When a reader can see, smell, hear, taste and feel from reading what you have written, then it could be said that you have written a fine description essay. In this kind of writing, you would have presented the subject matter in precise sensory detail. Placing relevant adjectives, verbs and adverbs and using similes and metaphors at strategic points throughout your writing goes a long way in opening the reader’s senses to experience your message. This holds true of both, academic and professional writing.
This article has used an example of heavy rains affecting people in different regions, differently.
The Dominant Message: What is the dominant message of your description writing? Is it the showcasing of the plight of the affected in the regions being lashed by heavy rainfall? Or is about the apathy of the ruling party towards the suffering? Or will you want to focus on the respite the rain has provided to certain drought struck regions? Based on your decision of the dominant message, you will collect details that will be your building blocks for the description essay or article.
Decide on the Tone: Will the tone of your article or essay be objective or will it be subjective?
1. Objective: An objective tone will focus on the facts. What time did it begin raining? Measurement of the rainfall. The acreage of land submerged. Number of people dead or missing. The time taken by the State Government to get the rescue operations underway. The two year drought in the region broken by these torrential rains.
2. Subjective: A subjective tone will not only mention the facts, but will also convey emotion, attitude and feeling. The wail of a mother when she saw her son sucked into an open manhole, wet and shivering children perched on treetops for three days and two nights, the brightness of colour as the dust is washed away, the happy children playing in puddles of rainwater for the first time, after two years of drought.
Hierarchy of flow: A quality description writing will have a smooth flow to it. It is important to guide the reader through space and time in chronological order, so that it is easy to visualise the sequence of events.
2. Time: Here, you could mention the time when the rains hit a particular region and speak about the reaction of the people. What time did the authorities decide that State aid would be required? When did the aid actually arrive?
Aim of descriptive writing: Review your writing for its ability to make the reader believe and feel what you are trying to convey. The aim of descriptive writing is not merely to describe; the aim is to persuade.
