Descriptives are hard work. Tedious, and monotonous also, yes. Why would someone wanna even read it, right?
Maybe because of the plethora of emotions they kindle in you when you read them, be it utopian happiness or the unsettling feeling of panic and fear; Or maybe because of the mesmerizing, ethereal images they paint in your mind; or maybe because of their uncanny ability to tap into your deepest fears and feelings without the magic of audio-visual effects, desriptives are otherworldly.
Descriptives are magical and beautiful to their core. They are an art even narratives need, to feel whole and compelling.
So here are a few tips I have penned down to help you hone your descriptions and have a better impact on readers!
Sensorial party!
the grass gently tickles your bare feet with its silken, slightly wet touch. The morning dew has settled on the grass, and they glint as the sun draws an open wound across the sky. In the distance, a mockingjay launches a glissando of notes into the cold morning air and you close your eyes, taking a deep breath and letting nature into your body. The earth smelling like freshly baked bread, is subtle yet strong enough to mark its presence.
This paragraph is a technique called “Treat For The Senses”.
When writing your descriptives, indulge all the senses: smell, touch, sound, taste and sight. Often, we stress only on what we see because it's easy. To make sure you use the other senses in your writing, practice by writing from a blind person’s perspective, ensuring that you write nothing about what you can see.
Another important aspect is the narrator's thoughts and feelings. They are equally (perhaps even more) important as the senses, since they help develop the character and make the descriptives relatable and interesting.
The pronoun you chose to use also plays a major role in making the descriptive effective. The best pronoun to use is “you” since it actually indulges the writer and makes them actually imagine everything you are describing. First person is equally effective.
Zoom in, Zoom out
Every detail is important. Start from the bigger picture and then move on to the little details that make up the scene. Remember that every detail is important and describing every detail will help you add content as well as show your skills to the reader. Describe every detail and tell the reader how and why it is worth describing. But do not forget that you are describing every detail to build up an entire scene, so every detail needs to play a part in the scene.
Play it slow
Just like this always works in real life, it will also always work with descriptives. Keeping the pace slow gives you enough time to describe every detail and appeal to all senses.
Keep the pace of your passage slow; however monotonous it may seem, make it interesting with your content, not the pace. This is a delicate skill that needs to be developed over time, but if you use all the tips mentioned above, I am sure your description will be perfect, slow and compelling.
Another way of keeping it slow is to stop all movement. Describe your chosen topic as if you are stuck at one spot with the ability to only turn in your position.
Secret tip
Write what you feel - that's the key. Even if traditionally the question aims for a pleasant happy place and you aren't in the perfect mindset to write a happy piece, write what you feel, mould the topic to suit you. This isn't only during exams, writing helps you let out your feelings in a constructive way.
Make the writing your own.
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