Senses in stories

Evocative language is possibly the holy grail of writing. Your reader will be made well aware of invisible things like sudden shifts in atmosphere and lots of other juicy story stuff when using the senses to describe events or characters.

Relying on the senses is a good way for authors to clearly display their intentions, and the reader will pick up on key plot points more easily when they’re reiterated through the senses. In this way, the setting can also become a character, with a biting wind or a creaky door on a dark night being a foreboding warning of something untoward about to happen…

Sight: seeing through words

Visual imagery is perhaps the most immediate and commonly-used sense in storytelling. Descriptions of landscapes, characters, and actions allow readers to visualise scenes in their minds. Obviously, this would take the form of narrative descriptions describing visible items, for example the lush view through a window contrasted against the drab surroundings of a room.

Visual cues anchor readers in the narrative, providing them with an outline of the unfolding events so they can stay up to speed. They can also put themselves in a character’s shoes more easily, as they can easily picture certain locations or objects if the visuals are described well enough.

Sound: an emerging earworm

Auditory details infuse stories with melody, heightening the emotional impact of a story through sound-based interruptions. A character’s alarm clock could contribute to a rude awakening, or the distant sound of children playing could signify the setting better than any other methods. Dialogue, too, carries its own cadence, and can be used for revealing nuances of character or relationship dynamics.

In a more literal sense, podcasts are auditory forms of storytelling, where the reader doesn’t even have to keep their eyes open to follow along with a plot! There are so many out there, on a range of topics – such as true crime, comedy or even supernatural mysteries. Additionally, audiobooks can be a good way to scratch the itch for a story when there’s not a book nearby, and there’s also plenty of them out there.

Smell: scribe and sniff

Scents have a remarkable ability to evoke memories and emotions, making them powerful tools for storytellers. They can ground readers in the narrative, evoking visceral responses and enriching the reading experience. Not many books go down the scratch-and-sniff route, and tend to rely on using language to describe pungent, floral or coppery smells, although there are also plenty available.

Scents are an often under-utilised description technique, but they can really amp up the visualisation aspect for a reader. With the sharp tang of disinfectant in the air, readers are immediately able to picture a squeaky-clean environment – and used alongside the other senses, smell can be a really strong way of setting the scene.

Taste: swallowing stories

Taste can add layers of depth to storytelling, although like scent, this technique doesn’t seem to be as utilised as the other senses. Food can also serve as a cultural touchstone, reflecting characters’ backgrounds, traditions, and relationships: especially in the case of novels such as Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

Using taste as a descriptor in novels is a great way of building up more specifics of an event or setting. The taste of thick bile or stinging salt from a wave will give readers immediate confirmation of a gritty, unpleasant and dangerous scenario – so make sure you don’t forget to make use of this really interesting descriptor!

Touch: turn the page

Touch imbues stories with a tangible sense of reality, allowing readers to literally feel the world come alive beneath their fingertips. It can contribute to a visceral connection that transcends the page: touch can also convey emotions, from the soft embrace of a lover’s skin, to the rough, calloused hands of a labourer back from a long shift.

A good touch (wahey!) with descriptions of feeling is to build on previous smatterings of information, layering each sense so they each add something new to the writing. Blending senses, far from being confusing, can often give a better idea of an event, as it creates a rich tapestry of emotion.

Smell you later!

We’re done here! Use senses to build up a reader’s experience whilst reading. Senses such as sight, smell, taste, touch and sound give a clear and envisionable description of a story’s events, setting and characters, so your reader will be more invested in the world you’re crafting.