You’ve probably heard the admonition that writers should “show, not tell,” meaning that we should allow readers to visualize what is happening rather than flat out telling them. One way to help make a story come alive is to appeal to the readers’ five senses. Let them see, hear, touch, taste, and smell the story.
Whenever I hear that, I visualize a child’s board book with those touchy-feely-smelly inserts that teach them basic science. The same concept applies to written words: let readers interact with the story through their own experience. Hint at things rather than painting the full picture and the reader will fill in the details based on the ideas your words invoke.
I find it hardest to appeal to the sense of sound. There are obvious images, like a dog barking to indicate an intruder, or someone crying to show sadness. Those are so well-known, though, that they’ve become clichéd, and therefore unoriginal. So what’s a writer to do?
Think about the sounds you hear as you go about your day. Take notes on how they make you feel, or how someone else reacts. Perhaps a ringtone reminds you of your first boyfriend, or a train whistle makes your gut clench with fear because your best friend was hit trying to cross the tracks ahead of the freight train and his car stalled at the crucial moment. Insert such sounds into the story and, with appropriate use of backstory, it can enrich the setting and characterization.
In a future post, I’ll talk about some of the other sensory details you might consider. The main purpose of this one, however, is to allow me to use the word tintinnabulation.
| Noun: tintinnabulation – the sound of a bell ringing; “the distinctive ring of the church bell”; “the ringing of the telephone”; “the tintinnabulation that so voluminously swells from the ringing and the dinging of the bells”–E. A. Poe |
(Definition from: http://www.tfd.com/tintinnabulation )
Whenever I hear that word, I think of the poem by Edgar Allen Poe called The Bells. The use of sound in that poem focuses on the different messages a ringing bell can have, and how it affects those who hear it. From the tinkling of sleigh bells to the sorrowful tolling of iron bells, the noises portray a scene most readers could envision. It’s an excellent example of how sound can be used to touch the emotions of readers.
http://www.readprint.com/work-1295/The-Bells-Edgar-Allan-Poe
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Can you think of other examples where sound might be used to enrich a story? Do you have a favorite “sound” word? What “sound” really grates on your nerves?
I tend to forget about sound in description the first time through and then have to try and find places where I can use it. Smell I find much easier to use.
Me, too. I don’t think the first draft of my novel had more than a couple of sounds mentioned. I’m trying to work in more of all the sensory details.
I liked your post on banquets today. That soup sounded good to me.
I think of the original Batman – Pow, Wham, Bang! Actually sound is a tricky one sometimes, which I often have to go back and insert later.
I loved the original Batman shows, and the sounds/words were great. Didn’t much care for the movies though.
Nice post. I think sound often gets forgotten. I like to play with silence then break it up with little sounds. I recently did a scene with a person telling the story of how someone died, and I started with the silence of the gathering and then added sharp intakes of breath and fingernails tapping on glass, that sort of thing.
That sounds like a good method. Breaking it up into little bits to insert strategically will let them make an impact without being overwhelming. Thanks for sharing that tip.
Carol
One story where sound enriched the experience was Dean Koontz’s Watchers. The tick-tick-tick of the creature’s nails as it stepped across a kitchen floor reminded the reader of the present danger.
Like anything, I think sounds should be used to reveal information, and not just for the purpose of creating a setting. For instance, I’ve seen writers use the ticking of a clock to show the length of a pause in an uncomfortable conversation. I’ve also seen them use actual songs to help the reader understand character (e.g., you can generally tell the age of someone by the fact that they like Gene Autry).
I like onomatopoetic words, like the sssnick of an opened can or the pock-pock-pock of heeled shoes on concrete.
Good post.
Hi, Stephen. Glad you took a break from your novel to visit.
I love Dean Koontz books but haven’t read Watchers. Yet another to put on my to-read-later list.
I like sound words, too, though I’m not very good at coming up with them myself.
Carol,
There is a sound that drives me crazy every time I hear it. It is the rustling sound of a potato chip bag. ARGH!!!! Hubby loves those little bags, but he makes such a racket eating them I go grab him a bowl and ‘invite’ him to pour the chips in. He always accepts the offer:)
My mother and I went to see Harry Potter last year at the movies. There was a father with a couple of toddlers in the row to the side of us. That dad gave those kids every crackly, rustling, candy and chip bag there was in the concession stand. It was a nightmare! When they finished what they had he went and bought more! ARGH!!!
Elizabeth, one that bothers me is the sound of chewing gum–especially when they do a lot of popping!
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