Writing Descriptive Sentences
Through descriptions, we express a person, event, or place. No one has moved me more than Oscar Wilde (yet). So, let’s examine his famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and learn the key tools for writing descriptive sentences through language and literary devices.
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When we write, the goal is to produce emotion. It can be with anything in a scene: a chair, a person, or a place.
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (New York, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc., 2015)
But how do we do that? Poetry. Whether or not you enjoy the medium, you will agree that language is vital to all writing forms. Poetry particularly practices this because every word and punctuation mark means something (as should they in novels.) As writers, we must be selective with our diction; we are finding a rhythm to construct our message. When you use these tools properly, you can become a master at crafting descriptive sentences.
What makes good descriptive writing
Use literary devices to enhance meaning
Use active voice
Improve your sense of rhythm and sentence structure.
Use the five senses
When it comes to writing descriptive sentences, they need to hold layers of meaning, which is what Oscar Wilde shows us in his novel. He will use literary devices to enhance a scene. There is a particular scene that struck me while I read the novel. The author conveys how his character is blossoming out of his introversion; we witness him transform into someone else. Wilde compares this experience that character is undergoing to that of a blooming flower. In this scene, the flower holds layers of meaning; it represents an internal vanity and transformation of the character. From the description, we sense the character’s conversion towards vanity and desiring an ideal. Hence the use of metaphor for flowers in this situation; the story is about conceit, and our main character turns into a Narcissus.
It’s a magnificent way to describe a character's transformation rather than saying something such as, he came out of his shell and started to become desirous. This is a terrible description for a few reasons.
key elements to avoid when writing descriptive sentences
Tell and no show
Clichés
Writing in passive voice
The above example doing all of these things. It’s cliché, written in a passive voice, and it tells us what the character is doing rather than showing us how this transformation is happening.
Mastering descriptive sentences for creative writing
literary devices and language.
While reading a lot of different prose, I encountered my favorite poetic descriptions are mostly metaphors or similes. Oscar Wilde exemplifies this throughout the book.
Using literary devices in storytelling for descriptive sentences:
Metaphor and Simile
These literary devices act as a universal language for any reader by making the sentences poetic and relatable. In this novel, the author describes an obsession the artist has with the muse and art itself. From the diction, we understand this feeling is both a welcome and an intrusive sensation for the character based on the language; Wilde uses words like haunt, ideal, and exquisite. Word choice is crucial in storytelling.
The author doesn’t say: you became my muse and haunted me since the day I met you. But he shows the reader how the character, Dorian Gray overtakes the artists’ whole being— the muse and the artist cannot separate in the context of this story. How many creatives feel this on a whole other level? I know I do. The point is to evoke a relatable feeling through action within the character for your reader.
My example doesn't represent the depth of suffering or adoration the character has; it simply tells us what the character feels.
The last literary device I must mention when writing descriptive sentences is imagery. It's another tool that shows your reader what is in a scene.
How imagery enhances descripitive writing
Imagery may be the most important literary device for descriptions—give us color, texture, smell, taste, etc. What do you notice? You’re using the five senses. You want to ensure you are producing one or more of the five senses—after all, that is what you do when you describe something in real life.
What are the five senses?
Sight
Smell
Touch
Taste
Sound
Try this exercise if you struggle with descriptive sentences.
Take an object—anything. And write out a description that uses one of the five senses. Practice this over and over.
When descriptions turn into purple prose:
Description turns into purple prose when the write unnecessarily uses literary devices that doesn’t further the character, scene, or plot. Every word matters in your work, this is why we revise.
Writing poetic descriptions to enhance your sentences doesn’t have to be difficult. And I’m not telling you to write purple prose; take with you tools to make your writing dynamic. Focus on the language and choose the appropriate literary devices. You will find many will weave through your themes; it's magic!
Now, this isn’t a formula for every sentence. In fact, every description will and should be different. Harness the emotion you are provoking and present it in a relatable way that means something to you. It will create a feeling for your reader, trust me.
Key takeaways for writing descriptive sentences
While writing your descriptions, focus on language, sentence structure, and literary devices because you want to show your readers what you see or feel through your words. I ingest stories as if they are a movie playing in my mind. I know the author is keyed into their descriptions, characters, and themes when I stay connected to those images, which evoke emotion—at that point—I can’t put the book down.
Please let me know if this is helpful for you on your writing journey. I would love to chat with you about Oscar Wilde and writing descriptive sentences in the comments below.
Happy Writing —
