MOWMT Day #27: Joana Pastro Uses Sensory Words
USING SENSORY WORDS TO SPICE UP YOUR STORY
by Joana Pastro
What do you do with a bland manuscript? The same thing you would do with a bland recipe. Spice it up! One way to add flavor to your writing is by adding sensory words. These are words that convey taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. Sensory words have the power of elevating the reader’s experience, immersing them into your story and making them feel like they’re the main character. Here are some examples:
ON THIS AIRPLANE by Lourdes Heuer/illustrated by Sara Palacios.
Here the reader experiences a plane ride along with the travelers in the book.
“The cabin hums.
Air vents whoosh.
Left engines rumble,
Right engines roar before . . .
. . . takeoff!”
Close your eyes and you can feel that liftoff sensation in your stomach.
“Look at all this rain.
Everything is dreary.
Everything is drenched.
And no one is happy.”
“And it’s so splishy and sploshy!
Silly and soggy!”
This book offers the reader fun and excitement even on a gray, wet day.
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING LUNCHROOM by Michal Babay/illustrated by Paula Cohen.
This hilarious book is a treasure trove of sensory words.
“The frogs are louder than my uncle when he snores.”
“Balls flew, rackets swung, feet kicked, and whistles blew. Science projects exploded.”
“The entire lunchroom stank of dirty feet and rotten fruit.”
Can you sense the chaos?
DEAF GIRL, CHANGED PERCUSSION by Shannon Stocker/illustrated by Devon Holzwarth.
This book invites the reader to experience music through vibrations just like Evelyn Gleenie does.
“Evelyn closed her eyes.
She felt the light, tingly squeak of an old, creaky tractor. She rolled onto the tips of her toes . . .
And she played an old creaky tractor.”
“She listened to the buzz of the world around her.”
In my book, BISA’S CARNAVAL, illustrated by Carolina Coroa, the reader is immersed in carnaval from the very first line:
“Under a rainbow-bannered sky, trumpets, trombone, tubas and saxophones sing.
Louder, faster, faster, louder!”
“I take in the brass band and scents galore. Sweet, sour, citric. Like goiabada, carambolas, pitangas. They surround me in a warm embrace, just like my bisa’s.”
I hope you can feel the joy!
So don’t forget to sprinkle those scrumptious words in your story today!
Prize: Joana will be giving away a 30-minute Zoom Consultation for one lucky winner!
Joana Pastro is the award-winning author of Bisa’s Carnaval and LillyBelle, A Damsel Not in Distress, the forthcoming Lucas and the Capoeira Circle, and more. When she’s not writing you might find her drawing at her desk, daydreaming outside or dancing around the house. Originally from Brazil, Joana lives in Georgia with her husband, her three extremely creative children, a rambunctious Morkie, and a needy Maltipoo. Visit her on Twitter @jopastro, Instagram @joanapastro or at www.joanapastro.com
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