Assignment 2: Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is your chance to unleash creativity and transport readers into vivid, captivating scenes. For this coursework assignment, you'll focus on developing ideas and images that create a convincing, detailed picture with varying perspectives and focal points.

 

Overview

In Assignment 2, you are only assessed on your writing skills, and your piece should be between 500 and 800 words. Marks are awarded as follows:

• Content and Structure (10 marks):
• Crafting many well-defined and developed ideas and images that form a compelling overall picture.
• Using a structured, coherent approach to engage the reader.

• Style and Accuracy (15 marks):
• Choosing precise vocabulary and using varied sentence structures effectively.
• Writing with consistent tone and language suitable for the context.
• Demonstrating accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

 

Remember: this is not a story. While your piece can include thoughts, feelings, atmosphere, and changes in perspective or time, it should focus on description rather than narration.

 

Assignment Examples

You might be asked to describe:

• A bustling place like a café, market, or train station.
• A special moment, such as a celebration or gathering.
• A natural scene, like a sunrise, sunset, or storm.
• A still, reflective moment where time feels frozen.

The most engaging responses often draw inspiration from personal experience.

 

How to Write a Descriptive Piece

 

Descriptive writing is all about observation. Think of yourself as a camera lens capturing snapshots of a scene. While your ‘camera’ might witness action or movement, it does not interact with characters or progress a plot. Here's a suggested structure:

 

Step-by-Step Structure 

1. Panoramic View
• Start by broadly describing the scene.
• Establish the time, atmosphere, and overall mood.
2. Zoom In
• Focus on a smaller, less obvious detail.
• Highlight subtle or intricate elements.
3. Single Line Focus
• Emphasise a key emotion or impression in one powerful line.
4. Shift Perspective
• Move your “camera” to another segment of the scene.
• If you began with the foreground, explore the background.
5. Second Shift
• Highlight something unexpected or just “off-camera.”
• Contrast this with other details to create intrigue.
6. Panoramic View Again
• Zoom out to revisit the scene from a new perspective.
• Reflect on changes in time, atmosphere, or mood.

 

Crafting Your Writing

Tone

Match your tone with the mood of your scene. If it’s eerie, use suspenseful phrases. If it’s vibrant, adopt lively and energetic language.

• Short sentences build tension or unease:
  "The shadows stretched, silent and watching."
• Long sentences create abundance or overwhelm:
  "The festival was alive with vivid colours, the hum of excited chatter, and the intoxicating aroma of spiced food."

 

Style and Register

• Use ambitious vocabulary to convey sensory details:
  “brilliant” or “amazing” isn’t descriptive; try “radiant” or “mesmerising.”
• Sensory language brings scenes to life by engaging all five senses. Don’t just describe what can be seen—include sounds, smells, and textures.
• Use techniques like similes (“as golden as the first light of dawn”) and personification (“the wind whispered secrets through the trees”).

 

Key Elements to Include 

• Sound and Silence: Include background noise or sudden lulls to enhance realism.
• Movement and Stillness: Contrast dynamic elements (e.g., rustling leaves) with moments of stillness.
• Light and Darkness: Consider how shadows, reflections, or light sources add depth.

 

 

 

Top Tips

• Keep your description focused, avoiding unnecessary narrative elements.
• Avoid confusing tenses—ensure flashbacks or shifts in time are clearly signalled.
• Vary sentence and paragraph lengths to create a dynamic, engaging flow.
• Always remember: you are painting a picture with words—make it one worth remembering!