shakespearemom

Touch is another undervalued sense in writing, much like smell, and it’s most meaningful to readers because it tends, like smell, to be subconscious. In other words, touch will be one of those senses readers respond to instinctively, without paying much attention to it while reading. Think of it in terms of film: you are watching a film, and instead of noticing the cg effects, you fall into the movie’s world because the effects blend so well into the live action. The point is not for readers to notice your sensory images, but for those images to contribute to the scene with subtlety.

So, what makes a good touch image? Again, as with smell, look for touches that resonate emotionally. And that means both good and bad. As with the last set of blogs, I want to start with the bad ones. Naturally, you can disagree. Or add some of your own. Or both. So here they are, my top seven (I know, when am I going to come up with ten of something?–well, not today!):

1.  Beard Stubble. Yes, a man with a beard looks AMAZING (I convinced my hubby to grow one years ago, and it looks great), but a man’s face (or a woman’s leg) which feels up close like a cat brush is simply irritating. And any female reader who’s dated a man who rarely shaves knows the feeling, and probably doesn’t like it. 

2.  Sweaty skin. Think handshakes especially, and the yuck factor is increased if the hands are cold, for then they suggest something vaguely fish-like. Sweaty skin is not to be trusted. And sweaty bodies aren’t that appealing, either. I don’t care what those romance writers say. Get the poor people an air conditioner, or at least a cool breeze. 

3.  Itchy clothing. Put the character in wool, something coarsely woven (that’s easy if you’re writing historical or fantasy fiction), or even something with a scratchy tag (for more modern situations). Some of the clearest touch images I remember were involving young men who had to wear stiff collars when they weren’t used to them (now you know what type of novels I read as a teenager–old ones). Putting characters in clothes that don’t suit them can be filled with meaning. 

4.  Heavy weight. Imagine lying on the ground, your chest squeezed flat by a huge, heavy rock, a large bible, and several zealous Puritans (think Salem witch trials), or the crunch of being tackled by a 350-lb. Goliath on the football field. Think of what we imagine when we see superheroes lifting something extraordinarily heavy. What’s coolest about this is how much time the writer has to describe it. Muscles straining, breath ebbing, the struggle not to pass out…. Very compelling.

5.  Pain. It doesn’t have to be stab wounds, either, although a well-described stab wound could really work, since most readers haven’t experienced it. But even a headache can bring readers closer to a character, if only in sympathy. A broken arm, a broken nose, broken ribs, a concussion… all of these not only make a character more vulnerable (which I like), but also add to what they may be up against. They create feeling and drama.

6.  Temperature.  This one will actually come up on tomorrow’s list, too, but don’t overlook it for its bad effects. Jack London brought this one up well in his short story “To Build a Fire.” The sense of cold creeping in, the sleepiness that comes before one freezes to death. The numbness in one’s fingers and toes. Heat can have the same effect, especially as it describes pain. Right now, though, with February barely begun, cold in naturally on my mind. 

7.  Sickness. I would actually lean against going too graphic with this. Don’t describe what the characters toss up, for instance, if they do toss. You’ll lose some readers (my sister included). And don’t describe anything that happens in the bathroom. We can imagine that for ourselves. In fact, this is one bad feeling where less is definitely more. (Notice how the feelings have been getting worse as the list goes on).

Okay, now my stomach’s twisted, an effect of all these bad feelings. What makes you cringe? What associations do you have with touch? I’d love to know…

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