Writing descriptively is the writing with a sense of the sensual. When you write about the ocean, you want the reader to "feel" the ocean--the spray, taste the salt, see the water. The more vividly you do this, the more evocative the writing. Remember, you are using a two dimensional tool--words--to capture a three dimensional "thing." It is one thing to say:
The marble is on the floor.
It is another thing to say:
The smooth, aqua marble rocks back and forth on the cedar floorboards.
I don't even know if they make floorboards out of cedar wood but you get the idea.
In the second sentence you get the feel of the marble, its color, motion, and the smell of the wood floor.
This is how I want you to think about writing the world: as a place made of up of many different objects which all have their own unique texture.
Here is an example of a descriptive passage.
My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar--the first instrument I taught myself how to play. It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. No, it's not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always treasure it.
Check this out. I am thinking that this 11 year old will put me out of business.
It's pretty cool, though.
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