Scent makes writing upsettingly live
‘Common Scents’ by Wendy Fernstrum, artist & author. Photo credit, Wendy Fernstrum.
Written by Tracy Skochil
On a wall in a gallery are two shelves. Bottles of various shapes and sizes sit patiently, their corks an invitation. A small placard nearby welcomes guests to remove the stoppers and breathe in the contents.
Welcome to ‘Common Scents,’ an exhibition by artist and writer Wendy Fernstrum. It was part of ‘The Other Four,’ a multimedia exhibit curated by artist John Schuerman and hosted at the Weisman Art Museum. I had the luck to stumble upon it on a trip to Minnesota in 2024.
Are Scents Universal?
If you had been beside me, uncorking and smelling the bottles, what would you have thought each of the below labels should have smelled like?
head/heels
aiding & abetting
beyond the shadow of a doubt
dammit Jim
calm cool & collected
about last night…
more than you bargained for
good lovin’ gone bad
best left alone
didn’t see it coming
I can tell you that some felt very familiar while others felt jarring.
‘The Other Four’ — An Exhibition
“Common Scents” changed how I write and edit. It brought to light a gap in my descriptions of how characters, places, and moments smell. “Most of us are so accustomed to the dominance of our sense of sight that we often forget it is operating … sometimes causing one to drift off into thought and miss the moment,” said Schuerman.
Scent Makes Your Writing Upsettingly ‘Live’
“Smell transports us instantly into a past scene, rolling the cinematic tape completely with feelings and a sense of embodiment that can be upsettingly ‘live’,” writer Jude Stewart is quoted in the exhibition guide.
If the smell you’re describing in your story is a common scent, it can be an intimate connection point between you and your reader. Every dog owner will relate to ‘the smell of wet dog.’ If the scent you’re describing ISN’T a common one, it can pique a reader’s interest. There’s a line in Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (I don’t have it verbatim here because we just moved, and all my books are still packed!) where the witch is described as smelling like the mud-filled streets of ancient times where plague ran rampant.
But remember, readers are savvy. They’ll notice cookie-cutter scent descriptions. Like in this fantasy/romance reddit stream where readers share the best and worst character smell descriptions.
When you write or edit, take time to really lean in to what a moment, setting, or character smells like. To how you can twist or combine scent elements to tap into universal experiences, or create out-of-the-norm scent profiles that make characters and places memorable.
Now, What Does YOUR Novel Smell Like?
A few months after my Minnesota trip, a friend invited me to Candle Chemistry in Gilbert to create custom autumn-scented candles. Candle Chemistry has more than 100 scents to mix and match. A bottle held Montana grass – Montana is one of the settings in my WIP sci-fi novel. It got me thinking, ‘what would my novel smell like?’ and ‘what would my villain smell like if they walked past?’ If you write memoir, are their scents that have a hold on your memory? Or, if you’re looking for inspiration, what scents motivate you to write?
Just some of the 100+ scents Candle Chemistry has in their scent library.
Creating a candle that encapsulates your work can help you:
Get inspired to write. Light it as part of your writing ritual!
Go deeper into your character. Define their scent as part of your character profile.
Market your novel. Create a branded label and highlight your custom-made candle on your social feeds and at events.
Generate revenue. Sell versions of your scent to your fans!
Join Our Main Character Energy Workshop
If you’d like to explore these ideas, join us in-person at our upcoming ‘Main Character Energy’ workshop on Friday, January 17 at Candle Chemistry’s Scottsdale location. Learn more about the workshop and RSVP on our Meetup. You can also download our Main Character Energy candle making worksheet to get a head start on your ideas.
POP doesn’t charge a fee to attend this workshop. You’ll pay Candle Chemistry directly for whatever you make / purchase at the event. See their options here, ranging from $28 to $64.
At POP, our goal is to create community and connection points for AZ authors, so we hope you’ll join our in-person candle workshop. A hosted event, you’ll create your candle with anywhere from 5 to 20 other area authors which gives you opportunity to talk craft, make new friends who understand how non-linear the author’s journey can be, and you’ll have some fun.
Find all of POP’s events on our Meetup page!
ABOUT TRACY SKOCHIL
TRACY SKOCHIL’S FICTION EXPLORES THE COMPLICATIONS, CRUELTIES, AND POSSIBILITIES AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY. SHE IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF POP, A MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON GUEST JUDGE, AND HOSTED ONLINE CRITIQUE SESSIONS THROUGH RED SANDS WRITERS CIRCLE. A CANADIAN TRANSPLANT, TRACY LIVES IN GILBERT, AZ WITH HER HUSBAND, PACK OF AUSTRALIAN PUPS, AND TWO WIPS. FIND HER @TRACY.SKOCHIL.AUTHOR.