Begin a scene with a non-visual sense. Describe a specific sound, smell, taste, etc to capture your setting, then expand the story out from there.

Posted in Fiction on Sep 29, 2023

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 174 stories

“Fresh Flowers with a Twist” by Joy Watts

Submitted to Contest #218

The house had just been cleaned and it smelled like fresh flowers. I walked into Martin’s room, and it smelled like cigarettes among other odors. In my mind I was thinking, why does this room smell like cigarettes when Martin does not smoke? Maybe Martin is hidding cigarettes and smoking in the room? He has been sneaky in the past so maybe he is up to something? I closed the bedroom door pondering my thoughts.The fresh flower smell whisked me away into memories. It reminded me of my childhood when I went with my mother to the farmers market....

2 comments 2

Read story

“Hunters” by Africa Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #218

She instantly knew that the unpleasant taste on her mouth was blood. It’s been a few months since she started feeling uneasy. She’s been having nightmares where some people were being hurt, the blurry vision of two pale hands clenching into someone face, and the teeth sinking in the flesh was so intense, she could taste the blood when she woke up. Probably she bit herself amid the nightmare. A week after that, the nightmares came back. Again the trembling body in her hands, the cold sweat mixing with the warm blood. She faded into darkness a...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Language of Cows” by Jane Summers

Submitted to Contest #218

It started with a subtle, anticipatory inhalation, an almost sound. He pressed his hand flat on her ribs. The long deep exhale resonated through her body in a low steady hum. The lowing call unfurled. The languid melody grew from a rich bass note and rose to a mid-range timbre producing a soothing earthy note.John leant on the wooden gate, his hand over the side, resting on the side of the cow. The early evening air cooled a degree or two. The change of temperature plucked at his forearms with tiny fingers. He shivered, waiting for the rest ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“'Three hundred, sixty-five degrees'” by Johnny Yeates

Submitted to Contest #218

Acrid. Charred. Auburn, almost. It penetrated the nostrils with force, malice even, thin, spindly tendrils of it reaching in thorny curls up and inwards, lining everything it touched with a layer of sooty smog, marking its ever-expanding territory. The smoke had been the first sign that something was wrong, this creeping doom silently traversing the tranquil space like some expanding wraith, some malevolent cloud of ill intent, the secrecy of its march undone only by the fullness of the scent. If it hadn’t been for the smell, well…who could ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Eyes of a Blind Man” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #218

As the roar of applause informed me, I was speaking before a full house, I asked myself, “When I’m finished speaking, will they truly know who I am?” “I doubt it,” was my answer. How could someone living in a sighted world understand what it’s to live in what they call darkness? Still, if want if get this audience to open their wallets, I needed to sell them an inspirational story, one of hope and glory, one that’s a total lie as to how I live. If I had my way and not the American Association of the Blind, this the story I would tell them.My...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Teaberry Gum” by Kimberly McAllister

Submitted to Contest #218

Caitlin popped a piece of Teaberry gum into her mouth. Cool wintergreen mint, a note of clove, and a slightly fruity sweetness coated her tongue. The taste reminded her of Grandpa Karl, her father’s father. She felt a tear run down the right side of her face and drip into the corner of her mouth. She’d made her son stop at the gas station before they drove to her father’s funeral so she could buy a pack of gum or mints. She didn’t tell Ethan that she was stalling. She didn’t want to go to her father’s funeral or see her ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“In-Laws” by Kristy Wallace

Submitted to Contest #218

Waves are lapping playfully against the shore, and I can hear as much as feel the warm salty breeze. My hammock gently rocks. Contentment oozes from my pores. I want to stay here all day, all week, soaking in the sun. A sudden change in the cadence of the tide catches my attention. I leaned one ear upward, not daring to open a single freckled eye lid. That's not waves. It's more like pouring water... rain? Finally, I struggle to open my eyes. I'm plunged into darkness and abruptly realize I've been dreaming. It wasn't real. The waves...

1 comment 1

Read story

“That Sweet Elixir” by Nicolas Roberge

Submitted to Contest #218

Enzo closed his eyes as he listened to the delicious grinding that was the start of the most marvelous of beverages in the world. This was the best moment of his day. He got up every morning just to hear those sounds and to smell those smells. And today was even more special. Then the grinding stopped. He heard the tap of the portafilter hitting the counter as his barista, Mary, stirred the grinds, then squeezed it with just enough pressure. Oh, how he couldn’t wait. The rumbling of the coffee machine resonated through his every bone as it s...

0 comments 0

Read story

“If Truth Be Told” by Reija SIllanpaa

Submitted to Contest #218

It’s time. Laura has been counting the ticks of the clock. He is always punctual. The door upstairs creaks open. She lies still and waits. Footsteps across the floor above her bed. Slow, dragging steps, heading to the kitchen as always. The cupboard door opens and closes softly, and the water gurgles in the old pipes, followed by a moment’s silence after the tap is turned off. She waits for the sound of the glass set down on the kitchen counter. There it is. It won’t be long now. The footsteps shuffle back out of the kitchen. The creak...

0 comments 0

Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Start the story with the absence of a sensory detail (eg. silence when there should be noise).

Fiction – 52 stories

‘Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once.’ Use the senses to transport a character back to the past.

Character – 50 stories

Write a story that begins, ends, or changes with a song played by a busker.

Fiction – 27 stories

‘The worst meal I’ve ever tasted.’ Imagine a zero-star TripAdvisor restaurant review: capture the customer’s evening out that compelled them to complain.

Funny – 31 stories

Contest #218

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: The Importance of the Senses with Tom Bromley

$250

Prize money

334

Contest entries

97

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 06, 2023 EST

Won by Danielle Barr 🏆

Title: Whale Song

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Begin a scene with a non-visual sense. Describe a specific sound, smell, taste, etc to capture your setting, then expand the story out from there.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 174 stories

“Fresh Flowers with a Twist” by Joy Watts

“Hunters” by Africa Rodriguez

“The Language of Cows” by Jane Summers

“'Three hundred, sixty-five degrees'” by Johnny Yeates

“The Eyes of a Blind Man” by Howard Seeley

“Teaberry Gum” by Kimberly McAllister

“In-Laws” by Kristy Wallace

“That Sweet Elixir” by Nicolas Roberge

“If Truth Be Told” by Reija SIllanpaa

🌟 Similar prompts

Start the story with the absence of a sensory detail (eg. silence when there should be noise).

‘Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once.’ Use the senses to transport a character back to the past.

Write a story that begins, ends, or changes with a song played by a busker.

‘The worst meal I’ve ever tasted.’ Imagine a zero-star TripAdvisor restaurant review: capture the customer’s evening out that compelled them to complain.

Contest #218

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

334

Contest entries

97

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: