Heighten Your Senses—Summer’s Here!

Heighten Your Senses - Summer's Here!

   Summer has arrived with the winkling lights of fireflies above fields abundant with tasseled corn and golden wheat. The warm evenings call upon us to run barefoot through lush yards and enjoy the feel of soft grass, damp with dew, against our feet. A stray storm brings the rumble of distant thunder, and the scent of fresh rain is carried to us on a gentle breeze that caresses our face.

     Our picnic table is laden with the bounty of the season, and we can’t wait to savor the flavors of corn on the cob, tomatoes, and home-cooked green beans, a feast to be topped off by delicious homemade ice cream for dessert. Seated around the table are family and friends, accompanied by the spirits of those who have gone before . . .

     The two paragraphs above employ a technique I encourage you to use in order to take your writing to a higher level. It is a simple practice but a powerful one: when writing a scene, use all five senses! Many folks get mired down and write only about what they see, forgetting about the other senses—hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Now, you don’t need to use all five in every scene, but work in as many as comfort allows. Although it may take a while for you to become proficient in writing with all five senses, in due time the skill will become natural, and it will give your readers a richer experience.

     Since I enjoy writing science fiction, you’ll notice I couldn’t resist the temptation in my example above to use the sixth sense!