by LK Weir

“One of the hidden gems of becoming a writer is the ability to see the world differently.”

– AUTHOR LK WEIR

Immersive writing requires details that allows the reader to hear, see, taste, and feel the story as it unfolds. It’s about making the story tangible, a place where the reader can forget who they are, and live in your world.

This may seem like a daunting task, but it’s an excuse to study the world. A reason to observe the smallest details, the things that most people wouldn’t notice as they go about their life.

What does the air taste like?

What is that sound in the distance?

How would you describe that colour?

Storytelling is a fantastic excuse to stay present and live the world around you.

An example:

Boarding a London train, rough draft:
I’m standing on the platform waiting for the train. People stare at their phones, but some still read actual books. The train approaches, and I get on. Hopefully, I don’t get lost. London is a big city.

With detail observed from the world around me:
The underground of London is a vast network of crisscrossing lines. I stand in awe, staring at the complex map decorating the tunnel entry. After two abnormally long escalator rides down into the earth, I can’t quite fathom how far I have travelled into the belly of the city.
Blue, red, grey, yellow, green—woven together like a spider’s web, connecting at strategic junctions. I try to find my destination by matching the spider’s lines to the one on my phone. My network cut out on the second escalator down, and all I have is the last version of the map Google gave me. None of it looks quite right.
I decide to trust Google, rather than the stationary map, and hope that I don’t end up on the wrong side of these tracks. I step back from my examination of the wall and realize the platform is filling quickly. Londoners of all types, staring at their phones or reading a good book. Yes, reading is still a popular activity in the underground. It gives the author in me hope.
The tunnel is dim and smells of soot. A display board tells me that a train is approaching in orange typeface, the one after is in 3 minutes. I check the destination name against the one on my phone. It agrees.
Warm earthy air blows strands of my hair in a scattered dance across my face. Headlights brighten the black hole and finally the high humming sound of the train as it shoots out of the tunnel. It speeds by at a pace that makes me wonder why the yellow safety line is so close to the edge. The blurred train slows and stops. The doors side out, then apart. A voice announces, “Please, mind the gap between the train and the platform.”
I do.

The gift we receive as writers is the ability to transform the world around us into a beautifully crafted and immersive story. The more we can observe our world, the better writers we can become.

So listen to the dripping faucet, smell the flowers in the air, taste lemon on your lips. Live the moment and let those small details transform your story!