Resources – Writing About Visual and Ephemeral Evidence
Knowing how much and how to describe and analyze the objects you write about is a challenge for writers at all levels. Here are some tips for doing so that were developed for a graduate writing workshop on writing about visual and ephemeral evidence.
Strategies for Balancing Description & Analysis
Structure the argument around exemplary cases or common qualities of numerous objects
The decision should be reflected in the quantity of described objects and the depth of the descriptions.
Determine the author’s primary rhetorical position in the text
Does an embodied subjective author provide the description? A real or imagined historical observer? Is the object speaking for itself? Be deliberate in maintaining or shifting perspective.
Example: The evidence is a grainy and blurry photograph of Abraham Lincoln in an old newspaper.
Sample revision 1: “As I strain to find a clear image of Lincoln in this grainy and blurry photograph, its faded colors contribute to my sense of its ghostly quality.”
Sample revision 2: “The photograph’s grainy surface and poor focus obscure Lincoln’s features, while faded colors contribute to an overall ghostly effect.”
Sample revision 3: “For Union soldiers thumbing through the newspaper in dim candlelight, the grainy and blurry portrait of Lincoln took on an especially ghostly presence.”
Set the scene
Look for initial descriptions of an object that has not been introduced to the reader. Turn the new object into the leading subject of the sentence; where needed for the argument, place the reader into the scene.
Example: “A key feature of Smith’s style is accelerating rhythms, which becomes especially prominent in Untitled #37. Pounding drums beat more and more rapidly, until they match the heartbeat of the listener.”
Sample revision: “The sound installation Untitled #37 foregrounds the accelerating rhythms that characterize Smith’s style. Pounding drums reverberate throughout the gallery and quicken pace to match the visitor’s heartbeat.”
Turn sensory description into action
Look for active adjectives or the verb to be. Turn a passive description into a more vivid active event.
Example: “The sound is hollow and is growing louder, travelling down the long hallway.”
Sample revision: “The hollow sound grows louder as it travels through the long hallway.”
OR “The hallway’s length amplifies the hollow sound.”
Turn interpretation into action
Look for cognitive or emotional adjectives. Turn descriptors into active agents that speak for themselves and/or put them into comparative relationships with other descriptors.
Example: “The composition is filled with angry black streaks that evoke a disturbed mental state.”
Sample revision: “Black streaks slash diagonally across the pale horizon, disturbing the composition.”
Avoid unnecessary adverbs
Look for adjectives ending in –ly. Replace with more precise terms.
Example: “When she realized the door was slightly open, she gently prodded her companion.”
Sample revision: “When she realized the door was ajar, she nudged her companion.”
Avoid redundant or unnecessary adjectives
Replace with a stronger adjective or with a strong verb.
Example: “The windows are framed by dark red, soft, flowing and very expensive velvet fabric. These curtains draw attention to the beautiful, expansive view outside the apartment and remind the onlooker that the occupants are very wealthy.”
Sample revision: “Burgundy velvet drapes accentuate both the apartment’s impressive view and the affluence of its occupants.”
Developed by Alla Gadassik for the Graduate Writing Workshop: Writing About Visual and Ephemeral Evidence
