Whether it’s a bus belching fumes as it rounds a corner, or the sweet scent at the back of a baby’s neck, SMELLS are universally recognizable, and a way to connect to readers.
As I describe a setting, I find engaging the senses brings the reader into that scene easily, and often, I try to add in something the character on that page might come across. Maybe it’s Autumn, so it’s the crunchy leaves that have their own musty odor. Or Trudy Genova passes a house covered with wisteria, giving off its sweetness, a harbinger of early Spring.
When a character is being described by another character in a scene, that’s a really easy place to include their scent. The smell of stale urine or body odor says something immediately about that character’s hygiene—or lack thereof. A certain type of scent can also date someone’s age. These things imprint in the reader’s mind and add a sense of familiarity when that character appears again.
I’ve found a scent can also tie me as the writer to a particular character. But what to choose when writing THE GOLDEN HOUR, the fourth of the Nora Tierney English Mysteries, to keep me tied to Nora, a 30-something writer and young mother, when my children are middle-aged and I’m definitely far away from 30?
I had her wear a new perfume that her boyfriend, detective Declan Barnes, immediately notices and comments on:
… He leaned toward Nora, drew in a deep breath, and could swear he recognized the cardamom spice his mum used to put in coffee cakes.
“Why are you sniffing me?” Nora’s throaty laugh was a balm to him after a busy period at work.
“It’s your new perfume. I quite like it.” Declan squeeze her jeans-clad thighs and left his hand there. “It reminds me of a G&T, but richer.”
“Good, because I like it, too. It’s the juniper in it, called Juniper Sling.”
That’s my own favorite scent from Penhaligon that I wear daily, except in hot weather. The juniper note keeps it crisp, not sweet or cloying, and when I wear it, I smell like myself. (In warm weather I switch to Jo Malone’s Wild Bluebell, another light fresh scent.) These scents keep me grounded, and relatable to Nora.
Declan may like Nora’s new scent, but more importantly, she’s now entirely recognizable and tied to me.
Do you give your characters a certain scent as a descriptor? Do you feel readers respond to that characteristic?
MIss Demeanors
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MIss Demeanors
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MIss Demeanors
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Interesting and so true, Marni. The sense of smell is powerful and resonant.
Mmm, those scents sound wonderful Marni. I realized just now that I describe how the men in my stories smell, but not the women… I think it’s because my female characters usually think of themselves as ‘not girly’ and don’t use perfume at all. Which is funny, because that’s not how I am. I love perfume!
Good reminder, Marni. I just realized that I use scent in my romances but rarely in my mysteries. Hmm.
Something to think about, right?
I once heard PD James interviewed on one of those shows where you have to name five things you’d take if you were stranded on a desert island. She said Chanel No. 5 and for a while I wore it because of that. But it was too strong for me.
Desrt Island Discs! And she loved Chanel No. 5 and wore it all the time. I agree, it’s a stronger scent than the crisp ones I favor, but on her it smelled—like Phyllis!