Mr. Rojas, centipede) Precise-action verbs (plunge, snapped, twisted) Colorful adjectives (bumpy, scaly, mature)

¾ Use figurative language to enhance the imagery •

Similes

€ compares two unlike things, by using the words like or as, that have one quality in common (The rug was as

soft as a bed of moss) •

Metaphors € compares two unlike things that have one quality in common without using the words like or as (The

trip was a nightmare) •

Personification

€ giving human qualities to an object or an idea (The old house creaked and complained about its

worn and aching joints) •

Exaggeration € stretching the truth to make a strong statement (My feet were killing me!) Hyperbole € an extreme exaggeration often used for humorous effect (He was so hungry that he ate everything

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Idioms (Nadine had cold feet at her piano recital)

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but the table!)

¾ Add sensory details that make use of the five senses • • • • •

See what’s happening or what people are doing Hear the words and sounds Feel the sensations Smell the smells Taste the flavor

¾ Describe the character’s actions ¾ Show what the character is thinking ¾ Describe the feelings (emotions) felt by the characters in the story ¾ Add dialogue (include the actual thoughts or words spoken when you can) ¾ Describe the specific setting using sensory details ¾ Organize your descriptions

€ present your details in a way that makes sense to the reader (descriptions may

be organized in any number of ways: from top to bottom, left to right, near to far, most recent to least recent, etc.)