Writing Excuses 7.5: Sensory Writing

Dan and Mary were joined by Sam Sykes at World Fantasy, and invited him to talk about sensory writing, which he had recently discussed in a workshop. The heart of the discussion is which senses (typically beyond sight) to include as we write. Sounds, smells, tactile information, and even tastes are necessary to engage the reader. And while it's possible to include too much of that, Sam counsels writers to err on the side of excess because it's always easy to edit things back a notch should you find upon re-reading that you've gone too far. Sam, Mary and Dan offer lots of good advice on the matter -- when it's important and why, how to do it well, and how not to overdo it. Term of the Week: "Literary diabetes." Disclaimer of the Week: No grandparents were harmed in the recording of this podcast, nor were any chihuahuas.