How to Write a Descriptive Essay

Brainstorming Ideas for the Essay

Choose a person to describe. One option for a topic is to describe a person that you know well in your life. This could be a family member like your mother or your father. It could also be a best friend, a coworker, or a mentor. Choose a person that you have a lot to write about so you have enough material for the essay. You could also choose a fictional person to write about, such as a character in a book, a story, or a play. You could write about a character on your favorite TV show or video game.

Pick a place or object to describe. Another option is to focus on a specific place or object that you have strong feelings about. This could be a place like your high school, your workplace, or your childhood home. You could also write about an important family heirloom or a gift from a friend. Use sensory imagery and language that's understandable so people can get interested in what you're describing. Another take on this option is to write about a made-up place or object, such as the fantastical school in your favorite book or the magic wand from your favorite TV show.

Select an emotion to describe. Some descriptive essays are about an emotion that you connect to or relate to. You may choose a strong emotion like anger, loss, desire, or rage. You could then try to describe the emotion using your own experiences with it. You could also choose a more specific emotion, such as brotherly love or self-hatred. These emotions can make for powerful descriptive essays. Don't get overly technical or jargon-y with the words you choose.

Make a list of sensory details about the topic. Once you have chosen your topic, draw five columns on a piece of paper or a word document on your computer. Then, label each column for the five senses, “touch,” “sight,” “sound,” “taste,” and “smell.” Write down as many details you can think of for the topic based on each sense. You can then use these notes in your essay. For example, if you were writing about a person like your mother, you may write down under “sound” : “soft voice at night, clack of her shoes on the floor tiles, bang of the spoon when she cooks.” You want to help readers see what you see and feel the corresponding emotions that match with your experiences.

Writing the Essay

Outline the essay in sections. Organize the essay by creating a brief outline. Do this in sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. The standard is to have a five paragraph essay, one paragraph for introduction, three paragraphs for body, and one for conclusion. But you can also try having sections instead, allowing you to have as many paragraphs as you want for the body section of the essay. If you are writing the essay for a class, your instructor should specify if they want a five paragraph essay or if you have the freedom to use sections instead.

Create a thesis statement. A thesis statement is the key idea or theme for the essay. It states the purpose of the essay and acts as a guide for the rest of the essay. The thesis statement should appear in your introduction and be restated in your conclusion. For example, if you were writing a descriptive essay about your mother, you may have a thesis statement like: “In many ways, my mother is the reigning queen of our house, full of contradictions that we are too afraid to question.”

Write a strong introduction. The introduction to the descriptive essay should set the scene and introduce the reader to the subject. Use the list of sensory details to describe the subject. Have a strong opening line that grabs the reader’s attention. Then, end the introduction with your thesis statement. For example, if you were writing the essay about your mom, you may start with: “My mother is not like other mothers. She is a fierce protector and a mysterious woman to my sisters and I.” If you were writing an essay about an object, you may start with: "Try as I might, I had a hard time keeping my pet rock alive."

Describe the topic with vivid adjectives. Use adjectives that express emotion. Be as specific as you can. For example, rather than use a broad adjective like “angry,” go for a specific adjective like “rageful” or “tempestuous.” Choose adjectives that will paint a clear image in the reader’s mind. You can also use adjectives that connect to the senses, such “rotting,” “bright,” “hefty,” “rough,” and “pungent.” For example, you may describe your mother as "bright," "tough," and "scented with jasmine."

Use metaphors and similes. Metaphors are when you compare one thing to another. Use metaphors to show the reader what you think about the topic, rather than simply tell the reader how you feel. For example, rather than tell the reader, “My mother sacrificed a lot for us,” you can use a metaphor like, “My mother is a workhorse. She hasn’t taken a vacation in decades.” You can also use similes, where you use “like” or “as” to compare one thing to another. For example, you may write, “My mother is like a fierce warrior in battle, if the battlefield were PTA meetings and the checkout line at the grocery store.”

Discuss your emotions and thoughts about the topic. Do not be afraid to express your emotions in your essay. Use first person “I” to discuss your feelings about the subject in detail. Do you feel joy, sadness, angry, or disgust with the subject? How do you respond emotionally to the subject? For example, you may write about your complicated feelings about your mother. You may note that you feel sadness about your mother’s sacrifices for the family and joy for the privileges you have in your life because of her.

Wrap up the essay with a strong conclusion. Your conclusion should tie all the thoughts in your essay together. Restate your thesis statement in the conclusion and end with a strong final sentence. Do not add anything new to your essay in the conclusion. Simply evaluate your thoughts in the essay and wrap things up with a short, final statement. For example, you may end a descriptive essay about your mother by noting, “In all that she has sacrificed for us, I see her strength, courage, and fierce love for her family, traits I hope to emulate in my own life.”

Polishing the Essay

Read the essay out loud. Once you have completed a draft of the essay, read it aloud to yourself. Listen for any awkward or unclear sentences. Circle these sentences so you can revise them later. You can also read the essay aloud to others to get their feedback. Ask them to let you know if there are any unclear or vague sentences in the essay.

Show the essay to others. Show the draft to peers, teachers, family members, and mentors. Ask them if they think the essay is descriptive and full of sensory detail. Have them tell you if they got a clear picture of the subject by the end of the essay. Be open to constructive criticism and feedback from others. This will only make your essay stronger.

Revise the essay for clarity and length. Go through the essay and remove any sentences that do not feel necessary to the paper. Replace any weak adjectives with strong adjectives. Make sure your descriptions of the subject are clear and easy to follow. If you have a word count requirement for the essay, make sure you meet it. Add more detail to the paper or take unnecessary content out to reach the word count.