Q&A for How to Start a Descriptive Essay

Give yourself at least five days. The first day you can spend researching and brainstorming. The next day, develop a really well-crafted thesis. The day after that, focus on your outline. From there, write your rough draft and then revise it until you feel that it's ready to be turned in.

Start by deciding what your goal for the essay is. The portrait or drawing should be something that you can say enough about, without becoming repetitive. If your subject is suitable, then come up with an outline for what you plan to describe. If it's a portrait, consider the person's features, the colors used, their outfit, the background, the style of the art, etc. Figure out what order you plan to describe things in, then write the essay following that outline.

Let the reader know that the person is special, not just by describing the way they look and act, it needs to also talk about the way they make you feel. Explain what types of emotions they make you feel and be sure to not only explain what you see, but how they talk and smell, etc. You can use metaphors and similes if you wish and if you have trouble thinking of descriptive words, you can search for synonyms in the internet (e.g. "happy synonyms”). Don’t try to force the descriptive writing out, but imagine seeing the person now and if it helps, try writing down as many things about them as you can and use that as a base for your essay!

As philosophy is a really broad concept, it's best to narrow down your focus to concentrate on more specific elements of your philosophy. For a descriptive essay, it may be easier to illustrate your philosophy by tying it to your actions, rather than just describing an abstract concept. For example, you could consider the philosophy that underpins your political beliefs and actions, or how your outlook on the purpose of life shapes the decisions you make.