Antony West (Author)

We’ve talked about description, but let’s go a step further. Let’s challenge our students to use all five senses in a single paragraph. This forces them to think beyond just what a scene looks like. What does the musty attic smell like? What does the creaking floorboard sound like? What does the cold metal of the doorknob feel like? Alex Quigley’s vocabulary focus is essential here. Create a ‘sense thesaurus’ for them to use. This simple exercise can transform a bland, two-dimensional scene into a vivid, multi-sensory experience for the reader.