{"id":461502,"date":"2021-12-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=461502"},"modified":"2025-05-02T14:38:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T13:38:53","slug":"sensory-language-examples-in-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/sensory-language-examples-in-fiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Sensory Language Examples In Fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Adding sensory language to your writing is a lot easier than you may think, and it makes a huge difference to your work \u2013 be it a <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/what-genre-is-my-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">novel<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/poetry-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">poetry<\/a>, or essays.&nbsp;But where do you start?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think back to a recent personal experience that you remember well. As you bring it to mind, notice the&nbsp;sensory&nbsp;details you recall: the&nbsp;things you see and hear; maybe the physical feelings,&nbsp;for some people&nbsp;even tastes and smells.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most\u00a0of us\u00a0are able to recreate\u00a0our\u00a0previous\u00a0experiences in our mind\u2019s eye\u00a0and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0these sensory memories\u00a0that\u00a0help\u00a0us\u00a0bring\u00a0the event\u00a0back to life. In\u00a0just\u00a0the same way,\u00a0when we use\u00a0sensory words in\u00a0our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/what-is-literary-fiction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fiction<\/a>\u00a0it helps our\u00a0readers\u00a0experience the world\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0created\u00a0by evoking\u00a0their\u00a0own senses.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this&nbsp;guide&nbsp;I&nbsp;will&nbsp;explain what&nbsp;sensory language&nbsp;is, how to use it effectively in your <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/what-is-freytags-pyramid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">storytelling<\/a>, and provide&nbsp;some useful&nbsp;sensory language examples&nbsp;to get you started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"What-is-Sensory-Language?\"><strong>What Is Sensory Language?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sensory language in literature refers to words and <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-write-descriptions-and-create-a-sense-of-place\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">descriptions<\/a> that relate to the five senses.&nbsp;A writer uses these descriptors to&nbsp;help the reader:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>See what is happening in their mind\u2019s eye<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Imagine&nbsp;the way speech is delivered&nbsp;and the background sounds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understand&nbsp;the physical sensations&nbsp;of texture, touch and movement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evoke tastes and smells<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, sensory language helps&nbsp;our&nbsp;readers&nbsp;experience scenes, events, descriptions&nbsp;or&nbsp;settings&nbsp;in a richer way&nbsp;\u2013 to live through the senses.&nbsp;A story with sensory language evokes feelings in&nbsp;our&nbsp;readers and&nbsp;takes them&nbsp;on an emotional journey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sensory language is commonly used in creative writing&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/short-story-structure-writing-a-great-short-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">short fiction<\/a>, poetry, plays&nbsp;and novels&nbsp;&#8211; to invoke mental&nbsp;images&nbsp;and engage&nbsp;readers. However, descriptors of the five senses&nbsp;are also commonly found in&nbsp;a range of texts:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Advertising and marketing copy&nbsp;\u2013 \u2018Mouth-watering freshly baked cakes\u2019&nbsp;(rather than just&nbsp;\u2018Cakes\u2019)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Newspaper\/magazine articles&nbsp;and headlines&nbsp;\u2013 \u2018Shock new probe as&nbsp;PM rips up&nbsp;plans\u2019&nbsp;(Rather than&nbsp;\u2018Investigation as plans change\u2019)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emails and business writing&nbsp;\u2013 \u2018Hope you\u2019re not rushed off your feet\u2019 (vs \u2018Hope you\u2019re not too busy\u2019)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2018How to\u2019 guides and course descriptions&nbsp;\u2013 \u2018Wrestle those writing demons to the ground\u2019&nbsp;(vs \u2018Be a more confident writer\u2019)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Blog posts&nbsp;titles&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;\u2018Play to win and crush the opposition!\u2019 (vs \u2018Tips on how to be successful\u2019)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Examples-of-Sensory-Words\"><strong>Examples of Sensory Words<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To help develop a sensory vocabulary think about the different ways in which you experience the senses.&nbsp;Let\u2019s take each sense in turn&nbsp;and&nbsp;look at contrasts to&nbsp;develop a list of sensory adjectives.&nbsp;Here&nbsp;are examples to get you started:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Visual<\/strong> \u2013\u00a0words relating to how\u00a0we\u00a0see things.\u00a0They relate to things like colour, shape, size, angle, and appearance<em>. How will you use them to paint a vivid picture?<\/em>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Brightness:&nbsp;Light\/bright\/shiny\/sparkly or dark\/dim\/dull\/tarnished<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Size:&nbsp;Large\/enormous\/immense\/gigantic or tiny\/small\/miniature\/little<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Colour&nbsp;density:&nbsp;Vivid\/day-glo\/fluorescent or pale\/washed-out\/sepia&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Auditory<\/strong> \u2013\u00a0words relating to\u00a0sounds and\u00a0how\u00a0we\u00a0hear\u00a0them.<em> You can use these&nbsp;to make your writing shout loudly or whisper&nbsp;a&nbsp;quiet&nbsp;hint.<\/em>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Volume:&nbsp;Loud\/deafening\/booming or quiet\/whispering\/rustling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pitch:&nbsp;Shrill\/high-pitched\/falsetto\/piercing or deep\/low-pitched\/baritone\/bass<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rhythm:&nbsp;Repetitive\/metronome\/regular or varying\/intermittent\/erratic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tactile<\/strong> \u2013\u00a0Words relating to how\u00a0we\u00a0experience\u00a0touch or\u00a0the\u00a0feel\u00a0of things\u00a0through our skin.<em> You might choose to soothe&nbsp;with a light touch or poke and cajole&nbsp;to action<\/em>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Texture:&nbsp;Downy\/soft\/feathery or abrasive\/coarse\/rough<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pressure:&nbsp;Light\/gentle\/delicate or heavy\/harsh\/dense<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Temperature:&nbsp;Burning\/scalding\/itching or freezing\/icy\/soothing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gustatory<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0words relating to taste. <em>You might like writing which is crisp and lean or spiced up with crunchy descriptions.<\/em>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sweet vs sour:&nbsp;sugary\/saccharine\/sickly&nbsp;or tart\/unsweetened<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flavoursome vs bland: meaty\/umami\/spicy\/herby vs mild\/bland\/tasteless<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Texture: lean\/crisp\/crusty or&nbsp;oily\/greasy\/buttery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Olfactory<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 words relating to\u00a0how\u00a0we\u00a0experience\u00a0smells. <em>How about&nbsp;kicking&nbsp;up a stink or perfuming&nbsp;your text with sweet&nbsp;delicate&nbsp;imagery?<\/em>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scent: Floral\/aromatic\/fragrant or&nbsp;odourless\/neutral\/unscented<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strength:&nbsp;Stinky\/pungent\/over-powering or&nbsp;insipid\/weak\/airy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Freshness:&nbsp;Musty\/stale\/decayed or paint-fresh\/clean\/hygienic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two other types of sensory words&nbsp;we can use:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Kinaesthetic<\/strong> \u2013 words relating to\u00a0how we\u00a0move\u00a0and our\u00a0internal sensations. <em>Maybe you\u2019re edging into this or leaping in with both feet.<\/em>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Still\/balanced\/steady or fidgeting\/precarious\/wobbly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crawling\/sliding\/shuffling or jumping\/running\/rushing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fluttering\/buzzing\/churning or grounded\/centred\/soothing&nbsp;or stabbing\/aching\/sharp\/tingling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Emotional<\/strong> \u2013 words relating to\u00a0our mood and\u00a0the way we feel. <em>Hopefully you feel curious&nbsp;and energised&nbsp;to have a go,&nbsp;even if a little uncertain!<\/em>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Confident\/brave\/assured or ill at ease\/dubious\/indecisive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Depressed\/low\/down or happy\/upbeat\/jolly&nbsp;or edgy\/anxious\/restless<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mellow\/chilled\/calm or agitated\/energised\/hyper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The choice of sensory words impacts the reader\u2019s perspective. Consider the&nbsp;contrast in the&nbsp;following three&nbsp;examples:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018The young woman&nbsp;is both intelligent and&nbsp;kind.\u2019&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>This is a clear straightforward description&nbsp;but is lacking any colour&nbsp;as it doesn\u2019t engage our senses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018The woman&nbsp;is around twenty; her tongue cutting, her brain sharp, her heart hard.\u2019&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Here we have more of a sense of the woman;&nbsp;the choice of words paint her in a negative light.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018She&#8217;s an old soul with young eyes, a vintage heart, and a beautiful mind.\u2019<\/p>\n<cite>Nicole Lyons<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This&nbsp;quote from&nbsp;author and poet,&nbsp;Nicole Lyons,&nbsp;is a more poetic description. This time&nbsp;we have a positive impression of the woman.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/paul-blenkhorn-ZIGy1ALmUc8-unsplash-1024x725.jpg\" alt=\"how to use sensory words in your writing\" class=\"wp-image-461668\" width=\"833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/paul-blenkhorn-ZIGy1ALmUc8-unsplash-1024x725.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/paul-blenkhorn-ZIGy1ALmUc8-unsplash-600x425.jpg 600w, https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/paul-blenkhorn-ZIGy1ALmUc8-unsplash-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/paul-blenkhorn-ZIGy1ALmUc8-unsplash-768x544.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/paul-blenkhorn-ZIGy1ALmUc8-unsplash-640x453.jpg 640w, https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/paul-blenkhorn-ZIGy1ALmUc8-unsplash.jpg 1412w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"How-to-Use-Sensory-Words-in-Your-Writing\"><strong>How to Use Sensory Words in&nbsp;Your Writing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a simple scene and consider how we can enliven it with sensory&nbsp;language examples.&nbsp;Imagine a woman is&nbsp;about to&nbsp;enter a restaurant to meet a friend.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>She\u2019s&nbsp;outside&nbsp;the restaurant&nbsp;looking in through a glass panel in the door.&nbsp;<strong>What does she see?<\/strong>&nbsp;Tell us what type of establishment&nbsp;is it?&nbsp;What does the restaurant look like? How is it decorated? What fabrics, furnishing, wallpaper, colours? How many tables, diners and staff?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>She steps forward into the room.&nbsp;<strong>Take us there so we experience what she hears.&nbsp;<\/strong>Is it noisy or quiet? Can she hear snatches of conversations, if so, what is said and how?&nbsp;What&nbsp;background noises&nbsp;can she hear?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>She spots her friend across the room.&nbsp;<strong>What&nbsp;does she feel?&nbsp;<\/strong>What&nbsp;sensation does she feel inside&nbsp;and where does she feel it? What is her emotional reaction? How does she move as she walks across the room?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The two friends hug.&nbsp;<strong>Does she smell anything?<\/strong>&nbsp;Is&nbsp;her friend&nbsp;wearing perfume?&nbsp;What does the room smell of and does she like it or not?&nbsp;Can she smell the food&nbsp;served to&nbsp;other diners?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Seated at the table they eat their&nbsp;food.&nbsp;<strong>What does she taste?<\/strong>&nbsp;What are the flavours? What texture does the food have?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If we strip out all the sensory language,&nbsp;we have something akin to <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/30-screenplays-for-every-screenwriter-to-read\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stage directions<\/a>:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018A woman is about to enter a restaurant to meet her friend. She\u2019s outside the restaurant looking in through a glass panel in the door. She steps forward into the room. She spots her friend across the room.&nbsp;The two friends hug.&nbsp;Seated at the table they eat their&nbsp;food.\u2019&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This would be described as \u2018under written\u2019: there is nothing to help us imagine the scene in our mind\u2019s eye, all we have are a series of actions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if we include every minute detail in our sensory language the passage becomes clogged. It&nbsp;becomes too busy and&nbsp;we&nbsp;long for something to happen. This is referred to as \u2018overwritten\u2019. The key is to help the reader to&nbsp;use sensory language to&nbsp;notice and experience what the character(s) would see, hear, feel etc.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This will depend on what you are trying to convey in the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If&nbsp;the woman&nbsp;is anxious about the meeting she may focus on different things to if she is excited&nbsp;about seeing&nbsp;her friend again. For example, she may notice what people are wearing and feel underdressed or overdressed, which would heighten her anxiety;&nbsp;you&nbsp;may&nbsp;want to describe&nbsp;how she loathes the&nbsp;type of food&nbsp;on the menu, how the smells make her feel sick,&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;churning in her stomach&nbsp;when&nbsp;she&nbsp;can\u2019t see her friend in the crowded room.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if she&nbsp;is excited,&nbsp;her focus may only be on her friend. She may ignore the other people and the&nbsp;restaurant&nbsp;setting as she rushes across the room to join&nbsp;them.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Play around with the same scene by using different sensory examples to convey the character\u2019s state of mind in each writing example, then note how it changes the story each time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Examples-of-Sensory-Writing\"><strong>Examples of Sensory Writing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A great way to learn about sensory imagery is to examine sensory language&nbsp;examples from literature. These first two are from Victorian literature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018I heard the rain still beating continuously on the staircase window, and the wind howling in the grove behind the hall; I grew by degrees cold as a stone, and then my courage sank.\u2019&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite>J<em style=\"font-size: inherit; color: initial;\">ane Eyre<\/em><span style=\"font-size: inherit; color: initial;\">&nbsp;by Charlotte Bronte (1847)<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Bronte\u2019s use of sound (beating continuously, howling),&nbsp;and&nbsp;temperature (cold as a stone) help us to feel the character\u2019s&nbsp;dark&nbsp;emotional mood.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018Facing the window, in the chair of dignity, sat a man about forty years of age; of heavy frame, large features and a commanding voice; his general build being rather coarse and compact\u2026 When he indulged in an occasional loud laugh at some remark among the guests his mouth parted so far back as to show the rays of the chandelier a full score or more of the two-and-thirty sound white teeth that he obviously still could boast of.\u2019<\/p>\n<cite><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><p><em>The Mayor of Casterbridge<\/em>&nbsp;by Thomas Hardy (1902)&nbsp;<\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Hardy\u2019s description paints a vivid picture of the man and his character. His confidence and presence are&nbsp;clearly&nbsp;conveyed&nbsp;(heavy, large, commanding, loud) so we can both hear and see him in our mind\u2019s eye.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are three modern examples&nbsp;of sensory writing which include&nbsp;simile and metaphor:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018\u2026a helicopter bladed the sky in the hills outside Hebron. He had never seen a machine quite like it before. The soldiers, when they leapt out, looked to him like green insects, crouching and running up the hillside, fabulous with fear.&nbsp;His mother ran down from their home in the hillside caved, grabbed his sleeve, shooed him home along the rocky path.\u2019&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><p><em>Apeirogon<\/em>&nbsp;by Colum McCann (2020)<\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>McCann conveys the awe of the child as he watches the way the soldiers move&nbsp;<em>up<\/em>&nbsp;the hillside (like green insects, crouching and running, fabulous with fear). Then his mother\u2019s urgency conveyed by the way she runs&nbsp;<em>down<\/em>, grabs and shoos him.&nbsp;We are there, feeling the&nbsp;tension of the&nbsp;mother and soldiers&nbsp;and the wonder of the child watching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018I lift the corners of the first sheet; dust and the smell of camphor the papers have absorbed over the years swirl up and taunt my nose.\u2019&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><p><em>The Garden of Evening Mists&nbsp;<\/em>by Tan&nbsp;Twan&nbsp;Eng&nbsp;(2012<span style=\"font-size: 1em; color: initial;\">)<\/span><\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Eng uses the word \u2018taunt\u2019&nbsp;in&nbsp;an unusual way&nbsp;to highlight the unpleasantness of the dust and camphor smells.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018\u2026in my dreams I see&nbsp;Dharsi\u2019s&nbsp;beautiful face and some other unknown one next to it. A frog, not transforming into a prince but shape-shifting into something frightening. The metallic taste of these dreams tinges my mornings like a&nbsp;flavor&nbsp;stirred into my coffee.\u2019&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><p><em>What Lies Between Us&nbsp;<\/em>by&nbsp;Nayomi&nbsp;Munaweera<\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Munaweera&nbsp;gives her dreams a \u2018metallic taste\u2019 that lasts into the next day, the person lying next to&nbsp;Dharsi&nbsp;is seen as a&nbsp;shape-shifting&nbsp;frog. Her descriptions apply both sensory language and metaphor to rich effect.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Make-Sense-of-Your-Writing\"><strong>Make Sense of Your Writing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Look out for examples of good sensory language as you\u2019re reading and consider where&nbsp;the author has focused&nbsp;the reader\u2019s attention&nbsp;and how they\u2019ve enriched their descriptions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What&nbsp;impact&nbsp;does this&nbsp;have&nbsp;on&nbsp;your&nbsp;engagement with the text?&nbsp;What helps draw you into the passage and when is the sensory description too much \u2018clutter\u2019?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice the different styles in books you enjoy versus those you set aside.&nbsp;So&nbsp;settle down comfortably, wrap up warm, keep your eyes and ears open as you sniff out those examples and get a taste for what rings your bell, lights your fire, and gets your <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/metaphors-dos-and-donts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">metaphorical<\/a> taste buds tingling!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adding sensory language to your writing is a lot easier than you may think, and it makes a huge difference to your work \u2013 be it a novel, poetry, or essays.&nbsp;But where do you start?&nbsp; Think back to a recent personal experience that you remember well. As you bring it to mind, notice the&nbsp;sensory&nbsp;details you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17460,"featured_media":461580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[27498],"class_list":["post-461502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novel-writing","tag-idea-generator"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jericho Writers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about sensory language, what it is and how it\u2019s effectively used in fiction writing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/sensory-language-examples-in-fiction\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sensory Language Examples In Fiction &#8211; 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