The next time you’re out someplace waiting in line, getting food, ordering a coffee, or at the mall, take a few moments to fully take in your surroundings.
• What do you see?
• What do you hear?
• What do you feel?
• What do you smell?
• What do you taste?
Take out a notepad, or open the Notes App on your phone if that would make you feel less self-conscious. Write down everything you take in with your senses. Sights, sounds, colors, mannerisms, people quirks, etc. Almost as if you are looking at a moving painting.
Later, take your notes a write out the scene with as much detail as possible, using all the sensory elements as a guide. Paint the reader a vivid picture as if they are present at the location with you.
Do a few drafts, adding more detail and sensory elements with each pass.
Once you feel you’ve created a sensory-loaded piece, give it to a trusted friend or loved one to read. Did they experience all the sensory elements?
This is a great exercise to work on bringing the reader into a scene in more vivid and dynamic ways.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!