Story Starter: Use The Five Senses To Describe A Scene

Photo courtesy of: Mabel Amber; courtesy of: Pixabay

A great way to spice up a piece of writing is to use the five senses to set the scene. It immerses the reader in the story and as the title implies gives them a more sensory experience that is engaging and relatable.

In the writing world, they constantly tell authors  to "show" not "tell".  For example, if I were to "tell" about the photograph above I could say: It was a nice day at the park. My statement is accurate and to the point but where's the panache? Did I engage the reader? Pull them in? Capture their imagination with my words? No, I didn't.

However, if I were to "show" the reader what I want them to experience, I could say: 

Soft sunlight lit up the treetops conceiving an emerald green canopy that dangled over the clear-cut walkway. Burnished tree trunks, offset by the light, covered the ground in alternating strips of shadow and light, a delicate pattern woven into the path I took.

Perched on branches, birds sang out their morning salutations, while squirrels scampered about below as if caught up in a friendly game of tag. Freshly cut grass filled the air with its sweet scent. A light wind brushed my face as I breathed in the earthy smell and popped a piece of bubble gum in my mouth. The sweet taste flooding my tongue, I started my daily jog through the park.

As you can see, I embellished a bit with the birds and the bubble gum, but that's the beauty of writing. You can take whatever inspires you and create whatever you want from it. Using the photograph, my imagination, and some carefully chosen words I "showed" you a beautiful day at the park that is much more interesting than simply saying, "It was a nice day at the park."

Let's double check to make sure I hit all five senses.

Sight:

soft sunlight

emerald green canopy

strips of shadow

Sound:

birds chirping

Smell:

freshly cut grass

Touch:

light wind brushed my face

Taste:

sweet taste of bubble gum

I touched on all five senses, some more than others but that's okay. Writing is a process. I can always go back and write another description for the photo or add to the one I've already started.

Another way to describe the photo is to make a list of the senses and fill in what you actually see and what spurs your imagination.

Sight:

trees

brown tree trunks

green leaves

green grass

sunlight

pavement

shadows

Sound:

birds

people talking

bike bell ringing

music

feet hitting the sidewalk

a lawn mower

bees or flies buzzing

Smell:

grass

mulch

wet soil

flowers

Touch:

warm sunlight

wind blowing

cool air on your face

Taste:

fresh water from a water bottle

trail mix

the smell of flowers was so thick I could almost taste them

Is there an ice-cream vendor nearby?

Wow, isn't it amazing the endless possibilities one photograph can inspire? Now it's your turn. Use this picture or another one that strikes your fancy and jot down your possibilities. But, most importantly have FUN!!