Implementing the 5 Senses into your Scenes

What makes a story feel like you’re walking through it? I couldn’t figure this out, but I knew it had to do with using the five senses. Then I hit the next hurtle. I either used too many sensory details or too little.

Getting to those smooth prose and clear pictures still is a challenge for me. But the solution is within my grasp. I couldn’t say that years ago. And I don’t think my critique partners would have suggested I write this article if I hadn’t learned some tips and tricks. Here’s some things I’ve learned when implement sensory details:

1. Use the 3 sensory beats to do a quick anchor. Give the reader 1 smell and 2 sounds or 1 texture and 2 smells. You can do any combination of senses using this formula. Keep in mind: you don’t want to do this for every description. This is used when you want to get to know a setting quickly.
2. Make your character active. In my humble opinion, the best way to describe a scene is through the character’s movements. For instance, “Jane slammed her fist against the brick wall.” Everything the characters touch, walk over and dance around is an opportunity to paint a picture without boring the reader. But don’t stop there! Visual descriptions are good, yet they don’t put us in the scene. We can look at a picture or video footage without feeling we’re there. We want to feel the sun warming our skin and hear the sea water rushing onto the beach. What other sense stands out in your character’s mind? Is the character a texture person? A person who notices every shift in smell? Adding a dash of something besides a visual goes a long way.  
3. Break the description monotony. Your character enters a new room. There are a million items you can describe. Let’s say you use tip one and two but you haven’t even begun to graze the surface at what you want to describe. What do you do? I tend to start dialogue. Another character can help me by reacting to a foul odor. Or the characters can argue, giving me ample room for them to interact with their environment.
4. Never forget the tension. I know we’re talking about incorporating all the senses into your story but keep the tension as your main focus. Everything in the character’s environment can add to the tension. For example, sun blazing in her eyes when she’s searching for her younger brother. The thick odor of fried corn dogs could spark a gag reflex.
5. Use similes and metaphors. I love to mix senses, and it’s easily done with similes and metaphors. In one work in progress, I talk about my character’s pink bodice restraining her breath like the secret she must keep. Experiment with items in the setting. If you make them symbolic of an emotion or circumstance, they can enhance your prose and touch on various senses.
6. Come up with something new. In books, I’ve seen chills go down someone’s back. I’ve seen a thumping heart. Take the time to experiment with a new way of describing something by considering all your senses. This takes time and lots of trials. Sometimes, your description will flop. Other times, you’ll get something golden.

Incorporating senses also involves digging deeper into my scenes. I find music that would be playing in the background in a scene and listen to it. I imagine the colors and shadows. What smells are there? How would things feel in my character’s reach? By going through each of the senses, I get a fuller picture of what my character is experiencing.

What sense do you rely on the least? How can you incorporate that into a scene you’re writing?