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ILLUSTRATIVE WRITING
Illustrating
Typically thought of as something visual (painting, drawing, or sketch).
A form of visual communication—a complement for written content.
A diagram and a set of written instructions showing and explaining how to assemble something.
However, illustrations can be written using words.
Elements and Purpose of Illustrative Writing
Illustrative writing states the point you want to make and gives examples to support that point.
Illustrative examples are used in various types of writing, including argumentative, cause and effect, and process.
Elements and Purpose of Illustrative Writing
Writing illustrations effectively includes the following key elements:
a main idea
relevant examples
specific, vivid, and concrete details
an organizing pattern that follows the order of importance
Main Idea
The main idea is the point you’re trying to convey to your readers.
It consists of a topic and your opinion about the topic.
Main Idea
An effective topic sentence will clearly state the topic and the main idea.
The topic sentence will tell the reader what the rest of the paragraph will entail.
To support this sentence, the writer provides examples, each of which will be described in greater detail in the paragraph.
Relevant Examples
To help make your point, provide examples that are directly related to your main idea.
Choose examples your audience can identify with or relate to.
These examples often come from your own experiences and observations.
Research and utilize other examples that are relevant to your point.
There is no set formula for determining the exact number of examples to provide in your paragraph.
Specific, Vivid, and Concrete Details
A simple list of examples will not impact your reader.
Describe your examples using specific, vivid, and concrete details and sensory descriptions.
Sensory language allows a writer to show (or illustrate) rather than tell readers what to see, hear, touch, taste, or smell.
Organizing Illustrations
In organizing illustrative writing, use order of importance, in which you build your way up to the most vivid and important example.
Organizing Illustrations
Start with a topic sentence that will inform the reader what the paragraph will be about.
1
In the rest of the paragraph, explore your examples providing vivid sensory detail for each and clearly connecting it to your main idea
2
Build your way up to the most important example, which comes last.
Organizing Illustrations
Help your reader follow your train of thought by providing transitions as guideposts at key points in the essay. Illustrative writing typically uses transitions such as the following:
additionally besides in addition
along with finally just as important
also for example likewise
another for instance moreover
another example specifically as well
for one thing furthermore together with
Writing with Illustration
Checklist:
Focus on a thesis statement, or a main point, that you want to convey to your readers.
The thesis statement should be at in your introduction. Consider immediately following it with a list of examples you intend to discuss to help you make your point. Make sure they are relevant.
Construct each body paragraph with examples using specific, vivid, and concrete details. Use sensory language to show rather than tell.
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Writing with Illustration
Checklist:
Arrange examples in order of importance and use transitions to guide readers along.
Review your essay for details that may not be relevant to your primary subject; remove them from your essay.
Review to check spelling, grammar, and punctuation—especially the errors you often make.
Ask someone else to read your essay and give constructive feedback.