Let’s make magic!
…by using imagination! Yes, your imagination! You know, the willy-wonka-style contraption making inventions in your head.
There is logic to what I’m proposing. I swear. Just follow the trail of everlasting gobstoppers.
Elizabeth Ellis explains that, as storytellers, “When we help others use their imagination, they make an image, and something magic happens.” (E. Ellis) That magic refers to the ability of story to transcend time and space. When a story is well crafted and told, the events of that story are happening in present-time, in the imagination of the audience and storyteller –regardless of when and where the story takes place.
Through imagination, storytellers and audiences, “…are transported to a different realm.” (E. Ellis) Or as Laura Packer states, “They imagine with us and we move into new worlds together.” (L. Packer)
So, how do storytellers make magic through imagination? We have to help create images to spark the imagination!
Okay, okay…so, how do storytellers create images? Well, we have to activate the five senses!
Activate the five senses!
The five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch! Storytellers Ellizabeth Ellis and Laura Packer offer tips of how to think about sensory descriptions while crafting images within story. Below are some that I find helpful in my crafting, and hope you find them useful, too.
Sight
Consider how much visual detail you need to provide. Sometimes one or two attributes is sufficient. Trust the imagination of the audience to complete the image. To find the most important attributes of the image, E. Ellis encourages you to think of the one characteristic that stands out most.
What one physical characteristic do you imagine when thinking of your pet? I think of my basset hound’s long velvety ears that drag on the floor.
Also consider how you phrase the description. L. Packer offers the technique of using simile when wanting to ‘deepen the experience’ for the audience when creating an image. For example, “The hair was the color of oak bark.” vs. “The hair was the color dark brown.”
Sound
You do not have to be a sound machine or make sound effects to engage the hearing sensory. But if you have that skill, go for it. Just try not to distract from the rest of your story. However, if you’re like me, one who does not have the sound machine gift, consider onomatopoeia (e.g., boom, creak, swish, roar!). Consider changing the tone of your voice to account for different characters and emotions.
Consider describing sound to invoke emotion. The slamming of a door to invoke anger, or the ticking of a clock to describe boredom. (E. Ellis)
Consider describing sound to enhance engagement with the story’s setting. Do you hear the fire crackling or the birds chirping?
Smell
Smells spark memories. When I smell fresh cut grass, I remember mowing the lawn with Dad as a kid. Smells help enrich the setting. If I sit in my mom’s kitchen, I know I will smell freshly brewed coffee.
Consider incorporating smells into your story. What is your favorite smell? Or what smell can you not stand? If you have an answer to either of these questions, that supports the notion that the sense of smell is a great way to activate the imagination of the audience and ensure they remember the story.
As an exercise, Elizabeth Ellis asks, “What smell do I associate with these experiences…”: ‘I’m in trouble,’ ‘I have faith,’ ‘It’s all over,’ ‘Mother’s kitchen’?
Taste
Taste is not just about food. Taste can conjure feelings. Therefore, if appropriate to your story, consider incorporating taste. What emotion are you trying to invoke in the audience as the storyteller for this image?
Maybe it’s the feeling of comfort when eating a secret family recipe. Alternatively, the taste of a chalky medicine before a medical procedure can make you feel uneasy and filled with anxiety.
Touch
- Ellis reminds us that, “…words imply more than is actually being said.” Therefore, think of what you are trying to convey and how the touch sense can enhance your image. If describing royalty, their clothes may be rich feeling fabrics such as silk and cashmere, which have a very different feel than a burlap sack.
- Packer also categorizes ‘kinesthetic sensory’ descriptions as more complex experiences that include the physical or touch sense. Maybe you have the flutter of butterflies in your stomach while talking to your crush. Or your heart sank after hearing the news.
Be Intentional
It’s not a check list. Not all five senses need to be used for every image or in every story. Be mindful of the intent of the image. What do you want to convey and have the audience experience? Select the type of sensory detail best for the story and specific image.
Thank you for making magic.
Sources
Ellis, E. (2012). From Plot to Narrative. Parkhurst Brothers Inc.
Packer, L. (2019). From Audience to Zeal: The ABCs of Finding; Crafting and Telling a Great Story. The Small-Tooth-Dog Publishing Group.
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