Engage the Senses in Your Manuscript

Great writing doesn't just tell a story—it drops readers in a world they can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. When you weave sensory details into your manuscripts, you transform your manuscript into vivid, memorable experiences that linger long after the final page. Here are ways to incorporate the power of all five senses in your writing.

Sight

Most writers rely on visual descriptions, painting pictures with words about what characters see. When readers encounter rich sensory details, it makes the story feel more real and emotionally resonant. Adding the other senses causes the description to be more in depth. Visual imagery serves many purposes: establishing mood, revealing character, and advancing plot. Instead of writing "The room was messy" use description to bring the reader into the scene. “Takeout containers balanced dangerously on towers of unopened mail, while soda stained every available surface." Add pizza boxes and I think we’ve described a college dorm room. This description shows some of the personality of the character while creating a specific atmosphere.Use visual details to guide readers’ attention. Focus on details that serve your story's needs rather than totally describing every element in a scene. Description is good, but too much is not.

Sound

The creak of floorboards can suggest age, decay, or stealth. Children's laughter might signal joy or create ironic contrast in a tense scene. Traffic sounds can establish urban settings or suggest isolation when absent.Consider not only what characters hear, but how they hear it. Fingernails on a chalk board can cause a noticeable reaction. A mother might recognize her child's cry among dozens of others. I cringe when someone plays our piano because it’s so out of tune. These auditory details reveal character while building authentic scenes.

Smell

Scent connects directly to the brain's emotional center. The description of freshly baked bread may trigger comfort feelings, while the metallic scent of blood creates immediate tension.Don't limit scents to pleasant smells. The unpleasant ones, the antiseptic hospital corridor, musty basement, combination of coffee and sweat in a waiting room, can establish the setting and mood at the same time. I encourage writers to close their eyes when they’ve written a scene and tell me what they smell. You’d be surprised how this one activity can open your sensory glans!

Taste

Taste descriptions go beyond meals and beverages. Fear can leave a metallic taste, nervousness might create cotton mouth. The salt of tears, dust in the air, or blood from a bitten lip during concentration all provide opportunities for taste-based sensory writing.Descriptions of food can connect tastes to emotions, memories, or cultural significance. "Sour lemon" changes into "the tart lemonade puckered her mouth the same way disappointment had twisted her heart when the acceptance letter never came." 

Touch

The rough bark against a character's palm, silk sliding across skin, or the weight of a heavy coat can enhance touch in your writing. Touch helps the reader. Think about temperature, texture, pressure, and pain. Or the internal feelings like the flutter of nervous butterflies, tension headaches, or the warm spread of embarrassment across cheeksThese internal responses help readers understand emotional states without telling. Remember, as with all the senses, show don’t tell.

The secret to incorporating the five senses? Weaving those details naturally so they feel like a seamless part of your story. Mix up which senses you focus on throughout your scenes. This will keep your writing fresh and interesting for your readers.