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What is Descriptive Writing?
What is Descriptive Writing?
Descriptive writing is a style of writing where the author paints a vivid picture with words, helping readers to 'see' and 'feel' a scene or object, rather than just understanding it factually. Think of it like describing a photograph in detail. If you were looking at a photograph, you'd notice the colours, the lighting, the expressions on people's faces, the background, and even the emotions the image evokes. Similarly, in descriptive writing, the author uses detailed observations and rich vocabulary to recreate a scene or event, making the reader feel as if they're right there, experiencing it firsthand. Whether it's the serene beauty of a forest or the bustling chaos of a city street, descriptive writing captures and conveys the essence of a scene in a way that engages the reader's senses and emotions.
SUGGESTED TIME: 60 Minutes
SUGGESTED TIME: 60 Minutes
Descriptive Writing in a Nutshell
Descriptive Writing in a Nutshell
You need to respond to a prompt by describing a specific moment.
You must focus on different images within the moment and avoid writing a narrative. That's to say that there shouldn't be a cause and effect relationship between events.
You must sustain a specific mood in your writing.
You must use vocabulary and literary devices to achieve effects that are relevant to your mood. (For example, you might use a metaphor that emphasises danger if you're trying to achieve a tense mood.)
Key Features of Descriptive Writing
Key Features of Descriptive Writing
Click the image or the heading to access a reflection sheet. This reflection sheet allows you to copy your work in the first column and then make improvements in the second. Don't forget to use the linked checklist to check your work also, which can also be accessed here.
Will Reading Help?
Will Reading Help?
Reading more is never a bad answer. However, reading the work of an established author won't automatically result in you acquiring their skills. To learn from the craft of others, try doing the following things when you read:
Delete the narrative: Take a piece of narrative fiction and latch onto a specific detail. Turn the narrative writing into a purely descriptive piece.
Underline and annotate the devices that an author uses.
Analyse the mood of the writing with an analysis table.
Circle the start of sentences and pay attention to the ways that they avoid repetition.
Flowchart the ways that the writer directs the reader's attention.
Try and recreate their style by using their techniques to write about a different topic.
Rewrite the scene in your own voice.
Practice
Practice
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