...Writing With All the Senses...
Sight, sound, touch, scent, taste.
These are universal--everyone experiences the world around them through these senses, and so should your characters. These observations add depth, texture and richness to enhance your writing.
How would you describe a thunderstorm in such a way to make your reader feel like he/she were right in the middle of it? What do the clouds look like? How dark are they, how threatening? What about the rumble of the thunder? How long does that carry on? Is it right overhead or in the distance, growing closer? What does the air smell like? Is the scent of rain so heavy it's a wonder it's not yet raining? Or is there only a hint of rain, suggesting a storm in the offing? Is the wind that ushers the storm in shrieking? Shoving everything out of the way? How does the lightning fork across the sky? Can you smell the ozone? Does the lightning strike with an earth-shaking jolt? Is this a horrible storm or a welcome respite from the summer heat? Is the air dark and heavy or is there a ray of sunlight peeking through one of the massive thunderheads?
The manner in which you describe the storm should bring it alive almost like it's another character in the story. And setting is just that, another character with a life of it's own that can make your story extraordinary. Why settle for PB and J when you can have a flavorful roast beef on rye with stone ground mustard, crisp lettuce greens, a tasty and firm tomato, purple onion for an added bite? Mmmm.
Using the senses doesn't mean you have to incorporate them all at the same time in the same place in your WIP. Unless you're going to have your heroine standing in the middle of a park with her head thrown back, mouth open and tongue sticking out, there probably isn't much way to describe the taste of a thunderstorm, but you have a good opportunity to use sight, sound, touch and scent in such a way that you're showing the reader what type of storm this is, rather then telling.
Showing vs. Telling, with senses.
"It was a dark and stormy night." (Yes, that old standby) The author just told you what kind of night it was, but hasn't given you much to work with at the moment. What kind of storm? Rain? Blizzard? Hurricane? Tornado? All we know is that it's dark, and it's rather repetitive with "dark" and "night" in there, and unless you live near the top of the world, nights are usually dark, which begs another question: is it a dark night because it's storming in the little town in Norway at the far north end of the country in the middle of summer when the sun never sets, and that's remarkable because of the season and place? How can "It was a dark and stormy night" be turned around, enhanced by using some sensory observations, and go from being something told to something that's shown? (Challenge to you, post your go at it in the comments section.)
Active vs. Passive, with senses.
Use the senses actively, not in a passive manner. Be sure you use vivid verbs and strong nouns. Don't tell the reader that the wind howled eerily. SHOW how the wind did that: "The hair on the back of Shelly's neck rose to attention at the sound of the mournful wind blowing through the trees."
Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov
To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make. ~Truman Capote, McCall's, November 1967
For me, a page of good prose is where one hears the rain [and] the noise of battle. ~John Cheever
