This document provides guidance on writing a descriptive essay, including choosing a subject to describe, focusing on one dominant impression, using vivid sensory details, showing rather than telling to describe the subject, employing effective word choice and organization, and revising to ensure a clear and vivid description. The key aspects are selecting a clear subject, focusing on one impression through concrete sensory details, using showing rather than telling language, and revising for an effective overall description.

1. The Descriptive/ Exploratory
Essay
(With thanks to Jesse Seldess)

2. Planning your descriptive essay:
• What or who do you want to describe?
• What is your reason for writing your description?
• What are the particular qualities that you want to focus
on?

3. Principles
• Typically, a descriptive
essay has one, clear
dominant impression. If,
for example you are
describing a snowfall, it is
important for you to decide
and to let your reader know
if it is threatening or lovely;
in order to have one
dominant impression it
cannot be both. The
dominant impression
guides the author's
selection of detail.

4. Q. What if I A. You should think about what links
choose to write the objects together. Do they
remind you of a place, group of
about 3 objects people, events that are related? Are
you nostalgic when you describe
that are very these objects? Are you sad? Are you
angry? Are you happy? Choose
different and objects that have connections to
one another and to your past. Keep
evoke different the essay focused on a dominant
impression or story about your life.
memories and
meanings?

5. Any connections?
Photo of friends
Signature wristband
Favorite backpack

6. Drafting your descriptive essay:
• What sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and
textures are important for developing your
description?
• Which details can you include to ensure that
your readers gain a vivid impression imbued
with your emotion or perspective?
• What details should be left out?

7. Concrete Details
She was nervous as
she approached She used the sleeves of
the staircase. her stained wool sweater
to wipe the sweat from her
forehead before squinting
into the darkness that lay
before her. She rubbed her
moist palms against her
jeans before shoving her
hand back into her side
pocket and hastily pulling
out her flashlight.

8. Focus on the Five Senses
• Sight*
• Sound: If you are
describing a person,
remember to include
dialogue.
• Smell
• Touch
• Taste

9. Show: Don’t Tell
But what's the difference between showing and
telling? Consider these two simple examples:
• I grew tired after dinner.
• As I leaned back and rested my head against
the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel
heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in
front of me blurred with the white tablecloth.

10. Word Choice:
• The courthouse sagged
• A black dog suffered
• Men’s stiff collars wilted

11. Tips for Organization
• Try moving your reader through space and
time chronologically.
• Use a then-and-now approach to show decay,
change, or improvement. The house where
you grew up might now be a rambling shack.
The variations on this strategy are endless.
• You may also use a topic-by-topic approach,
especially if you are describing a person.

12. Chronological
Describe when
you acquired the
wristband (story)
Why I always
wore it in high
school - - what it
says about me
Who and what it
reminds me of
now and why I
brought it

13. Remember to
come up with a
clear thesis
statement/focus.
However, this
thesis does not
necessarily have
to come at the
beginning of the
essay.
In this case, you may come to your overall statement about the value of the object(s)
in your conclusion.

14. Revising your descriptive essay:
• Have you provided enough details and descriptions to
enable your readers to gain a complete and vivid
perception?
• Have you left out any minor but important details?
• Have you used words that convey your emotion or
perspective?
• Are there any unnecessary details in your description?
• Does each paragraph of your essay focus on one aspect
of your description?
• Are you paragraphs ordered in the most effective way?