Arts >> Books >> Fiction

How to Write a Sensory Story

A well-written sensory story is one in which the author uses all of the senses to draw readers into his story. Sensory stories are highly descriptive and place the sensory descriptions center stage. Writing a sensory story can be an effective way for a writer to sharpen his descriptive skills. Since sensory details are the feature element of a sensory story, finding the right combination of sensory details is the key to bringing a sensory-based story to life effectively.

Things You'll Need

  • Word processor
  • Thesaurus
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Consider the setting of your story. Choose a location or settings that will let you take advantage of sensory details. An ocean setting is ideal. The crash of the surf, the salty spray on your lips and the scratchy gains of sand between your toes are just some of the sensory details you can take advantage of for your descriptive fiction. Choosing a setting that offers a variety of descriptive options will make the it easier to develop your story with descriptions to excite all of the senses.

    • 2

      Keep your characters visually interesting. Writing characters that your readers will be able to visualize can enhance a sensory story. You can also take advantage of aural senses through dialogue. Give just enough information to your readers to hint at a character's dialect or manner of speaking. Your readers will use their imaginations to supply a voice to your characters.

    • 3

      Refer to a thesaurus often. Avoid common adjectives your readers are likely to skip over. Stick with strong nouns that are descriptive without modifiers. This doesn't mean you should never use an adjective, but when you find yourself reaching for the most common adjectives, open your thesaurus and find a new one. Force your readers to pay attention to the descriptions you write.

Fiction

Related Categories