Sensory imagery is a literary device writers use to engage their readers' minds on several levels.
When we read a story, we don't just want to understand the plot; we want to be transported into the world the author has created. The most compelling stories are the ones that engage all of our senses, drawing us into the narrative so fully that we can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell the universe within the text. This is the art of sensory storytelling, a powerful tool that writers can use to enhance the immersive quality of their work and make their narratives more memorable.
Using sensory imagery can help take your writing from flat and factual to a more experiential and compelling experience. Sensory imagery explores the five human senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
Think about how you can use sensory imagery to build a specific sensory experience for your readers that will help them better relate to your story. The stronger the use of the 5 senses, the greater the chance your reader will place themselves in the story.
Here are 3 ways to use sensory imagery when writing your stories:
1. Use your 5 senses to bring your story alive
Adding 5 senses to your story should not be overwhelming, and here I am offering two ways to assure that you are using strong sensory images in your stories to bring them alive.
You can start with your senses and then write the story or start with the story and add the five senses. Neither way is more right and really depends on the story.
Senses First
Starting with exploring the sensory items in the memory or story that you will be writing allows you to be present in all of the details as you write the story.
Start your prewriting by listing all of the senses that were part of that memory or story.
Close your eyes and put yourself back in time.
What did you see? Hear? Smell? Feel/Touching? Taste?
Scan your memory and just write out on a story map or in bulleted lists by sense what you or your characters would have been sensing.
After you have explored the scene with your senses it is time to begin to write the story using details you collected in your exploration.
Story First
Write out the story as a first draft. Focus on just telling the story and getting it all out. Then go back to your writing and find where you can add each of the 5 senses.
What would the main character be seeing? Hearing? Smelling? Feeling/Touching? Tasting?
2. Use your 5 senses to create a sensory biography of a loved one.
Many of us can look back at our times with grandparents or loved ones who have passed (or even those with us) and remember them clearly through our five senses.
The smell of lilacs, ivory soap and tastes of cinnamon sugar, and freshly-baked blueberry pie bring me back to my Baba (my Polish maternal grandmother). Sounds that remind me of her are the Red Sox game on a transistor radio as the birds chirped outside while I laid down to take my nap. I can feel the warm sunshine, crisp sheets, and gentle breeze from the open window. And the sights that are still so clear in my mind are the soft lighting, the white ruffled curtains, and this beautiful idyllic picture that hung in her living room.
Go ahead and choose a loved one and explore who they are or were through your senses.
3. Use the 5 senses to explore a memory in a photo.
For this you will choose one photo at a time.
With a blank sheet next to it divided into the 5 senses, place yourself into the photo, into the moment, and write down all that you can see, smell, touch, taste, and hear.
This is such a great way to really connect with the past and go back to a moment in time.
Remember these three suggestions can be used to write out a complete story, but I also invite you to play with each one on its own for the sake of traveling back in time.
Sensory imagery is the secret spell that can bring us back to our grandmother’s kitchen, our high school gymnasium, or a day at the amusement park.
Looking for more writing support?
For help getting started check out my free resource Family Tree Story Starters: Simple yet powerful templates and prompts to start writing your family stories!
Check out my book Bridging Your Past and Future: The Top 10 Items to Include When Documenting Your Personal History.