How to Write a Descriptive Essay

Descriptive essays are often subjective tasks. The first issue at hand is to make sure you know what type of paper you are writing. The descriptive essay is often creative, personal, or simply artistic. Discuss the assignment with your professor or teacher before you begin.

Even though your descriptive essay is more personal than a standard five-paragraph or compare-contrast essay, there is still quite a bit of homework to be done. Here is a list of important rules to follow as your write this essay.

1. Understand the concept
2. Do your research
3. Outline the paper
4. Write the paper
5. Re-write the paper
6. Edit (outside editors)

Descriptive essays rely on their nominal stature. It is more important to use imagery and metaphorical language than scientific data. Descriptive essays are not mathematic entries, nor are they always factual. They are opinions. Consequently, you can try to write and describe anything you desire. You simply have to do it well. As horrible as that sounds, your professors and teachers will tell you the same thing.

Here are some tips to remember when writing your descriptive essay:

1. Actually describe something
2. Use concrete and abstract images
3. Use concrete and abstract ideas
4. Do not go overboard with adjectives and adverbs
5. Do not go overboard with similes and metaphors
6. Give it to someone else to see if your essay actually describes something

While it may seem rather vague initially, sometimes a descriptive essay can be the most liberating and pleasurable essay to write. You are just writing something as you see it. If you can prove and describe an idea or image in language, then you have accomplished your task. Documentation and hard research are not always necessary components (although they may be).

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