Use Your Senses

A couple of days ago I woke to a strange dripping sound. My first thought was that we had a problem with one of our faucets. It did not occur to me that it could be raining! We have not had rain in Southern California for so long, that I forgot what it sounded like.
This got me to thinking about how writers write sounds. For example, a drip plopping in the sink sounds different from one coming down in thick grass, or on the sidewalk, for that matter. Does a raindrop make a sound if it lands on the soft skin of your cheek? What does it sound like? Think about that a moment.
Now factor in the smell of rain. What do you smell? Sweet grass, musty dirt, wet fur?
What does rain taste like on your tongue?
How about the feel of it on your skin? Is it tapping your head, racing down your cheek, blurring your eyes?
What is the color of rain? Gray, white, brown, some elaborate mix?
Okay, this is what you should be doing when you write stories. Writing is more than words. Use your senses in the world you have created. Put yourself right there, dancing in the rain. If you do that, your readers can't help but get wet.