WEbook Writing Secret #2: Write with All the Senses

Thanks to the 4^th of July holiday, this WEek’s WEbooker entry will be a day or two late. In the meantime, author and blogger Nick Daws has graciously agreed to share his writing wisdom with all you WEbookers.

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.

About the author: Nick Daws is a UK-based author of over 70 books and innumerable published articles and short stories. He is also the author of the best-selling guide Write Any Book in Under 28 Days. He has a homepage at www.nickdaws.co.uk and a blog at www.mywritingblog.com.

WEbook Writing Secrets is a budding new feature of the blog, featuring practical tips on the craft. WEbookers are invited to submit their writing wisdom by visiting my profile. Send me a message with the subject line: WEbook Writing Secrets I will collect the best and brightest from my mailbox and publish them here. If your words of wisdom are chosen, you’ll get credit, and a link to your profile, where fellow WEbookers will be encouraged to check out your work.

Happy writing!

-- Melissa

Comments

[saraelizabeth]

wow, a guest writer! very neat.

[Winterjazz]

Great points - I think heightening sensory experiences can illuminate all kinds of writing, from evocative poetry to humour, to gripping thrillers. I once did an exercise on sound alone, simply trying to re-create all the noises I could hear standing at the kitchen sink. It taught me a lot.