Using sensory language is a key tool for writers, but it can be difficult to master. What do we mean by “sensory language” and how can we go beyond tepid descriptions of smells, colors, and audio cues to create an immersive story experience? In a post on Writers in the Storm, Lynette Burrows goes beyond the typical advice to suggest specific methods for bringing your story to life with vivid sensory descriptions. “Our senses are complex, with many descriptive components for each,” she says, but writers can train themselves to use them to their fullest.
“Train yourself to be aware of the world around you as it really is,” Burrows writes. “Learn to truly see, to listen intently, to experience touch, identify smell and taste in all their complexities.” How can you train your brain? With continuous observation and practice. Burrows suggests numerous elements to watch for:
Sight: Look for differences in color, shape, motion, patterns, brightness, shadow, depth, contrast, size, reflections, distance.
Smell: Practice describing the differences in various floral, fruity, spicy, earthy, sweet, savory, woody, herbaceous, burnt, musty, metallic, chemical, and personal odors.
Sounds: Make note of music, voices, nature sounds, city noises, animal calls, footsteps, mechanical sounds, water, wind, ambient noise, and silence
Taste: Examine flavors, including sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, spicy, savory, earthy, tangy, or creamy foods and dishes. Practice describing how various types of a single food – for example, nuts or cheeses – differ from one another.
Touch: Write down what you can sense by touch, including texture, temperature, pressure, pain, vibrations, moisture, movement, weight, and consistency.
Burrows also discusses kinesthesis and proprioception, which may be unfamiliar to you. “Proprioception is the awareness we have of the location and position of our body parts without looking,” she explains. “This awareness allows us to stand, walk, sit, touch and picking up objects. Kinesthesis is an awareness of the position of our body parts in movement without visual aid.”
Finally, Burrows provides practical actions for engaging in this writer training, as well as advice for incorporating these details into your work. Visit places that provide sensory experiences, such as a zoo, botanical garden, farmer’s market, or interactive museum. If you can, visit places you want to evoke in your writing, or someplace similar. During your reading, make note of how other authors provided sensory detail, and clip your favorites for inspiration.
Definitely avoid generic details, clichès, telling words, too many adverbs and adjectives, and overwhelming levels of description. Use details in the right place – when the reader needs to know them – and switch between literal and metaphorical description. Finally, remember that we use our senses in combination. “We experience our senses linked to each other and linked to our memories and experiences,” Burrows writes. “Link specific sensory details with your character’s emotional reactions or memories and you have a greater chance of engaging your readers.”
