How to Write a Descriptive Essay about Fear

Fear is peculiar topic to write about. On the one hand, one thinks that it is supposed to be easy – after all, no one can truthfully say that he has never experienced fear in his life. On the other hand, it turns out to be really, really difficult once you actually try to write something – what is fear? How to characterize it? How does one write about it?

When you write a descriptive essay about fear you are supposed to give a clear-cut, easy-to-understand definition of the subject. It doesn’t mean that your definition should be primitive – nothing of the kind. ‘Simple’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘simplistic’, just like ‘convoluted’ doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with ‘smart’. Remember that definition is supposed to define something, not to make it even less understandable for a reader. If possible, avoid overly complex constructions, which don’t add anything to the topic. Don’t try to look cleverer and more sophisticated than you are – if you overuse scientific terminology it indicates the fact that you try to hide your own incompetence behind the shield of words. But don’t fall into the opposite extreme – if you put your thoughts into the words more appropriate for a Middle School student it doesn’t showcase your intellect in a favorable way as well.

However, it is only one take on how you may and are supposed to write an essay about fear. You shouldn’t forget that first of all, descriptive essay as a genre of writing presupposes that you should give a detailed and colorful recounting of something – in this case, a concept or, probably, an experience.

If you can strengthen the quality of your description by introducing your own memory of dealing with fear, you will probably make your work much more interesting and personal than if you simply recount some other person’s opinion on what the fear is. Remember – there are very few cases when personal touch doesn’t do your work a world of good.

Your tutor (professor, teacher, committee, underline as necessary) has to read dozens of similar essays every time he checks the homework, and he is certain to be tired of reading the same things over and over again. Even if your essay is generally well-written, in case you write some commonplace truths it wouldn’t be very exciting reading. And vice versa – even if your writing is somewhat on the poor side, introducing some unique elements, descriptions of personal experience and recollections of your own impression when encountering something terribly frightening may save your grade.

You needn’t necessarily have a near-death experience in your past. Every person can remember a situation in which he had been frightened out of his wits – just write about it, and a good grade is as good as yours.