How I Use The Five Senses To Ground My Scenes

The number one praise I get from readers is that my scenes suck them in. This is a high complement, and I’m grateful to hear that, because this is something that I’m always working on. 

My scenes are not beautiful or grounding in any sense in the first draft. Rather, during my re-writing or first edit phase, I like to ask myself questions and slow the scenes down so I can really look at them closely. Here are some of the questions I ask:

1. What can be seen? What can my character see right now? If my character is standing right here in this spot, what is their vantage point? If I want them to be able to see something else, I want to make sure I have them turn their head, look around, etc.

2. What can be heard? Are there nature sounds? The crackling of a fire? People talking in another room? The clinking of dishes? What would my character likely (and realistically) hear in this setting, in this moment?

3. What can be tasted? If my character was just in a fist fight, do they taste blood? If they’re dining with the king, what does the king’s elegant feast taste like? 

4. What can be smelled? (This is one of my favorite senses to play with, I think). If my character is traveling through the forest, can they smell the grass, the decaying leaves on the forest floor? If they’re on a ship, can they smell the salt of the ocean? Do they smell the scent of freshly baked bread, or rain on the breeze?

5. What can be felt (physically)? What textures might my character come in contact with in this scene? How does the table feel beneath my character’s elbows? Or the burlap blanket they’re sleeping with? What does the chocolate feel like on my character’s tongue as it melts in their mouth? 

6. What can be felt (emotionally)? How is my character’s feeling emotionally? How can I describe this in a physical way? Is my character’s hands shaking? Sweating? Is their stomach growling? Are their shoulder’s tense? Do they keep eyeing the steaming soup on the table? 

7. HOW DOES MY CHARACTER REACT? One thing that I’ve learned on my writing journey is that no matter how beautiful your descriptions are, they’re pointless if they’re not meaningful to your character. Every observation should have some kind of emotional tie for a character, and if a character notices a certain scent, or a specific detail, that should say something about the character as a person. 

I absolutely love to slow my scenes down when I’m editing and really flesh out these details, and I love describing things. As I keep writing (and as you do, too), I hope to continue to evolve in this area, and find new ways to improve the way my stories connect with their readers. 

That’s it for this weekend. Have a great one, and stay tuned for more writing-related content.