Engaging The Five Senses For Research (And making it fun!)

by Allie Marie

I’m excited to be one of the contributing authors for the new editions of Mom’s Favorite Reads. My writing spans several genres, but most are historical mysteries with paranormal elements and time travel. While I can research settings for modern characters with ease, trying to authentically capture the past takes time and research and a bit of creativity. I didn’t start applying all of the senses to my writing right away. The technique has evolved with time and has helped me create accurate and interesting settings.

My books are set locally where I am surrounded by the history of America. As a hands-on person, I can really get “into” my work. This has included shadowing a brewer for several sessions to learn the essence of his job, visiting naval museums to study a German warship, and following a beekeeper during harvest. I’ve developed a method of incorporating the tedious task of research with the fun part of “experiencing” it through the five senses. This is especially helpful to “show, not tell” my readers.

For example, Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown, both of which are featured in some images of a location or setting of my stories, have restored sites that mirror the locations some of my time travelers visit.

I live not far from the beach and have found secluded coves that match the settings I imagine for a future pirate or seafaring story. My photo of the fog covering the horizon yet leaving the beach and trees visible will help me recreate the scene.

It is a short drive to Washington, DC, or a train ride to New York City to capture the big city elements as well as the historical aspects of both cities.

Every trip engages the five senses, and sometimes what I call my “sixth” sense when I seem able to breathe the very essence of my characters or setting through my research. Sometimes, however, my imagination does a pretty good job of conjuring up before I’ve even seen it.

Sight

I like to see the sights of my settings, as close as possible to the real thing. My research journeys have taken me to 18thcentury manor houses, Victorian mansions, and historic settlements to see what the homes and buildings of the past looked like. Visits to breweries, distilleries, and old speakeasies have been integral to my research for my True Spirits Trilogy.

When I visit a site that captures what my imagination is creating, I take a photo to remember details later. What might the characters’ clothes look like? From the deerskinclad Native American to the Colonial soldier, from the Victorian hostess to the 1920s flapper, from the modern firefighter’s turnout gear to the business suit of the female executive, descriptions need to be accurate.

Live demonstrations at battlefields depicted the size and operations of cannons, the outdoor cooking conditions, and the tiny tents nine soldiers had to share.

Colonial pubs, wine cellars, and tasting rooms often capture the settings of the period, with brick walls, candles in lanterns and sconces, wooden benches, and tables.

Sandy beaches, old forests, farmland, and fields capture the essence of nature when you stand in front of any of these locations and your senses take in your surroundings.

Sound

I’ve been to Native American Indian Powwows, Royal Tattoos, and colonial reenactments to capture the sounds of Indian drums, the swirl of bagpipes, and the thunder of cannons, and I want my reader to experience it too.

Did the native drumbeats send my heart racing as the warrior in war paint approached? It did when I imagined I was a settler facing the unfamiliar sights unfolding in front of me.

Did the swirl of bagpipes put me in the same mood as my characters of Scottish descent? It did when I “joined” their family celebration of Hogmanay. Did that cannon boom put me in the middle of the battle of Yorktown? You bet it did.

Does silk cloth rustle with movement? Does it squish or scrape like taffeta? A minute of my time (not counting an hour to find said materials) can give me the exact sensation I want to portray in the right scene

Smell

What does gunpowder smell like after a gun has been discharged?

How do I describe the salty smell of the ocean on a hot summer day without going to the beach and concentrating on that single sense? What does a raw fish smell like after sitting on the shore for hours in the hot sun? How does freshly cut grass compare to wet hay after a storm?

Does that decadent smell of coffee bring a sense of relief to battle-worn soldiers or a contemporary character needing the jumpstart ahead of a busy day? How about the aroma of fresh-baked bread in a bakery? Or the smell of sandwiches and fruit when children open their lunches in a schoolroom?

For romantic elements, what kinds of perfume or cologne do the characters wear? Is it a flowery scent for her, a musky, woodsy smell for him?

Can you capture the scent of a building the cold, mold in a dank basement, the wooden floors of an old butcher shop mixed with the overwhelming odor of meat?

Taste

I want to know about the foods my characters eat, whether they are modern or historical. Is the roast pork tender or tough as leather?

How did the oysters from the James River of Virginia taste to the Native American Indians, or how haggis tastes to a Scotsman, or the dry, hard biscuits called “tack” that were sometimes the colonial soldiers’ only food?

What foods have been a staple throughout the centuries?

Does whiskey (with or without the e, depending on where it comes from) really burn if you take a swig? What kinds of barrels enhance the flavor of a good, spirited drink, and does it make a difference?

Did freshly churned butter taste like the butter we buy from the store? I’ve learned that honey has different tastes if the hives are located next to other agricultural fields.

Does the character have the taste of blood in his or her mouth after being injured? Is it metallic or coppery?

Woman

I want to see and taste what my characters taste in order to describe it well.

Feel

How does a newborn baby’s skin compare to the aged hands of its grandparent?

What does rough wool feel like to the upperclass woman who has fallen on hard times and no longer wears velvet or cashmere? How about that silk mentioned earlier– can you help your reader feel it in your description?

Does the food your character is eating have a flavor or texture that can alter their experience? An unexpectedly sour taste, chewing on a tough piece of meat, or stale bread can all enhance your story.

The soft fluff of the fiber and the prickly scratch of the bracts of the boll presented two extremes to the difficult harvesting of this crop shown, which will be a feature of a future historical series.

Breathing

I like to think of a different kind of “sixth sense” the effort to “breathe” in the atmosphere of the settings, and for a brief moment, live like my characters. And hopefully, so will my readers.

Using all of my senses to research my stories has become interesting and fun. I’m resigned to one fact, though. When I’m creating my ghosts and time travel events, I have to rely solely on my imagination for that!

Allie Marie is the author of the awardwinning paranormal and historical mystery books in the “True Colors Series” as well as a standalone sequel and the spin-off “The True Spirits Trilogy.” She has tried her hand at various genres with several short stories, including a very “outside her comfort zone” fantasy adventure novella.

Retired from law enforcement, she is currently working on her first crime thriller and also a cozy mystery novel. She is a frequent speaker and presenter at writing conferences in the United States as well as Europe. When not writing, she enjoys traveling and camping with her husband.