Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Writing with Sense

Thought for the day:  You can't blame a writer for what the characters say. [Truman Capote]


Mr. Capote was right. I would NEVER use some of the language (tsk!tsk!) my characters use... but some of the people I know might...

Hi-ya. It's that time again, folks. Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Okay, before I answer this month's question, let's take a minute to consider how we can incorporate sensory perceptions into our writing, shall we?

Studies indicate that the male brain, not to mention certain other sundry body parts, responds more enthusiastically to visual stimuli than the female brain. That is, the sight of bare flesh has the tendency to rev up a man's juices faster than it will a woman's. That doesn't mean men are more responsive to non-sexual visual stimuli, however. Smarticus considers traipsing around behind me in an art museum to be a scant step above having a root canal. Nor does it mean women are immune to the visual appeal of certain male physiques, either. I've heard some women say the only reason they watch football is for the sheer pleasure of ogling all those tight bottoms clad in tight breeches. (Not that I've ever noticed, mind you. I watch it purely for the game.)

An excellent athlete, I'm sure.

To varying degrees, we all react to visual images. Females respond viscerally to the sight of babies, both human and animal. Men are more apt to notice an anomaly in their surroundings. Or in a movie. This, however, may be due to the fact that while a teary-eyed woman is absorbed in the story, her man may be bored out of his gourd and is therefore itching to poke holes in the movie for his own perverse entertainment. (I mean, really, who CARES if a Roman gladiator is wearing Reeboks, right?)

Anyway.

The point is, yes, men react, women react, we all react to what we see. But why do some writers work so hard to reproduce a specific visual image in the minds of their readers while completely ignoring the value of our other senses?

Like hearing. It would be totally cool if life were accompanied by a soundtrack, wouldn't it? If music could warn us when danger's coming, or if maybe a goofy-sounding ditty could've let my son-in-law's Uncle Mike know I was just joking when I told him we'd already met our quota for Mikes at the wedding, so he'd have to leave. (Thankfully, after a brief awkward moment, he DID laugh ...)

If your entrance were marked with music, what do you think it would be?


I'd like to think mine would be some really cool, sexy down and dirty sloooow sax music with a nice bass backbeat, but unfortunately, I'm more of a bouncy Mancini's Baby Elephant Walk kinda person. (sigh)

Some writers listen to music when they write. It helps them tap into the proper mood they're attempting to recreate with their words. Kinda like adding a soundtrack to their writing. Do you think it's possible for a writer to provide some semblance of auditory stimulation for his readers, as well?

Yeah, I think it is. Can't provide a full-blown soundtrack, of course, but word choice makes all the difference. Take the statement: The dog barked. Sure, it provides us with the basic information, and we understand what the words are saying, but how about this statement: The chihuahua yapped like a pit bull on helium. It provides the same information but in a manner such that we can almost hear the little mutt.

Certain sounds leave indelible marks on our psyches, like fingernails scraping across a blackboard, a bugler playing the haunting notes of Taps, coyotes howling, and bombs exploding. When a writer successfully taps into the sounds existing in our collective psyches, he may indeed make it possible for a reader to clearly hear the action in his mind. (And let's not forget the potential power of POW-BOOM-SPLAT onomatopoeia, either.)



Incorporating taste and touch into our writings is also possible if we take advantage of common sensory experiences. Most of us are familiar with the taste of blood, salt, and vinegar, and the feel of silk, satin, and sand paper.

But I'm more interested in the sense of smell.

Smells have the uncanny ability to evoke very strong deep-rooted reactions and emotions. Don't believe me? Have you ever experienced the phenomenon of catching a whiff of baking bread, a dank musty cellar, a certain brand of perfume or aftershave, or even the scent of sulfur, and been immediately gut-punched by an unexpected memory?

Does the smell of sulfur elicit any memories for you?

Psychologists say our brains are hardwired to associate smells with memories. It's only natural that whenever I smell a dank dusty smell, I am immediately transported to my maternal grandmother's scary cellar. There's a certain expensive brand of make-up ... I don't know what it IS, because I'm ... er ... thrifty ... but whenever I catch a faint whiff of it, I'm cuddled up next to my paternal grandmother again. Old Spice? Can't smell the stuff without thinking of my father.

So, the wise writer will make an effort to incorporate smells into his work. Take advantage of your capacity to stimulate associative memories with your smelly words. Because the bottom line is, evoking a reader's reaction to the smells you describe in your writing will also evoke a strong reaction to your writing itself.

Ya know? Kinda makes me wonder if when I'm long gone, my children and grandchildren will associate any particular scent with me. 

                                         Hmmmm, maybe I'd better lay off the baked beans...




Question of the Month: Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose? 



Hey, I'm no Hemingway, but I think he was right. To create realistic characters, I think it's only natural for writers to draw from some of the real people they know in real life. Kinda like making a witch's brew: a little bit from this one, a little bit from that one... such that characteristics we admire in certain people we know will logically find their way into characters we want readers to like, and traits we dislike may influence the portrayal of our villains. 

One could say that certain traits of my husband may have found their way into the portrayal of my character George in Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade... but in no way was the character an accurate portrayal of my hubby as a whole. When Smarticus read the book, evidently he must have related to the character... so much so that he said, "Hey! I never said (or did) that!" 

Ditto, actual events from our lives may find their way into our books. For example, many years ago, one of my cousins really did toss her entire dinner out the door when her hubby came home from work acting like a jerk, and my memory of that led me to include a similar scene in my book. I mean, really, that's too priceless not to include. So, yeah, bottom line, I've done these things on purpose

However, I think the characters in my current book originated entirely within my imagination. (I am kinda accident-prone, though...)


Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

68 comments:

  1. How right you are. Aromas often get let out/ignored and yet they can evoke memories like nothing else.
    I suspect that writers pinch a little from everyone they know or come across, shake it up, add flavour of their own, and lo and behold a character is formed. And I am so grateful for the observant eyes and larcenous natures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And LOTS of writers are very grateful for your appreciation. Voracious readers like you make every writer happy.

      Delete
  2. Good post!Various smells and aromas really take me places, and even reading about some - like cigar smoke - make me feel bad. But if I read of fresh coffee I can always smell and enjoy it. If I had music to accompany me it would be something from Mozart. Have a fun day, hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think for all of us, there are certain smells with the power to transport us, as though the scent is directly hardwired into our pasts.

      Mozart would be a great accompaniment. :)

      Delete
  3. Some excellent advice. I'm a very associative person. Certain music reminds me of times, places, and people. Smells can immediately transport me to events, places, and being beside various folks. I think I incorporate these 'senses' into my writing, but I'll need to go back and check for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Me, too. I can be inordinately affected by music and smells, especially. And beautiful paintings can make me cry. Whether or not I sufficiently incorporate these things into my writing... I don't know. I'll be paying more attention to that on my second round of editing. :)

      Delete
  4. Aha! A soundtrack to my words, that's probably what's missing. Better yet, a smelly soundtrack. Incorporating buts and pieces of actual people will be harder for me, I don't know people really well, having kept to myself most of my years. I'm going to have to work on that somehow. Old Spice reminds me of one of my first dates.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Jodi Picoult book I read some time ago included a CD of original music to reinforce the story. A neat concept, but I don't think it was terribly successful.

      Well, if you don't know a whole lot of people very well in real life, that gives you the perfect excuse (Not that you need one!) to do more reading. :)

      Delete
  5. "bits and pieces" not buts and pieces (*~*)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Where would the credibility of Conan Doyle be without morning finding Watson throwing open the windows at 221 Baker Street to dispel the fug of tobacco smoke Holmes had produced in his all-night meditations? This is a most delightful and instructive post, Susan. And I must say "Baby Elephant Walk" reminds me more of "Hatari" --a fun scene-- than it ever could of anyone. As for "George", this is one of the reasons I never reveal the other three letters of my name. Also, and tell no one, I adore the smell of babies' heads --does that make me less masculine?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YES! That's a fantabulous example, dude!

      I loved "Hatari," and "Baby Elephant Walk" is one of my favorite songs from the movie. Since I'm sometimes about as graceful as an elephant, I figured the song kinda suits me... plus I like the bouncy upbeat sound of it.

      No, adoring the smell of babies' heads doesn't make you less masculine. It makes you more adorable.

      Delete
  7. Wonderful post, Susan! I enjoyed it from beginning to end! Just for the record, I watch football purely for the game (Typing with your fingers crossed is not easy ~ LOL).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Well, I watch Falcons game because I love 'em, too, (even though their playing leaves something to be desired so far this season) but that doesn't mean we can't (ahem) enjoy the scenery while we're at it. :)

      Delete
  8. Hi Susan - loved this ... and senses bring so much more to what we read - ie what others have written ... natural smells always entice ... the false ones we have around I revolt against ... if it's fresh let's have it in the room ... after my Ma died I was given a bunch of flowers with painted and glittered blooms - I'm afraid I wasn't very grateful ... having spent 5 years filling my Ma's room with fresh flowers every week - but the thought was kind! Great read - and I can smell from here ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi-ya, Hilary. I agree with you 100% about "false smells." I have no appreciation for artificially-created chemically- enhanced aromas... or for that awful electronic "music" in some greetings cards...

      Oh, dear. I won't ask you what you can smell from there... (I used deodorant this morning!)

      Cheers back atcha!

      Delete
  9. I always try to incorporate at least some of the senses in my writing, but I have to be careful not to overdo it, especially in flash fiction.

    Love the "Mike" joke and the Empire cartoon! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, you're right. We have to be careful not to overload our writing with sensory descriptions, so we don't "overstimulate" (and aggravate!) our readers.

      Thanks. Honestly, at first I thought our SIL's Uncle Mike was gonna get ticked at me. It probably wasn't the smartest way for me to behave upon first meeting the poor man, but it turned out well in the end. (Phew!)

      Delete
  10. Getting other senses in there is a win. My sense of smell sucks so I guess I just remember without it. Guess my brain is better? Or crazier.

    Fitting in experiences sure is the way to be, can bring things to life that much more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your brain is definitely more imaginative than most, so maybe having a sense of smell that stinks doesn't matter. Your other senses more than make up for it.

      Delete
  11. Good ideas to pass along about using the senses in writing. One smell can bring a lot of images to the mind. I usually like reading a book more than seeing a movie as it lets me use my imagination.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too. Reading is much more to my liking. Seeing the movie adaptation of a good book is usually disappointing.

      Delete
  12. Absolutely! I always try to bring in all the senses in my writing, and find smell especially powerful. The trick is to do so in a natural way that the people - I almost said "characters" :) - in the story would notice. It's too easy to fall into the "check off the senses in every scene" trap.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Absolutely" back atcha! If writing becomes a "check off the senses in every scene" exercise, it becomes stilted and too contrived.

      Delete
    2. Something else to remember, not to overdo it.

      Delete
    3. I have a feeling it'll come naturally to you. ;)

      Delete
  13. A nice post that I enjoyed reading. Well written. I put characteristics that I know in others in my fictional characters in the novels that I'm writing.

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Andrew. When the advise is given to "write what you know," I think this is its real meaning. We have to write truth as we see it, and that includes writing characters who are true to life as we've experienced them.

      Delete
    2. You are not wrong.

      Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

      Delete
    3. Thanks. "You are not wrong" is a phrase that's music to my old ears! :)

      Delete
  14. very thorough in regards to the senses. I have trouble with aromas since I don't have a good nose. Thus I'm very careful to include smells since I know that's a normal factor for most folks. Actions and tone - I borrow plenty from folks I know. Bits and pieces are incorporated in my writing. I think that makes it easier to connect with characters. It makes the work easy to embrace. Good post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whattaya mean you don't have a good nose? Your nose is perfectly adorable, girl! :)

      Thanks. I'm glad ya liked it.

      Delete
  15. Loved this! My grandmother lived in a second-story apartment in a converted Craftsman house. The owners lived downstairs and made the upstairs into two separate apartments. The stairs were in the center of the house. They were uncarpeted with a rubber runner. When the door opened, the smell was always the same. Some from the rubber runner, but I don't know where the other came from. Inside her apartment was not like that. All the kids in my generation still remember that smell, and none of us has ever smelled it anyplace else. Every once in a while, someone will bring it up in conversation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm, interesting. I wonder if what you were smelling was some sort of creosote like they use to treat boardwalks? It's a wood preservative with a very distinctive smell. Faintly tar-like.

      Delete
  16. Not a writer but I really enjoyed reading this post.

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I enjoyed you coming here to read it!

      Cheers back atcha.

      Delete
  17. What a fascinating post! Great food for thought about incorporating sensory perceptions in writing. Smells definitely evoke memories for me. Not sure I incorporate them enough into my writing. Good are to work on going forward.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm no author ..... but my goodness, you've set my imagination on fire. (Isn't that what good writers do?)

    Yes, I love the smell of sulfur. Right away, I'm back in my childhood kitchen where mother's lighting the gas stove. (or, in the office ladies' room, ca. 1979 before automatic air fresheners came about.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I set your imagination on fire, it was only because your embers were already glowing and I provided a little hot air to fan the flames. :)

      Delete
  19. I guess that's why there are scratch and sniff books for kids.
    And for the record, I'd have no problem with following my wife around an art museum. I'd have a great view of her butt then.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point! I never thought about that before, but I think you're right.

      HA! What a good hubby thing to say. :)

      Delete
  20. I have to say that parts of my personal life and information does find it's way into my fiction, makes it easier to write ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Have you ever noticed professional tennis player's butts? They are gorgeous!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course not! I haven't noticed swimmers' butts, too...

      Delete
  22. Hahaha...Susan! Your reply above! But yes, a sense of smell in a story makes the setting come live for the reader.

    ReplyDelete
  23. “You can't blame a writer for what the characters say. “ [Truman Capote]


    :)



    ReplyDelete
  24. What a thought-provoking post! Music and sound effects would really enhance books. As much as I love music, however, I never listen to it while I'm writing. It detracts from my chain of thought (or what's left of it...).

    Aromas would be very helpful in determining how good a book is. We'd be able to smell the crappy ones half a mile away.

    What we write, and the characters we create, are definitely a large part of our complex selves. And there's no doubt that we are inspired by people we know or have known.

    Smarticus can attest to that......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I rarely listen to music when I'm writing, either. If I do, I end up getting caught up in the music and the writing gets put on pause.

      HA! Yeah, I've read some books that could've had a crappy aroma...

      Why, yes he could, cowboy. :)

      Delete
  25. Susan, I love how writers can pull memories from me while I am reading them... their words can remind me great times in my life. It can also be the opposite depending on the type of book ... I wish I had that ability to write like that xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You write from the heart, so you touch the heart of your readers.

      Delete
  26. I used to always want music on when I was 'doing' things. These days it distracts me (old age? nah, can't be!!). :) And I do believe men react visually faster than women (it would def. help explain why wealthy men have to have a bazillion dollar car), but what is it about art museums?!?! None of the fellas in my family like those either...which makes it hard to spend quality time in one. I need to go visit by myself. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still like to have music on in the background when I'm "doing" stuff... except for writing. (Definitely not old age, kiddo!) My hubby is a pretty good sport about going to museums with me, but we go to a lot of exhibits he likes, too. Not just a bunch of oil paintings and such. (Although I think he MAY have enjoyed the Dali exhibit almost as much as I did.)

      Delete
  27. Capote, Capote, Capote... He reminds me of Oscar Wilde, for some reason. Witty and incisive. :-)

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Witty and incisive... something we'd all like to be called. :)

      Greetings back atcha.

      Delete
  28. You are so right about If music could warn us when danger's coming...! I wish I would have heard the Jaws theme when it played while I was offered and accepted a job a few years ago.

    I agree about scents' powerful capabilities - to this day, when I smell Nivea soap, I'm immediately transported back to my godmother's apartment when I was 8 years old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA! Yeah, a soundtrack would have definitely come in handy then. :)

      The soap scent that would transport me back to childhood is tar soap, but I don't even know if they make that stuff any more.

      Delete
  29. Ooh, great post. Always love it when senses other than sight are used in a story, since it's too easy for those to get neglected. Really helps flesh out the world the characters' live in! (Thanks to a disorder that makes everything smell metallic, though, I doubt any writer will ever be able to stimulate memories for me with that sense, LOL. Still appreciate seeing scents used in a story, though!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness, everything smells metallic to you? I hope it doesn't effect your sense of taste too much.

      Delete
  30. Hi Susan, Thank goodness you're 'accident prone," as it makes your writing even more entertaining! I could relate to having Elephant Walk as my entrance. I remember when out lights would stop working in the family room, my dad would ask me to go upstairs and jump up and down. I was the only one graceful enough to get the lights to go back on. Another fun post!

    Julie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA! Thanks.

      Sounds like we were equally graceful. My favorite aunt lovingly called me "Lurch," and right before I went onstage to get my HS diploma, three of my closest girlfriends told me the same thing: "Don't trip!" (I didn't...)

      Delete
  31. So much in this post ... thank you.

    I think smells/scents do trigger off memories as do certain music tracks.

    Hope you're having a good October - it already seems to be flying by!

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the older I get, the easier it is for more things to trigger memories in me. :)

      I hope you're having a super October, too, and you're right. This month is flying by. (Heck, the whole YEAR has flown by!)

      Delete
  32. I listen to music to conjure moods and characters, before writing, and so much so that I forget what music I actually like. And I live in the country so I have to like smells :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA! As for those "country smells," I like some of them much more than others... :)

      Delete