STYLE:  DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

Description Defined

Description is the style of writing whereby the author relates to the audience a visual picture of the subject he/she is describing.  The author attempts to convey as many of the senses related to the subject as possible for a clearer understanding of what is being described.

There are two types of description: subjective and objective.  Subjective description conveys the writer's personal view or impression of the subject being described.  An example of subjective description is a restaurant or film review.  Subjective description is to be avoided when trying to convey to the reader only what is being described--without opinion.  Objective description does this by subordinating the writer's personal responses while emphasizing the actual qualities of what is being described.

Descriptive Word Choices

Word choice, in descriptive writing, is critical.  Each word must be critically evaluated to see if it contributes to the overall description.  Therefore, let's look at some types of words that will influence your overall description, for better or worse.

Concrete words are those which can be perceived by the senses; they are also specific in nature.  Examples: "chair" (exists physically), "70 degrees Fahrenheit" (specific), and "6'3" tall".  The reader knows exactly what is meant when encountering concrete words.  If a victim describes his assaulter to the police as being 6'3" tall, the police have a real idea of the man's stature.  True communication takes place between writer and reader.

Abstract words are the opposite of concrete words.  They cannot be perceived by the senses, and they are general in nature.  Examples: " Love" (doesn't exist in a specific physical sense) and "hot" (general).  The reader is unclear as to what is meant when encountering abstract words because interpretation of them will vary from individual to individual depending on each of our own experience and perception.  In using the word "love", for example, the reader can attach different concepts to the word, as in "I love lobster".  Different values or intensity may be assigned as well, as in "It is really hot".  Instead of a victim stating the concrete height of his assailant, what happens if he states to the police instead "He was really big"?  How many men does that leave in or eliminate!   No true communication takes place with these words; their only use is to confuse.  Ad advertiser might state that their product will result in "sexy" hair.  Exactly what "sexy" hair is will vary from person to person.  That is what the advertiser wants as each individual will think if they purchase that product, it will give them their own version of "sexy" hair.  If a writer must use abstract words, they should qualify them with concrete words as in "It was very hot; it was 99 degrees."

Denotative words are devoid of implication and say exactly what they mean without inference or innuendo.  "Female "would be a good example.  No one, except a male, would be upset to be called a "female".

Connotative words, the opposite of denotative,  can also confuse the reader.  Connotative words are those which have a hidden, or implied, meaning.  What happens when "female"  is changed to "bimbo"?  As readers, our reactions when reading are controlled by the author's use of these words.  For example, in a horror novel, the author might want to  introduce the villain of the work immediately as a negative character.  So, the author will write, "He staggered toward the baby, snarling amidst globs of greasy hair, surrounding his sallow, pock-marked face."  Now, we as readers,  just know this person is a villain. The author's choice of words alone convey an implication to us and, in turn, we respond.  Conversely, the author could write, "The sweet waif with the golden hair and cherubic cheeks lay angelically in his cradle." In this case, we respond to the author's word choice by categorizing the infant as the hero or positive/good figure.
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  CLUES FOR DESCRIPTION

Therefore, we too, as authors, can control our readers' responses with choosing our words very deliberately.   George Orwell warned writers to beware of "surrendering" to words.  We should control our words, not vice versa.  This means we revise our word choice when necessary; we don't always accept what we have written initially as being final and correct.  When writing then, we need to ask ourselves some very basic questions regarding this issue.  The following clues will help us evaluate our descriptive writing.

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       Last Updated:  July, 2003
       Patricia A. Hutchins
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