Writing for the Senses Part 1 — Sight
(The Spanish version of book-1, is called “Expiación y Magia” — translation by Olga Núñez Miret.)
You’d think sight would be the easiest of the five senses for this mini-series. I guess it’s too simple. I think everyone primarily writes, paints, or photographs based on what they see. The obvious way to handle a post about “sight” might be to suggest ways of vividly describing the details of a setting. However, let’s look at it a different way. I want to get you to visualize the setting in a way that influences how you see a character.
Using the Senses to Develop Characters
I wrote Atonement, Tennessee in first person from the heroine’s point of view. However, I wanted to do something different for events that she could not witness. I decided to let her cat, Lilith, tell those parts from her uniquely feline take on things. I wanted you to see what Lilith saw through feline eyes.
In the following scene from the Prologue of Atonement, Tennessee, Lilith sees a number of things that give life to her surroundings. Her perception of them also builds the cat’s character and personality.
The calico sat meditatively swishing her tail as a pink sunrise gently lit the sky. Her ears pricked as she turned toward the distant sound of a rooster crowing. As morning light touched the tip of a spire on the mausoleum’s peaked roof, the calico abandoned her perch and trotted back toward her new home.
Sunlight glittered the morning dew on the grass, so she walked along the stone path. The cat stopped in a sunny spot to watch a spider. It disappeared beneath a stone, so she started washing her face, but listened for anything that might prove interesting.
Early sounds of the day were pushed aside when a shaggy dog with a ribbon bow on his head made his escape. The owner began chanting the dog’s name, “Puddles, Puddles!” in a loud, displeased monotone.
The dog, having thus far outwitted the master, scampered between hedges and under a fence, where the hateful bow was happily lost. Skidding round a corner the dog came upon the fat calico cat. Lilith stopped washing her face, paw in midair, and looked disdainfully at the dog. An expression of comprehension sprang to the dog’s eyes. He turned with a shrill yip and ran back to his still chanting master.
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Now that we’ve established Lilith clearly in her environment, consider the wet grass and the stone path. If you know much of anything about cats, weren’t you already thinking about the part of her personality that doesn’t like getting her feet wet? As she pauses in washing her face to look at the dog, couldn’t you just imagine her attitude?
Your Turn!
Now it’s your turn. Look closely at the image above. How you see it is unique to you. On what special element in the photo would you focus to bring out the setting you see (or want others to see). Next, how can you describe the scene in a way that sheds light on the little girl’s character to concisely give your reader a clear picture of her? Now, leave a comment and tell me how you used your sense of sight.
Friendly comments are encouraged. Hugs!
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