Your Senses

It’s true what they say, that a picture holds a thousand words. From this small phrase writers need to understand it applies to a manuscript, as well. A picture showcases the artist’s strokes, the imagery for a viewer to interpret. Same goes for a story. The writer’s ‘strokes’ are the words he’ll use, incorporating as many of the five senses to bring his imagery alive for his reader. Without an added ‘sense’ to offer descriptive details, your world feels empty, void of a concrete setting that allows the reader to visual, take in the smells, see the outskirts, hear the noises around your character. In a few words−it is your connecting factor of realism to the reader.

Take a second and listen to your surroundings. What do you hear? Are there any smells in the air? How do they smell? What thoughts pop in your head with the sounds and smells you’re experiencing right now? If you do this exercise every so often you’re ability to pinpoint and tighten your descriptive sentences will improve.

Whatever you do, just write. I know this is contradicting about tightening your sentences, but you’ll find the more you practice using your senses the tighter your first drafts will be. If you stop and edit your work while writing, you’re wasting time penning that story out of your head.