Writing Tools: WEbook Writing Secrets
Write with All the Senses
By Nick Daws
The art of writing is bringing your words to life on the
page. And one of the best ways to do this is to
write with all the senses. In
other words, don't just write about what your characters see. Describe what
they hear, smell, touch and even taste as well. This is a guaranteed way to
make your writing more vivid and exciting.
Here's a quick example:
Tony offered Malcolm one of his roll-ups. Malcolm had previously refused, but because he felt guilty about dropping Tony's paintbrush, this time he accepted. He didn't enjoy it at all though.
Now here's the same scene again, with the senses of taste and touch added. By the way, this paragraph comes from the published novel Painter Man by UK author Jeff Phelps:
Malcolm had already refused one of Tony's roll-ups, but now felt so bad about the brush that he accepted. Between his lips it had the texture of toilet paper. It tasted disgustingly of Tony's Old Spice aftershave.
No prizes for identifying which of these descriptions brings the scene more vividly to life! Writers are always taught to show, not tell, and writing with all the senses is one of the very best ways you can do this.
Ready to start writing? Sign up today!
