Writing a Descriptive Essay That Doesn't Sound Like a Real Estate Ad

"The room was big. It had blue walls. The bed was in the corner."

Okay, yes, that’s technically a description. But let's be honest, reading it feels like looking at a really boring Zillow listing. It doesn't make you feel anything.

Descriptive essays trip a lot of people up because it's so incredibly easy to just start listing facts. Here is how to break out of that trap and actually bring your writing to life.

Narrow Your Focus

If you try to describe an entire city in three pages, it's going to be a total mess. It's just too big.

Instead of trying to describe "New York City," describe "one incredibly crowded subway car in New York during the morning rush hour." Shrinking the frame makes it infinitely easier to handle.

Stop Ignoring Your Other Senses

Most people only write about what things look like. But the real magic happens when you bring in the other four senses.

Don't just tell me the subway car was crowded. What did it smell like? Stale coffee and damp wool coats? What did it sound like? The screeching of metal brakes? When you include smell and sound, the reader instantly feels grounded in the scene.

Show, Don't Tell

You've probably heard an English teacher yell this at you before, but it actually matters here.

"He was nervous" is telling. It's boring.

"His hands shook as he fumbled with his keys, dropping them twice before finding the lock" is showing.

Make the reader see the action happening. Don't just hand them the final conclusion.

Watch the Adjectives

There is a massive temptation to just dump adjectives onto the page to make it sound "more descriptive."

Please don't write: "The big, massive, dark, scary, giant, ancient tree." It's exhausting to read.

Pick one or two incredibly strong, specific words instead. "The rotting oak" works way better than piling on five weak adjectives.

Writing these essays is actually pretty fun once you let go of trying to sound like a textbook. Pay attention to the weird little details, rely on your senses, and let the scene speak for itself.