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Descriptive Essay, a la Shmoop. A Descriptive Essay is exactly what it sounds

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like...

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...it's a piece of writing about a person, place, memory, situation, or... cat, that

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you describe in detail.

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The process of reading your never-ending prose can be an agonizing experience for the reader

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if the descriptions are predictable ...

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For example: My cat is fluffy. He likes tuna. I love him very much.

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Still awake? This description tells the reader nothing new or special or memorable.

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There is nothing that differentiates this cat from the millions of other pet cats in

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the world. The key to a good description is to surprise

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the reader. No jumping out of closets, please.

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But you will need to get their attention by providing unique and memorable details.

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For example:

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My cat, Pirate, has one eye and three legs. He gets into a lot of bar fights. He shows

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his affection by puking hairballs onto my sheets while I'm asleep.

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Sometimes he grooms me by licking my arms with his rough tongue, leaving behind streaks

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of slimy saliva that smell strongly of rotten fish.

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Okay, so this could still describe just about any cat in the world.

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With the exception of the "one eye, three legs" bit.

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But at least it's more descriptive. One of the key things to remember when you

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write your descriptions is that you need to engage your readers' five senses:

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Touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing.

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If they've got a sixth sense, try to engage them on that level, too. Maybe get some of

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the dead people to help. Make your readers live your experience by

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filling in all the details they'll need in order to inhabit your memories.

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It's okay—there's plenty of room in there, and company's welcome.

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Pay close attention to your language; you don't want a line to sit dully on the page

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when a different word choice could really make a sentence pop.

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A popular way to liven up descriptions is to use similes and metaphors, or to compare

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one thing to another.

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Like apples and oranges. Peas and carrots. Anchovies and ice cream.

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Hey, don't judge. Maybe we just have a really sophisticated palate.

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This comparison can be made briefly, within a particular description...

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... or the thread of comparison can run throughout the entire paper. Which is a great way to

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fit in your cardio for the day. Your standards for your comparisons don't

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have to be sky high.

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If you succeed in entertaining your reader, then your essay is a success.

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Another important thing to remember as you write the Descriptive Essay is to keep it

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focused.

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It's easy to meander and lose your way once you start describing something.

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And your GPS won't help you here. To guard against this pitfall, it's a good

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idea to describe in a line or so your purpose for writing the essay.

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Dig deeper. Is it to convince the reader that your grandma's chili is the best in the world?

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Or that the swamps of Florida are an awesome place to wrestle crocodiles?

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Then let all of the descriptions and details grow out of this sentence.

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Okay, now it's time for you to do some describing on your own.

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May the adjectives be

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with you.

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