It’s fine to describe how things look. In fact, sight might be the most important sense when it comes to descriptive writing. While a photographer might be able to take in an entire scene at once, a writer has to choose what details to focus on and place them in the most effective order. That means you’ll want to be judicious about what details you choose to highlight. The ocean may be blue, bricks may be red, but are these really the details you want to call to the reader’s attention?
Writing Prompt. Stand in front of your house (or apartment, or cabin, or yurt) and create a list of 20 things you notice about it. Write down colors, shapes, details. Be as specific as you can. When you’re done, pick the three or four of the most interesting things you noticed, and use those to write a description of the building. Remember, if you’re trying to create a strong visual sense of the scene, try highlighting unusual or specific details. Rather than calling attention to the redness of the brick wall, why not call out the ivy that’s windings its way across the cracked surface of the bricks?
Writing Tip. One good technique to keep in mind is describing things indirectly: To convey the brightness of the sun, you could say directly that the sun is bright, but you could also describe the way the light from the sun causes the glass windows to shine solid white.
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How to Write With Taste
Taste is often considered the most difficult sense to write about, but it can also be one of the most powerful. For one, it’s extremely subjective: We all may know (or think we know) what a fresh apple tastes like, for instance, but how do you describe that taste? Is it the crispness, the tiny burst of acidity amidst the sweetness? Or is the apple bland because it is not fresh?
Another difficulty is finding the right time to deploy taste imagery. As with smell, taste is extremely personal and evocative, so you’ll want to be careful to avoid distracting the reader with excessive descriptions.
Writing Prompt. Try putting the reader into the mindset of your main character while they’re eating. What does the first coffee of the day taste like to a tired caffeine addict? Is it different from the last coffee? Try describing the sensation of tasting your favorite childhood snack for the first time in many years—what’s it feel like to experience that taste again?
Writing Tip. One common technique that writers often use is the deliberate mixing of sensory words for effect. For instance, you might describe the zesty taste of lemon as bright (a visual description) or the last light dissolving over the horizon as a whimper (an auditory description).
