When it comes to writing, some of us like to picture it in our head and write what we see, while others like to plot every scene before ever sitting down to the keyboard. No matter if we’re a “plotter” or a “pantser,” writing well requires something we often overlook but learned way back in kindergarten–the five senses.
Recently I asked some beta readers for feedback on the first page of my WIP. Many of the comments were positive. They loved the action and felt drawn in from the first sentence. But while many felt intrigued in the story, several also said they didn’t feel like they understood the world.
They couldn’t see where the action was taking place.
As a writer, that’s on me. I could see it all in my head, but I hadn’t communicated the location well enough to my readers. What had I missed? Some of the five senses.
Readers want to see where the story is taking place. They want to hear the wind in the trees and feel the snow crystalizing on their skin. They want to taste the last drops of water your MC shared with his fellow traveler.
A good way to do this is write with your eyes closed.
If you’ve ever tried to take a nap in a crowded room, you can relate to just how much your sense of hearing works overtime. The same is true with sight. When one sense is dulled, others heighten. New writers are often great at describing what things look like, but not what they smell, taste, or feel like.
Smelling the remains of a carcass on the dragon’s breath is much more evocative than telling a reader the dragon has scales.
It’s easy to forget one sense when focusing on the others. In my example, I’d focused so much on smell and touch I’d mostly forgotten about sight, one of the most important senses when it comes to orienting a reader in the first paragraphs (especially in fantasy and sci-fi!).
Feel free to steal these tips when writing sensory details:
One: Write the first draft focusing on sight only.
Two: Write the second draft focusing on hearing.
Third: In the third draft work in touch.
Fourth: Don’t forget the all-important sense of smell!
Fifth: Finish it off describing the taste of fear, the salty tinge of saltwater on the tongue, etc.
The more you incorporate this exercise into your writing, the more likely it’ll become second nature to you and you’ll find yourself combining steps one and two, or three and five, etc.
Everyone experiences different struggles when it comes to incorporating the senses, but keep at it. After all, all writing is rewriting!
Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Writer, working with brands to grow their audience reach. She studied Strategic Communications at Cornerstone University and focused on writing during her time there, completing two full-length manuscripts while a full-time student. Currently she trains under best-selling author Jerry Jenkins in his Your Novel Blueprint course and is actively seeking publication for two books.
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