What does our Kid’s Sense Writing Tool Do?

Strong writing lets a reader stand inside the page and see the characters of your story and what they are doing. Writing that describes touch, sight, smell, sound or taste is dynamic and leads to flights of imagination. Paste your words below and see which of the five senses you reached for, and which you left untouched.

Writing with the five senses

Much of writing that we label boring often has the same problem: it tells a reader about a scene instead of letting them experience it. Adding sensory details are how to write about things people want to read.

This tool reads your writing and identifies words that belong to each of the five senses. There is no score and no “wrong.” A section of your writing can focus on one sense at a time, and still be strong. However, often richer results come if you integrate sensory details.

Telling vs. Showing

Sometimes people call this telling vs. showing. It can be confusing and difficult at first, but with practice it gets easier.

For example;

My mom has a green purse.

Mom’s Sunday purse was emerald green and made of expensive Italian leather. It had been a Mother’s Day gift from my dad and wasn’t at all like her everyday purse. That one, in contrast, was made of a faded, dubious fabric; old and nondescript. She had had it so long that the straps were worn and the corners rubbed threadbare. Inside, it was filled with crumbs, detritus, and a selection of random, vaguely useful items. My dad called it a bowling ball; my mom called it the bag of motherhood. But Sundays, oh Sundays, she would take down her beautiful purse, soft and green, and carry it carefully into church. She was always proudly not a vain woman, but even moms need a chance to shine.

How to use the sense writing tool

Write without thinking about senses at all. Then, put it in and see what’s missing. If you were aiming for a feeling or theme, see if your choices reflect that.

Next, to see it in real time, try typing directly in the box. As you write, the panel beside it fills in.