Descriptions in narrative writing immerse the reader in the story by appealing to the five senses,
revealing character through appearance and actions, establishing the setting, creating atmosphere, and
conveying emotion, which all work together to make the narrative vivid, engaging, and memorable.
Good description doesn't just add detail; it advances the plot, deepens character understanding, and
evokes feelings, transforming a simple story into an experience.
How Descriptions Enhance a Narrative
Sensory Immersion: Descriptions bring settings and events to life by appealing to sight, sound, smell,
taste, and touch, allowing readers to vividly experience the story world.
Characterization: How characters look, move, and perceive their surroundings reveals their personality,
emotions, and background, making them more complex and relatable.
Setting the Scene: Descriptions provide the necessary details for readers to visualize and understand the
environment, whether it's a grand castle or a simple, forgotten room.
Atmosphere and Mood: Descriptive language, like a slow rhythm for tension or short fragments for
speed, helps establish the emotional tone and atmosphere of a scene.
Emotional Connection: By showing a character's discomfort through details about their outfit, for
example, writers can also convey their internal state, fostering a deeper emotional bond with the
reader.
Advancing the Plot: Rather than just being decorative, description can provide clues, drive action, or
create obstacles for the characters, making the story flow more effectively.
Tips for Writing Effective Descriptions
Use Sensory Language: Go beyond just what characters see; include what they hear, feel, smell, and
even taste to create a richer experience.
Focus on Relevance: Describe only the details that are important to the scene, character, or plot,
avoiding unnecessary information that could slow the story.
Show, Don't Tell: Instead of saying a room was messy, describe scattered papers, overflowing ashtrays,
and stained carpets to show the mess.
Integrate with Action: Weave descriptive details into the narrative so they feel natural and active, rather
than stopping the story for long, unrelated paragraphs.
Employ Literary Devices: Use similes, metaphors, and personification to create strong images and
unique comparisons that capture the reader's imagination.
Consider Point of View: Describe the world from a character's perspective, focusing on details they
would notice and how they would interpret them.
English Composition I – Week 3 Lecture
Types of Writing: Narrative and Descriptive Writing
Narrative and Descriptive writing have certain elements that are used together to convey a message.
This lecture provides a brief overview of these two types of writing. This week’s activities include
reading online material on Narrative and Descriptive Essays, and three brief videos that discuss narrative
writing, descriptive writing, and similes and metaphors: two literary devices used in descriptive writing.
Narrative Writing
Narrative writing tells a story. Stories should have a beginning, middle, and end. When writing a
narrative, the things you should consider are the basic Who – What – When –Where – Why. You should
also consider the order of events. In story-telling, description and dialogue may be used to move the
story forward and make the story more vivid for the readers.
Description/Descriptive Writing
Description is a type of writing, but it is also a writing technique used in narrative writing. Description
uses language that allows readers to see, feel, hear, taste, and/or smell the events within the story.
When writing a story (narrative writing), description can enhance the readers’ interest in your story.
Description shows readers the events as they happened rather than simply telling the story without vivid
language that brings the story to life. Consider the following example:
The roar of the train filled the station as, heart pounding and adrenaline singing in her ears, Vicki leaped
down onto the southbound tracks. The wooden step over the live rail was too far away, almost center
in the line of concrete pillars, so she jumped, trying not to think of the however many million volts of
electricity the thing carried turning her to charcoal. She tottered for a moment on the edge of the
divider, cursing her full-length coat and wishing she’d worn a jacket, and then, although she knew it was
the stupidest thing she could do, she looked toward the oncoming train (Huff, p. 8).
(Huff, Tanya. (1991) Blood Price. Daw Books Collection, Penguin Group, USA. 1st paperback printing.)
Can you “see” Vicki’s situation? The verbs are strong: jumped, leaped, and tottered. There are sound
images: the roar of the train and her heart pounding. Descriptive language can draw the reader into the
story.
Description alone does not tell a story, but it can create a mood, an impression, and/or paint a picture
with words. Writing descriptions can be challenging. It is sometimes easier to insert the descriptive
language into a story.
Descriptive writing often uses two literary devices: simile and metaphor. Both are comparisons, but a
simile is a direct comparison; where as a metaphor is an implied comparison. Here are two examples:
Simile: The moon was like huge golden disc that hung over the mountains.
Metaphor: The moon was a huge golden disc that hung over the mountains.
Dialogue
Dialogue is what people say. Using dialogue in narrative writing can, like descriptive language, help to
draw the reader into story. The greatest challenge with writing effective dialogue is choosing words that
move the story forward or show your readers something about the character. Another challenge with
dialogue is creating believable conversation
Descriptive Essays
What is a descriptive essay?
The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person,
place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s ability to create a written
account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom
(the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader). One might
benefit from keeping in mind this simple maxim: If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of
the thing that you are describing, try, try again!
Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay.
Take time to brainstorm
If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas
before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few
words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down
some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one.
Use clear and concise language.
This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you
are intending to describe.
Choose vivid language.
Why use horse when you can choose stallion? Why not use tempestuous instead of violent? Or why not
miserly in place of cheap? Such choices form a firmer image in the mind of the reader and often times
offer nuanced meanings that serve better one’s purpose.
Use your senses!
Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader.
Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked. Embellish the moment with senses.
What were you thinking?!
If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a
deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency. Tap into
this emotional reservoir in order to achieve your full descriptive potential.
Leave the reader with a clear impression.
One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in the reader. If your reader
can walk away from the essay craving the very pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing
effective descriptive essays.
Be organized!
It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when writing a descriptive essay.
However, you must strive to present an organized and logical description if the reader is to come away
from the essay with a cogent sense of what it is you are attempting to describe.
Narrative Essays
What is a narrative essay?
When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal,
experiential, and personal—allowing students to express themselves in a creative and, quite often,
moving [Link] are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay.
If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.
This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.
When would a narrative essay not be written as a story?
A good example of this is when an instructor asks a student to write a book report. Obviously, this would
not necessarily follow the pattern of a story and would focus on providing an informative narrative for
the reader.
The essay should have a purpose.
Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. If there is no point to what you are narrating, why
narrate it at all?
The essay should be written from a clear point of view.
It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is
not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays oftentimes manifests itself in the
form of authorial perspective.
Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.
Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is carefully,
particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions and senses in the
reader.
The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.
Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for
lack of clearer diction.
As always, be organized!
Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave the reader
guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it
where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).
What Is Descriptive Writing?
An author uses descriptive language to depict a character, setting, or scene in a way that creates an
image in the reader’s mind. A writer often uses figurative language to evoke the reader’s senses.
Descriptive writing gives a story more depth and credibility by allowing readers to imagine the physical
world and characters a writer has created.
Take this quiz to find out.
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How to Use Descriptive Writing to Improve Your Story
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 3, 2021 • 4 min read
In fiction writing, authors bring characters to life and create imaginative settings through descriptive
writing—using vivid details, figurative language, and sensory information to paint a picture for readers.
Well-crafted descriptive writing draws readers into the story. It’s an essential part of storytelling that
every author needs to learn.
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Tell a Great Story
11 Tips for Descriptive Writing
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What Is Descriptive Writing?
An author uses descriptive language to depict a character, setting, or scene in a way that creates an
image in the reader’s mind. A writer often uses figurative language to evoke the reader’s senses.
Descriptive writing gives a story more depth and credibility by allowing readers to imagine the physical
world and characters a writer has created.
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11 Tips for Descriptive Writing
As any good writer knows, descriptive writing in a short story or novel takes practice. If descriptive
passages are too long, they slow a story down. If a writer uses bland words (like describing a character
as “nice”) character development will fall flat. Here are 11 writing tips to help you perfect descriptive
writing:
1. Use your imagination. When you sit down for the first time to flesh out your story, use your
imagination. What do you see when you picture your main character? Where do they live? What does
their home look like? If you can visualize people and places in your own mind, then it is easier to find the
words to make them real to your readers.
2. Use dynamic words. To get a scene to jump off the page, create vivid descriptions through dynamic
language—choose words that have movement over words that are static. This is especially helpful when
you have to build a new world, like in a science fiction novel.
3. Engage a reader’s senses. Specific and concrete details are critical to successful storytelling, and the
best way to make details concrete is by appealing to the reader’s senses. As the saying goes, “show,
don’t tell.” Use sensory detail—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—to describe a scene. Use the
strongest description sense for the scene. If your character is in a gutter, smell may be more provocative
than sight.
4. Use point of view to inform descriptive writing. Let characters be the gateway to descriptive writing.
Follow your characters around and describe the world through them. Most people take in their
surroundings with a traveling gaze, so imagine where their attention will rove. Looking at the world
through their eyes in a plausible way will add a subtle effect of believability. In first person or third
person pov, describe how the main character views other people and experiences moments. Showing
the world through a character’s subjective point of view reveals how they feel about things, which helps
character development.
5. Write detailed character descriptions. Visualize a character in your own mind. Make them three
dimensional by fleshing out both the character’s personality and physical appearance. What is their eye
color? Do they have green eyes, brown eyes, or blue eyes? Write down their physical details like
hairstyle and hair color—do they have brown hair, blond hair, or dark hair? Describe how they move
through the world and hint at what their body language and mannerisms reveal.
6. Self-edit for descriptive language. When you review your first draft, make sure there is enough
description to paint a picture for readers. Replace weak adjectives with more descriptive synonyms.
Replace nondescript character descriptions ("likable," "nice") with more interesting traits.
7. Use backstory as a descriptive technique. When you’re fleshing out characters, make sure each one
has a backstory, then allude to that backstory through specific details. You might describe a woman who
is wearing a flannel shirt that belonged to her estranged father. If an old building in San Francisco is
rundown, elaborate to show that it’s a survivor of the 1906 earthquake to give it more historical context.
8. Do creative writing exercises. To improve your descriptive writing, try simple exercises. For example,
try writing one-paragraph descriptions of places or people. Write a description of a room you know well.
Take a location every knows—like New York—and describe the city from a fictional character’s point of
view. Try picking a word in the English language and brainstorm descriptive alternatives.
9. Make descriptive writing feel organic. Descriptive writing can slow a story down. Good description is
carefully woven into the action so the story keeps moving. For example, a thriller must keep a page-
turning pace to keep readers in suspense, so descriptions should happen as dramatic events unfold
rather than stepping out of the scene and stopping the action.
10. Let the reader use their imagination. When describing a place or person, be creative and concise and
let the reader fill in the visual blanks. Painting pictures in light brushstrokes can be evocative because
you’re asking the reader to do the work of imagining.
11. See how other writers use descriptive language. Search for good examples of descriptive writing in
bestselling books. Study how the writers use language and words that pull the reader into the story.
Notice how they describe the physical characteristics and personality traits of their characters and how
they incorporate descriptive writing into their story to keep the storyline moving and to paint a picture
of their world.