Persuasive and Descriptive Writing Challenge: Food

Greetings! How's your writing coming along? Are you working daily to strengthen your writing skills? Hopefully, you are also having a bit of fun (and success) with your writing projects. Here's something new to think about as you write: 

The goal of writing is communication. As writers, however, sometimes we say a whole lot of nothing. We use too many words or “empty” words that sound impressive but don’t tell the readers much. We also tend to overuse words. For example, if I am telling you about a product or describing a person and I use the word “special,” what does that really mean to you if you are not be familiar with that product or that person? The word “special” has been used so much that it really doesn’t always mean a lot to the reader (unless you’re telling a friend or relative that they are special, then that can mean a lot!). You have to tell us what is extraordinary about your product, person, or belief rather than say they are special or extraordinary.

Example of weak/empty writing: Mike is an extraordinary cyclist! Buy his book today to read about his wonderful adventures.

Better: Mike amazed the cycling community when he completed the 2,007-mile bike route in three months. Buy his book to read about his trek along the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route. (This is specific and communicates details.) 

Always think of your objective to decide if you are communicating effectively. Why are you writing this? Do you want to sell something? Are you explaining a belief or a thought that you want people to agree with? Do you want people to take a class or answer a survey? Are you writing something to entertain people or teach people? Do your words match your objective?

This challenge requires you to consider two writing styles to communicate to your audience: persuasive and descriptive. Persuasive writing encourages the reader to do something (support an organization, donate money, buy a product, vote for a candidate, etc.). The language persuades someone to take action. 

Descriptive writing, however, uses words to paint a picture or relay a thought or feeling to someone. In descriptive writing, you may choose to use more adjectives or more emotions to tell your story.

Examples of persuasive writing:

Vote for John Smith!

Buy today while prices are reduced!

Donate online today or send your check to______.

Examples of descriptive writing:

“…the aged, ivory piano keys and the brass harp from underneath the worn structure cried out the gentle notes that her every finger touched within the seconds, her small foot pressing lightly on the dampening peddle, making the notes she played even more desperate …” (from a recent student short story).

“…a sweet and perky yet diva-like personality…” (from a student assignment).

Writing challenge: 

As a writer, you can’t just tell me that something or someone is special or extraordinary or unique. You have to choose descriptive words and active verbs to convey the same meaning. If you are in marketing (writing ads and website material), you have a limited amount of space to do this. Look at online ads this week to see how effective ones use five to fifty words to capture your attention and sell an idea or a product.

Now to the writing prompt:

This assignment has two parts. First, think of your favorite homemade meal. This can be a dish you make or one that another family member cooks for you. (Take a few minutes to jot down notes on what you like best about this particular dish or meal.)

Part one: Now you have to market this meal or dish. In 60 words or less, tell the reader about your product and try to convince me to buy this dish as if you had it for sale in my local market or restaurant. This challenge will be persuasive writing.

Part two: Now you have to write about this dish as if you are including it as part of a short story or novel. In 200 words or less, describe this meal as if a character in your book is cooking it or eating it. Make the reader picture a scene with the food in the kitchen or just coming out of the oven or write as if the food is already on the table with a character tasting, smelling and enjoying this food. This part of the challenge will be descriptive writing. (You don’t have to describe anything about the character or your “book” in order for you to write the food scene.)

Notice how your objective will be different for each part of the challenge In the first part, you are trying to market or sell your product. You want someone to take action. In the second part, you are entertaining your reader and drawing your reader into a story with specific details of a meal. Your word choices will be different in each part.

How does this help a writer at all? Each part of this prompt helps you strengthen your writing skills overall by just getting you to write. As with any skill, the more you practice, the better you become. Also, this exercise helps you identify your objectives for writing. At times in your writing life, you will need to use persuasive writing to convince someone to publish or buy your book, carry your book in their store, or invite you to speak. At other times, you are going to be writing to convey an idea or entertain a reader.

These exercises force you to choose strong, active, specific words to convey your idea in a limited amount of space. If you write a website or magazine ad, you aren’t allowed to use many words. Same thing goes for a resume or a job application or a blurb for marketing a book—you don’t get much room to tell someone about yourself or your writing.