![The Writer's [Inner] Journey](/wp-content/themes/thesis_151/custom/images/header2.png "The Writer's [Inner] Journey")
Alphabet Soup with Barbara Bietz is basic nourishment for the new or timid writer (or if you just feel like one).
S is for Senses
When writing fiction it’s easy to get bogged down with plot points, character development, and dialogue. These are all essential story elements, but active language will make your story come alive. Many writers focus on the visual aspect of a story; what the character sees. But the layers of life are so much more than just the visual. Think back to your own memorable moments. The soft fur of your puppy, the smell of chocolate chip cookies on a winter day, the taste in your mouth after smoking your first cigarette, the feeling in your stomach when you got caught smoking that first cigarette, the scraping of metal on metal during a car accident. Senses evoke emotion, adding meaning and depth to your characters and setting. Remember to use all the senses in your storytelling – taste, touch, smell, sight and sound.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This is great advice. Using all of your senses, and having your characters use all of their senses, adds some spice to fiction.
Thanks for the tip.
So true, and how often I have forgotten. I write lines and lines without the fragrance of chocolate percolating through them. They smell so, I have to throw them out and start again. Thank you for the tip and for reminding me of the way my puppy felt when I was a kid.