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The first thing to understand about description is that it isn't just there to tell you what's happening - that's almost the least of it. The MOST important thing a piece of description does is set the mood, the tone or the atmosphere of a piece of writing. Mainly, this means creating an emotional connection to your piece of writing, not just an intellectual understanding of what it is; I need to feel emotionally connected to it before I'll care about it.
The first thing to understand about description is that it isn't just there to tell you what's happening - that's almost the least of it. The MOST important thing a piece of description does is set the mood, the tone or the atmosphere of a piece of writing. Mainly, this means creating an emotional connection to your piece of writing, not just an intellectual understanding of what it is; I need to feel emotionally connected to it before I'll care about it.
Alongside having benefits for the reader, giving a piece of writing a clear tone makes it much easier to write. If you're going for something cold and hard, you can connect it immediately to images of stones, ice, metal, etc... while if you're going for something exciting and busy you know you can associate the image with buzzing insects, circuses, or kaleidoscopes. If you're just writing about the thing itself then you really are making your own life difficult.
Alongside having benefits for the reader, giving a piece of writing a clear tone makes it much easier to write. If you're going for something cold and hard, you can connect it immediately to images of stones, ice, metal, etc... while if you're going for something exciting and busy you know you can associate the image with buzzing insects, circuses, or kaleidoscopes. If you're just writing about the thing itself then you really are making your own life difficult.
To choose a tone to use, you just need to trust your instincts. Look at a picture and choose an emotional tone for it. BUT please remember that when small children think of emotions they go: happy, sad, depressing, etc. Young adults like yourselves should be capable of something a little more complex than that.
To choose a tone to use, you just need to trust your instincts. Look at a picture and choose an emotional tone for it. BUT please remember that when small children think of emotions they go: happy, sad, depressing, etc. Young adults like yourselves should be capable of something a little more complex than that.
There are some images below to have a go at, and underneath each one I've supplied some ideas that are perhaps a little move complex than your first instincts might offer...
There are some images below to have a go at, and underneath each one I've supplied some ideas that are perhaps a little move complex than your first instincts might offer...
Emotional Tone:
Emotional Tone:
This was taken from an AQA paper in 2017. It asked you to write about a journey on a bus.
This was taken from an AQA paper in 2017. It asked you to write about a journey on a bus.
Though you could go for just a plain old bus journey, that woman staring at us through the window could set off ideas of paranoia or discomfort. Alternatively, the bright lights and bustle could bring on excitement or a sense of fear, or even confusion or stress.
Though you could go for just a plain old bus journey, that woman staring at us through the window could set off ideas of paranoia or discomfort. Alternatively, the bright lights and bustle could bring on excitement or a sense of fear, or even confusion or stress.
The point is that if you try to write about just a bus journey it's boring for you and the reader. If you describe it as being stressful, or create an air of paranoia or excitement, you'll create a MUCH more interesting piece of writing.
The point is that if you try to write about just a bus journey it's boring for you and the reader. If you describe it as being stressful, or create an air of paranoia or excitement, you'll create a MUCH more interesting piece of writing.
Emotional Tone:
Emotional Tone:
This was another AQA original. The obvious emotions here are loneliness, and isolation. If you're going for this you can immediately draw associations with the cold, with stone, or with monasteries or mountaintops.
This was another AQA original. The obvious emotions here are loneliness, and isolation. If you're going for this you can immediately draw associations with the cold, with stone, or with monasteries or mountaintops.
Also, you can take your reader on a journey, even with a piece of description; and so, if you've set yourself an emotional tone, you can change it and create even more interest. For a piece like this, for example, you could start off describing it as harsh, lonely and isolating, but then some ray of hope enters and the piece changes its mood and the images shift to match it.
Also, you can take your reader on a journey, even with a piece of description; and so, if you've set yourself an emotional tone, you can change it and create even more interest. For a piece like this, for example, you could start off describing it as harsh, lonely and isolating, but then some ray of hope enters and the piece changes its mood and the images shift to match it.
Emotional Tone:
Emotional Tone:
Though this was taken from a KS3 paper, I think the tone here is quite complex. Is this the final visit to a grandparents' house, filled with memories and melancholy? Or is it from some kind of strange horror, where nothing is as it seems? (I think it's been shot with a very wide lens so the perspective is a little strange.)
Though this was taken from a KS3 paper, I think the tone here is quite complex. Is this the final visit to a grandparents' house, filled with memories and melancholy? Or is it from some kind of strange horror, where nothing is as it seems? (I think it's been shot with a very wide lens so the perspective is a little strange.)
The key thing to think of here is this: Even if you're just describing a picture, it's a LOT easier if you've got some kind of narrative in your head. Don't worry about storyline - you don't need a plot - you just need a tangible idea to hang your description on and you'll find the whole thing a lot easier.
The key thing to think of here is this: Even if you're just describing a picture, it's a LOT easier if you've got some kind of narrative in your head. Don't worry about storyline - you don't need a plot - you just need a tangible idea to hang your description on and you'll find the whole thing a lot easier.
There are LOADS of pictures that inspire writing on the net, click on some of the links below to try for yourself...
There are LOADS of pictures that inspire writing on the net, click on some of the links below to try for yourself...
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