The 5-senses of Writing

Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it's raining, but the feel of being rained upon. (E. L. Doctorow).

It has often been told to a writer:  "Don't tell me, SHOW me!"  As a writer, it's often simple enough to get totally involved in your writing and thus get lost in the storytelling.  In doing so we forget that we're not simply telling a story, we're asking our readers to believe in it; to immerse themselves in the world that we have created and to invest their five senses in it.  Unfortunately too many writers approach their stories as if their characters, and their readers, are devoid of one or more of these senses: Seeing, Hearing, Touch, Taste, and Smell.  This makes their writing, despite how good the story is, hard to fully invest in. 

When I was a kid, I took a book out of the school library titled, The Antmen.  It was a great story! When the summer ended, I made a beeline to the library and took the book out again.  But I was disappointed when I found that all of the wonderful illustrations had been removed!  When I reported this vandalism to the librarians, I was shocked when they told me that the book had no illustrations inside, except maybe one at the beginning of each chapter!  Apparently, the story had been so vivid that my mind conjured up a bevy of non-existent artwork to go with the story!  That's what you want from your readers.

The characters in your book must not only go through their paces in moving the story forward, but must also allow you to see, taste, feel, smell, and hear what they are experiencing as they live out their lives in your novel. Is that lemon meringue pie tart? Does it melt on the tongue?  Just how crusty is that crust?  Just what does the rain feel like on your protagonist's face? Hands?  Is it just sunny out? Or does your heroine find it uncomfortably warm?  Is it making her sweat?  Does it evoke memories of other times she was hot?  Or uncomfortable? 

Don't be afraid of experiencing the world that you created.  Let your characters walk you through old neighborhoods awash in the scents of fresh baked bread and a recent rain.  Let them invite you to run your fingers through the rough stubble on their chin. 

So go ahead, live a little.  And use all of your senses.