I would like to welcome C.M. Stewart today. Please enjoy this wonderful blog on sensory psychology and I hope the chart will be of use to you!
As fiction authors, most of us are familiar with the countless Character Questionnaires, Worksheets, and Surveys. These can help us get to know our characters better, and add depth and believability to our characters’ appearances, personalities, and motives.
I highly recommend Manon’s Main Character Survey. Here’s her survey introduction, and here’s a direct link to the survey.
But what happens after you’ve developed your characters? You still need to show them reacting to each other as seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling (the stuff real people do) individuals. A sensory chart showing how your characters are perceived by each other and how your characters perceive their environments can help you make your characters more “human.”
Why a “sensory chart”?
Our senses- for most of us: seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting and smelling- are what connects us to people, to the world, and to our own bodies. From birth, our senses develop before we learn to speak, play, work, and use logic and reason. Our senses are our primal survival guides, and influence everything we do, including how we interact psychologically and physically with other people. “Sensory psychology” is the study of how the internalization of specific sights, sounds, touches, tastes, and smells influences a person’s reaction to an environment. Using a sensory chart is an approach to developing “palpable” character interactions, using all 5 senses (though smell and taste may overlap).
Consider these examples:
Sight- Love at first sight. Being repulsed (or excited) by the sight of war.
Sound- Dancing to a favorite song. Hearing your name called in a noisy room.
Touch- A lover’s caress. The slap of a hand.
Taste (usually self-referential)- Comfort food. Bile in the mouth.
Smell- The intoxicating smell of a lover’s perfume. The nauseating smell of body odor.
By expanding on these sensory examples, and drawing on some of your own examples, you can customize the ways your characters have unique interactions with each other.
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This chart will help you develop your characters and their interpersonal relationships via sensory-based psychology:
(You can copy and paste this table into your word processor if you wish)
| Character 1 | Character 2 | Etc… | |
|---|---|---|---|
| See | Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
| Hear | Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
| Feel | Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
| Taste | Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
| Smell | Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
Other characters’ perspectives. — This character’s perspective |
How the heck do I use that chart?
After listing your characters in the top row and the senses in the left column, for each of the remaining boxes, choose one or a few examples of the appropriate sensory focus when describing the character, (as the character would appear to an observer) and one or a few examples of the appropriate sensory focus that the character would regularly experience internally (either positively or negatively).
In my opinion, choosing the sensory attributes for your characters is easier after you start to writing your story, rather than before. If you get stuck on some of the boxes, simply write more of your story, or look at the other boxes to see what could be complimentary or contradictory for the story.
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Here’s a full chart example, using my own WIP (click to view full size):
For example, in the box for “PETRA” + “SEE,” I list Petra’s main and / or distinguishing characteristics which are externally observed by another person through sight in the top part of the box. In the bottom part of the box, I list what Petra usually or characteristically observes by through sight herself.
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Tips:
- At the start of your story, add a few details gleaned from your completed chart. As your story progresses, repeat some of these details in meaningful places.
- In the case of love interests or obsessive relationships, you could fill in some of the boxes to “match” characters. For example, Ray particularly enjoys the smell of ether, and is attracted to Ramona, who smells like ether.
- Conversely, in the case of enemies or antagonistical relationships, you could fill in some of the boxes to “mismatch” characters. For example, Petra particularly dislikes the smell of chemicals (cooking crack) and is aggravated by Ray, who smells like chemicals (supplements).
- Or you could show conflict by and irony by showing Petra’s attraction to Ray in spite of disliking the sight, sound, etc of Ray. Or a Petra could dislike Ray in spite of being attracted to the sight, sound, etc of Ray.
- Don’t try to make your chart too “matched up,” or your characters will seem formulaic and programmed. Let your characters develop organically.
- If a character is disabled- for example, is blind or deaf- use this chart to discover how their remaining senses are enhanced and amplified.
- Using senses to show interactions between characters adds immediacy and strength to your scenes, but don’t overdo it. Not every scene needs to be dripping with sensory detail. Use your completed chart as a guideline for suggested sensory details only when those details will move your story forward.
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Feel free to use the Character’s Sensory Chart as you see fit for enhancing your own characters’ interactions in your own novels. The chart may be altered, copied, printed and shared. If shared, an attribution would be appreciated.
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CMStewart is a psychological horror writer.
http://cmstewartwrite.wordpress.com/
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