Invoke the senses

Hello Dear Readers!

Lately I’ve been doing some training for something called guided imagery. But this post is not about that, not really. This post is about… WRITING! (Mostly.)

So, all the science-y science stuff indicates that our brains cannot tell the difference between between things that we imagine and real events happening in our body. (Really, it’s cool stuff, look it up sometime.) Don’t believe me? Lets try it.

Imagine a lemon. Picture it in your mind. A juicy, plump, yellow lemon. Hold it in your it in your hands, the texture of the skin against your fingertips. Now imagine cutting the lemon. What sound does the knife make as it slides through the lemon and connects to the cutting board beneath it? Smell the spritz of citrus in the air as you cut through the lemon. You cut it in halves, then in quarters. Pick up a quarter of the lemon. What does it smell like? Consider the difference in color between the peel and the flesh. Take a bite. Feel the sour, tart juice in your mouth.

Now! Did your mouth water? Did you feel your face muscles pucker up? You think about eating a lemon and your brain makes it real!

Neo, from The Matrix.

If you want to draw your readers into your story, consider trying to utilize all the senses. Something like only half of the population is strongly wired for visual imagery. (So says science.) You don’t want to leave half your audience out, do you?

It’s easy to forget the other senses, especially when you’re writing. You’ve got to spend a lot of time explaining what the reader is seeing, but don’t be shy about tapping into those other senses. What temperature is the weather? Is it hot, is it cold? Can they feel the sweat trickling down their back? Does the air taste like sea salt? Perhaps dust or decomposing vegetation? What is the character smelling? What are they hearing?

All these help paint an immersive experience for your reader. Pull them into your story with as many of the senses and sensations as you can.

Till next time dear reader! If life gives you lemons… try them out! <3 Tiff