Writing A Descriptive Text

The purpose of writing descriptions

1. The  purpose of a description is to describe a person, place, or thing in such vivid detail that the reader can easily form a precise mental picture of what is being written about, or can feel that they are part of the experience.
2. Some description may be technical, for example, describing a bridge or a room; while others may describe an event or a person, and include more figurative language (simile, metaphor etc.), or describe feelings and emotions.
3. Therefore, before writing a description, it is important to consider the purpose and the audience.
4. Descriptions can be an important part of many other types of writing. For example, in a narrative, description can make the setting of characters more vivid.
5. When writing about a process, a good description can ensure that the reader fully understands the finished process.

Descriptive Writing Techniques

1. Take the topic or object that you are going to write about and picture it in your mind. Think about objects located in relation to where you were. Things to consider include: Did your surroundings remind you of any other place in time? What was the texture of things around you when you touched them? What feelings do the objects evoke in you?
2. Make a sketch of your object. Visualize it in your mind and sketch from memory, or place yourself comfortably near the object. Allow yourself to fully explore the object and then draw what you experience. Don't worry about not being an artist. This sketch is just for you to help you fully explore the details of the object. Sketching the object also gives you a creative outlet for when you are struggling with putting pen to paper.
3. Write down what you were feeling at the time. Feelings are the mechanism through which you can evoke much of the descriptive elements in your essay.
4. Determine what you want the reader to feel about what you are writing. What kind of words or images can convey this feeling? Use a lot of adjectives. They're the "describing" words.
5. Make sure there is enough detail in your essay to create a mental image for the reader. Visualize the occasion or memory in your mind and describe.
6. The best way to really get some ink flowing in all directions for a descriptive piece is to break apart the subjective and objective material. A good way to do this is to take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the top of one side of the line write the word objective and on the top of the other side of the line write the word subjective. Now, keeping your topic in mind write everything you can think of that is objective about the object. If you think of something subjective don't worry, just write it in the other column.
7. The advantage to this is direction. If you have no idea where you are going with your piece of writing about your unforgettable experience, then you may want to do some brainstorming on what you want to accomplish. Do you want the reader to be moved by the piece because the object is special to you? Do you want the reader to rush out of their house and drive to yours because you are trying to sell your car? Think about what you for an outcome both for you and the reader. Write them down on a piece of paper (or type them).

A good description…

• uses imaginative language, interesting comparisons and images that appeal to the reader’s senses.
• uses specific and concrete vocabulary to describe details.
• involves the reader enough so he or she can actually visualize the things or people being described.
• is well organized and structured and uses appropriate linking and cohesive devices
• is written in a register suited to the purpose and audience.

An example of Descriptive Text.

Bali Island

Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island (strictly speaking, the province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali).

With a population recorded as 3,891,000 in the 2010 census,the island is home to most of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. In the 2000 census about 92.29% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. Bali, a tourist haven for decades, has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years.

( "Bali" source: Wikipedia)

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