Imagery is a powerful tool that we often underestimate when writing. The addition of sensory details to your story adds an extra layer of reality that your audience will definitely appreciate. There are multiple types of imagery; the most common ones are visual, auditory, tactile (touch), gustatory (taste), or olfactory (scent) as these are the ones most related to the five senses. However, there are two more examples of imagery in writing: kinesthetic (sense of motion) and organic (internal sensations. Each of these helps your audience understand the scene you have created better.
Visual imagery is the most common example of “show, don’t tell.” As writers, we always want to paint a picture so that our words come to life. Visual imagery helps with this. It not only helps us world build, but it personalizes our characters, as well. We describe anything we want the audience to picture by saying things like “her smile brightened a room, even in the darkest times.”
Auditory imagery describes sounds. Describing the sound of something can help audiences understand the weight of the noise in the story and its effect. Is the noise pleasant or harsh? Auditory imagery will let you know. Here’s an example: “His laugh rang through the arena like a bell, echoing off the walls.” By describing the sound of his laughter, the audience is able to understand that his laughter is loud and maybe a bit obnoxious or annoying as it is compared to a bell.
Tactile imagery describes touch, texture, or temperature. An example of this would be “His hand was rough and clammy as he grabbed mine.” The words “rough” and “clammy” describe the feel of the hand, but it also says more about the character. Are his hands rough from callouses because he works with them often? Are his hands clammy because he is nervous? The description of the touch is enough to give the audience an image of this character without saying much else about him.
Taste can be adequately described through gustatory imagery. Describing the taste of what the character is eating or drinking gives the audience an accurate depiction of it without having to go out and try it themselves to understand the character’s experience. For example, you can say “The apples were tart today, just how I liked them: sour with a hint of sweetness on the back of my tongue.” With this description, the audience is able to understand what the apple is meant to taste like.
Sense of smell can be depicted through olfactory imagery. Smell doesn’t seem like something that would be important to include in a story, but sometimes, it can play a big part in the description of a setting. Here’s an example: “She walked swiftly, the scent of stale, high-end perfume wafting from her and toward every unsuspecting person she passed, making them scrunch their nose in response.” Both descriptions of the strength and scent of the perfume give you an added layer to the character, and it helps you understand more about her.
Giving your audience physical sensations and a sense of movement through kinesthetic imagery can help your audience picture the way the scene is meant to play out. Knowing how the character is moving or physically acting says a lot about their reaction to their current situation. Here’s an example: “Her heart raced as she staggered through the dark alley. Her legs trembled beneath her, breaths catching pitifully in her throat on each exhale.” With this imagery, the audience can see the character is afraid or anxious. There is clearly something wrong, and it is being shown to the audience rather than being outright said.
Organic imagery has to be one of the most beautiful types of imagery, in my opinion. Trying to fully explain the way your characters are feeling can be difficult, but through organic imagery, you can create a scene that encapsulates the severity of your character’s emotions. An example can be as simple as this: “Lisa’s chest tightened, and her face burned when she heard the whispers flare up around her.” This sentence shows the readers that Lisa is either embarrassed or angry, without directly telling us. It allows us to feel the character’s emotions instead of just reading what she felt. Simply saying “Lisa was embarrassed” does not have the same impact or effect as giving the readers something they can imagine.
Imagery gives your story so much more of an impact to your audience because it allows them to fully visualize exactly what you want them to. It gives you the control to make your characters and scenes that much more realistic as it uncovers characteristics that may not have been revealed verbally yet. Discovering the art of show, don’t tell through imagery is a wonderful experience, so be sure to include it in your work whenever you think your audience needs to fully visualize what you are writing.
