
Image courtesy of CNaena @ http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/
“Of all the senses, sight must be the most delightful.” ~ Helen Keller
I’d never seen anything like it. The blooms were the color of Florida tangerines. Like my favorite throw blanket, it looked soft and fuzzy. I had to feel it. As soon as I did, regret set in, as did a piercing pain in my right hand. Lesson learned – you can’t touch everything you see in the desert.
This wolf in sheep’s clothing was a desert plant named Cylindropuntia Fulgida, also known as a “jumping cholla or the “teddybear cholla.” The name comes from the ease the stems detach when brushed or when someone like me is unlucky (dumb) enough to touch it.
After I extracted the needles from my swollen palm, I realized at first glance, the desert appears lifeless and brown, void of life. I was wrong. The Arizona desert explodes with flora and fauna. By only relying on my sight, I was limiting myself to the beauty the desert has to offer.
As a beginning writer, I’ve discovered how important it is to use all five senses. I want the reader to smell the story’s reality, to feel it, to taste it, to see it, and to hear it. If I can make them feel as though they’re a fly on the wall, I’ve done my job.
While reading, I love to have my memory sparked by a description that uses one or more of the five senses. If it’s a pleasant memory, that’s an added bonus. It’s nice to read what a scene looks like, but including the sound of the coyote’s howl or the smell of the desert air after the monsoon rains, pulls the reader closer and they become more than an observer of the writer’s fictional world.
A lesson was learned that first day in the desert. The sense of touch can not only be pleasurable, but it can be painful. During the rest of my time in Arizona, I saw more beautiful chollas, but I resisted the urge to touch. Instead, I enjoyed the sweet smell of the blooms from a distance because there’s a reason they call them “jumping cholla.”
May 31, 2013 at 10:16 am
You’re so right about including the five senses in one’s writing. I find sound and smell detail particularly powerful. Have you discovered The Bookshelf Muse? It’s a fantastic resource that features every thesaurus imaginable. If you need to describe various weather phenomena, settings (barn, taxicab, ranch, restaurant, etc.) or physical attributes – it’s all there with sight, sound, and smell details to include in your description, as well as cliches to avoid. I’ve bookmarked this site and refer to it often: http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/
Enjoy the weekend, Jill 🙂
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May 31, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Actually I discovered The Bookshelf Muse through your blog, Gwen. It’s an invaluable tool ~ thanks! The Emotional Thesaurus is also a terrific resource. Have a great weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 9:43 pm
Thank you for sharing that tip, Gwen. I’m a neoblogger (made that word up, I think) so I’m interested in any tool that can improve my writing!
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May 31, 2013 at 10:37 pm
We need all of the tools we can find! I recommend following The Bookshelf Muse, it’s a wealth of information. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 10:51 am
I only used sight and forgot smell when I first planted crown imperials and clary sage in my garden; I still grow them, just not so close to the house. I am working on my first novel and I have written about the triggers for memories on the second page (well, at the moment it’s the second page, I’m editing!) so I was interested to read your comments about stimulating all the senses when writing.
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May 31, 2013 at 8:52 pm
As Gwen mentioned in her comment, The Bookshelf Muse blog is a terrific resource. It may be helpful during your edits. Thanks for stopping by Lynne and best of luck with your novel!
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May 31, 2013 at 11:31 am
Ouch is right! I would have done the same thing. I am as bad as Curious George and I get myself into all kinds of trouble. I love your writing and I feel all kinds of senses when I read your work! 🙂
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May 31, 2013 at 8:53 pm
Thank you very much, your comment made my day! I figured you for the curious type, Maria. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 1:36 pm
Many years ago, my mom kept a circular cactus garden in the front yard. Next door was a family, who were good people and good friends, but their daughter had a propensity to run around naked outside. She didn’t always look where she was going. Sometimes she fell.
Can you guess how this story ends?
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May 31, 2013 at 8:56 pm
Oh Eric, you know how to make me laugh…..I can take a wild guess. So did your mom put a fence around her circular cactus garden after the fall? Have a great weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 1:41 pm
This is such great advice! I once had a professor in college stress the same thing – there are more than two senses, but a lot of writers tend to forget about everything that isn’t sight, or sound. I know I often forget as well and have to keep it in mind when I go back through and edit. It really does make a difference to include the feel of something, the smell of it…it makes the experience of reading about that event feel real.
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May 31, 2013 at 9:02 pm
Your professor was right on, using all of the senses really brings the reader into the story. With your book, it would be very easy to incorporate smell and drive your readers straight to the kitchen. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Great reminder today, Jill. It’s fun to use our memories/imaginations and integrate smells, feels and tastes into our writing, besides the usual sights (eyes were brown, hair was blonde, etc).
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May 31, 2013 at 9:07 pm
Thanks, Heather! It is fun and certainly makes it more real for the reader. I often forget to use taste, but I’m working on it. Have a wonderful weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 3:06 pm
The more a writer appeals to all the senses, the more depth she offers in her story. Thanks for this great reminder, Jill.
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May 31, 2013 at 9:09 pm
I still have to remind myself, Candace. 🙂 I guess that’s where sharp editors like yourself can help us. Enjoy your weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Having grown up in a desert environment, I learned the dangers of cactus early on. 🙂 Great way to illustrate the use of all your senses, Jill!
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May 31, 2013 at 9:11 pm
Thanks, Phillip! I love the desert, it really is full of life and the heat is awesome! Have a great weekend!
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May 31, 2013 at 9:45 pm
This would be an excellent analogy to use in a classroom, Jill! I’ll be sure to steal it. 🙂
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May 31, 2013 at 10:38 pm
If it helps someone, go for it! 🙂
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June 1, 2013 at 1:14 am
Great post Jill. A good writer arouses feelings in the reader. As you read, you can see, feel, and sense the authors emotions. I’ve had goosebumps sometimes when reading a good book!
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June 1, 2013 at 11:13 am
Thanks, Terry! When I look back at some of my earlier writing, I notice how much I depended on sight alone, which is common. There’s nothing better than having a few goosebumps while reading! Have a great weekend!
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June 1, 2013 at 1:42 am
Ouch – Jill! You’re so much like me. I’m sure I would have touched it as well. We have sugar cane fields around our house and the cane looks lovely, but you don’t want to touch it with bare hands or walk through it because it has what we call ‘hairy marys’ in the stems that are needles as thin as a hair follicle. They get into the skin and are really difficult to get out 😯
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June 1, 2013 at 11:15 am
I just couldn’t resist touching, it truly looked so soft. I never knew that about sugar cane, very interesting, sounds like splinters. Have a great weekend, Dianne. I hope you get some time out on your boat. 🙂
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June 1, 2013 at 8:51 pm
I do hope your hand is fine? I must admit I have to learn so much from you, had no idea about the five senses. I will have to read about it in order to apply these senses in my writings. What a lovely post Jill. Please take care of your hand I am more worried about it. I love the colors of the photo and the blooms look so beautiful and harmless. I guess I would have loved to touch them. Have a great weekend.
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June 2, 2013 at 12:12 am
Don’t worry about my hand, Samina, it healed perfectly. This happened a few years ago, but I do appreciate your concern. I hope you have a great weekend as well! 🙂
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June 2, 2013 at 12:26 am
I’m glad to hear you are fine. Thanks Jill. Take care.
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June 1, 2013 at 9:58 pm
That wolf in sheep’s clothing must have hurt! Excellent writing tips. I will be sure to check out the Bookshelf Muse.
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June 2, 2013 at 12:16 am
It sure did! I was surprised how something that looked so soft could be so painful to touch. I must admit, later during the trip, while playing a round of golf, my ball ended up in another cactus bush and I reached for it…..obviously I hadn’t learned my lesson. 🙂 Yes, definitely check out The Bookshelf Muse, it’s great!
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June 6, 2013 at 5:52 pm
I got “bit” by a cactus once–ouch! After reading through the comments, I must admit I neglect taste the most in my writing. 🙂
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June 6, 2013 at 6:22 pm
You’re right Jill, taste is very easy to neglect in our writing. For me, it’s the toughest of the senses. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
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June 8, 2013 at 2:58 am
This totally happened to a friend of mine, who encountered jumping cholla. I’m sorry it happened to you. But what a vivid reminder of the need for sensory details!!!
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June 8, 2013 at 11:20 am
There kind of sneaky fellas, those jumping chollas. I barely touched it! 🙂 Whenever I incorporate touch in my writing, I’m reminded of the pain.
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June 9, 2013 at 3:52 am
I had a very wise neighbor who was in an accident and lost her hearing for awhile. She said that until then, she would have sworn that sight was the most precious of the senses. Later she changed that to “The most precious sense is the one you lose.”
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June 9, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Your neighbor is very wise….how true that must be. Thanks for sharing that, Marylin.
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December 23, 2013 at 4:13 pm
The desert is an amazing place. Coming from New England, it was beyond anything. 🙂
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December 23, 2013 at 6:23 pm
Until visiting the desert, I never knew it was so full of life. From what I’ve seen from photos, New England is a pretty amazing place itself.
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