Sensory Details in Writing : Definition

Sensory details
- include sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Writers employ the
five senses to engage a reader's interest. If you want your writing
to jump off the page, then bring your reader into the world you are
creating. When describing a past event, try and remember what
you saw, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted, then incorporate that
into your writing.
Sensory Details in Writing : Definition

 The
writer's ability to create a gripping and memorable story has
much to do with engaging our five senses.
Tips on using sensory
details in your writing
1. Identify the thing to describe. Keep it simple. It’s difficult to
describe something that is diffuse or abstract. If possible, name the
thing you want to describe.
2. State what the thing does. Sometimes it’s not necessary to compare
the smell or taste to something else. A clear statement of what the
thing does (cooking in its own grease) can clearly evoke the thing—
and sometimes it can suggest sensory details. So, explain in close
detail what the thing does. When and where do you find it? How do
you know it’s there? What is it doing? How do people react?
3. Describe the thing with a few senses. Perhaps you can use more, or
even all; if so, great.
4. Connect the senses to story.
How does it affect your behavior?
As you consider this, remember the sensory details.

Examples:
The smell of bacon made it difficult for Haider to hide the fact that he’d
eaten it. How does one of the sensory details you wrote make the thing
difficult to ignore?
 Sight
 flash of lights in the night sky
 deep blue of the ocean
 the roads had begun to glisten underneath headlights
 the sun was setting behind low, gray-blue storm clouds
 a heavenly hue to the layers of ice and snow accumulating on rooftops and tree limbs.
 her shadow shaky behind a slight flame stemming from a candle she carried
 sparks lit up the dusk of day
 a blinking red light from the truck’s turn-signal illuminated our darkened home
 Sound
 The walls shook and vibrated like the tail of a rattle snake
 Ice crackled and pinged against the family room window
 Wind swirled around our beach house whistling loudly to a
terrible tune
 The television buzzed as it shut off, and the furnace sighed one
last time before the house fell silent.
 The cracking of wood splitting punctuated each burst of fire like
an exclamation point.
 the sounds of emergency sirens awakened the still roads
 the howling of wind and branches creaking under the weight of ice
 Smell
sweet aroma of baking corn bread
cinnamon-scented candle - pungent
odor of smoke.
salty beach air
rotting leaves and crispness of air
Touch
We sat still, huddled underneath the quilt
Car tires gripped the ice with fearful intensity
The power lines, heavy from the thickness of
ice had snapped
soft tufts of fur
stick my toes in the warm and grainy sand
 Taste
ice-cold strawberries
tall, frosted glass of sweet yet bitter lemonade
salty chips
juicy tartness of orange
rancid butter
Online Resources:

 https
://study.com/academy/lesson/sensory-details-in-writing-definition-examples.html
 http://mrbeland.weebly.com/uploads/3/0/5/5/30558007/23-sensory-details1.pdf
 https://readtowritestories.com/2014/11/26/how-to-use-sensory-details/