If a writer seeks to draw the reader into the world of his/her creation, it is essential that the reader experiences that world just as he/she does reality – through all five of his/her senses. Many writers fall into the trap of depicting visual imagery only, forgetting that there are four other types of imagery – tactile (touch); auditory (sound); olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste). Just as when writing about character, writing about place, and writing imagery, of any kind, is more effective when the focus is on specific, unusual details, rather than general observations.
Let’s start with writing visual imagery. Compare and contrast these two descriptions:
“The sun is shining. Many people are sitting in the courtyard, talking.”
“A woman wearing a beige, hand-knitted cardigan and purple slacks is sitting alone on a bench, smoking. She watches as a teenaged girl, dressed in skin-tight black jeans, pushes a pram across the sunlit courtyard.”
Wherever you are, take a moment to observe exactly what is happening around you. Every street corner, every café, every supermarket, is a potential goldmine for the writer. It is a matter of taking the time to watch and also to listen, feel, smell and taste.
Auditory and Tactile Imagery
Auditory imagery, which depicts sound, is the second essential ingredient to writing about setting successfully. A café is unimaginable without the clinking of cutlery and the grinding of coffee beans. As film directors know, background music has a dramatic effect on an individual’s reaction to their surroundings. Try sitting in a public place and listening to contrasting kinds of music on your iPod (or Walkman in my case!), from rock to folk to opera, and observe how the music affects your emotional and intellectual response to your setting.
Tactile imagery, which relates to touch, is the third element important to depicting place. Climate and temperature determine the nature of any environment and contribute to a character’s sensibility and mood. When writing tactile imagery, try to “show” rather than “tell”. In other words, describe what is causing a character’s reaction, rather than merely stating the facts.
Compare and contrast these two descriptions:
“It was a windy day.”
“Jack shivered as the wind cut across his skin and cursed James for having left his jumper at school.”
Olfactory and Gustatory Imagery
The olfactory section of the brain, responsible for smell, is part of the limbic system, which processes behaviour, emotion and memory. Thus, olfactory imagery is crucial to creating a sense of place. Imagine walking around a dairy farm without being able to smell newly-turned soil or cow manure. Describing the associations that a character draws with a particular smell can be effective – what stronger reminder of an ex-lover than a passing whiff of the after-shave or perfume that he/she wore?
Experimentation with gustatory imagery provides plenty of scope for having fun with writing. What better excuse for eating than conducting research for a story or novel? Would a novel set in Italy be convincing without any mention of pizza or pasta? What kind of character would spend most of his/her time eating in fast food restaurants?
Writing about place in a way that appeals to all five of the senses can be enjoyable. Try spending a day in a particular environment and making notes regarding what you see, taste, hear, smell and feel.
Jasmine Crittenden - Jasmine Crittenden (B.A.)(Hons.)(First Class) is a writer and editor specialising in music, literature and travel.
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