Angi Morgan - Romance Author

THE FIFTH SENSE

This story stinks. Or unfortunately, it doesn’t.

We’ve all heard it. Use the five senses when you write.

Well, seeing is easy.

Touching comes naturally (at least when the hero and heroine get together).

Hearing is indicated with every line of dialogue.

Tasting...I happen to take pride in this research.

But smells? Good, bad, strong, light, sweet, stinky ... woody, musky, manly. How do you utilize this sense realistically in your writing? Especially when you’re allergic to most perfumes.

How do you describe that unique smell your heroine has when the hero snuggles close to her sensitive neck? Do guys--with the exception of those in the perfume industry--ever think about how something smells? Is it manly to do so?

And just how does a “man” smell? What exactly is a “woody” scent? In a recent article, Laron Glover had a wonderful idea for those of us stumped by the malodorous fifth sense. www.fragrancenet.com declares their site “The largest discount fragrance store.”

In Laron’s article, she uses the website’s descriptions of fragrances to describe scents in her writing.

This has to be one of the greatest ideas ever. Not only do you get a recent history regarding a fragrance (i.e. how long it’s been around and who developed it); you get a detailed description of the individual scents that are its make-up. They’ve done the hard work for you, actually writing a description of a smell.

For example: “Launched by the design house of Giorgio Armani in 1998, EMPORIO ARMANI is classified as a sharp, woody, mossy fragrance. This masculine scent possesses a blend of spices, vetiver and low undertones of aromatic woods and musk. It is recommended for daytime wear.”

Excellent. Even if I don’t know what the heck “vetiver” is, OR care for the smell of moss. But I have a place to start. And a heroine that loves gardening might really love that “mossy” smell.

Now, to put this into my romantic vocabulary? A sharp blend of spices lingered after the door slammed. She took in a deep breath despite her hurt feelings. Unlike the man himself, his musky aroma never disappointed.

Keep in mind how some smells are perceived as old-fashioned (i.e. lavender), but as a fellow author and friend of mine said, “I intentionally used that scent to help establish that my heroine was a paradox. She claimed to be a modern, non-commitment type woman, but at heart, she wanted a husband and children." So scents can, not only be used as an enticement to hero/heroine, but also as a method of layering the character.

Scents can also trigger memories. The thought of fresh-baked cookies sends some readers back to childhood kitchens. The mention of a skunk may make your readers’ eyes water.

Websites for fragrances, furniture, flowers, and other descriptive material might help with research and give the author ideas to enrich their scenes.

Angi attributes her growing knowledge of writing to the many teachers in RWA. She is currently working on rewrites of a short story for NT’s 25^th Anniversary Anthology: Love, Texas Style. This article first appeared in the 2001 November/December issue of THE DARA NEWS and is reprinted by permission of the author. NOTE: This article was inspired from a short article by Laron Glover of Coeur de Louisiane: Scents...You Say!