Good storytellers know how to hold an audience's attention. Not only do they include just the right amount of description, but they also include the right kinds of details. These important explanations of the settings and characters keep the story moving forward while, at the same time, making the narrative interesting.
The descriptive details of a story should paint a vivid picture that helps readers experience the event through the eyes of the storyteller. One of the best ways to draw readers into your reflection is to include sensory details. These descriptions are based on the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
To see an example of sensory details, read the excerpt below from Chris Jacobs' reflection "Everlasting Wannabe." As you read, ask yourself how the details affect your senses.
I heard Larry chuckle again. I glanced down at the golden treasure in my hand, then back up at Naveen. Finally, I stretched my arm high, offering up my perfect Saturday to him.
It was Larry who responded, monkeying his way down from the top of the slide to snatch the Gobstoppers from me. As he disappeared behind Naveen's purple sweatshirt, I heard the candy clacking in its box one last time. "Welcome to the Fluffies!" Naveen called down to me. "Now I'm gonna need you to guard the bottom of our slide until the end of recess."
Question
What details of sight and sound are included in these two paragraphs?
Writers of reflective essays can also make their stories more powerful by using figurative language. Review the definitions of four types of figurative language below. Then click each word to see an example from some of the reflective essays included in this module.
"I looked at my face in the mirror as the blade came closer; I felt it open like a mouth, ready to bite down."
"Although I'm in a similar boat, I am used to its holes."
"I was frozen on my horse for a solid two seconds, which doesn't seem like much time, but in the moment, it felt like a century."
"I looked in the mirror and saw the hairdresser holding up my severed ponytail the way a hunter might display a shot squirrel."
Question
What part do sensory details and figurative language play in reflective essays?
