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/lit/ - Literature

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2597503 No.2597503 [Reply] [Original]

Problem, /lit/. I could use some advice here.

Currently working on my own writing pet project, and obviously, descriptions are important. But here's the problem: I'm an anosmiac. I have literally no sense of smell. Therefore it's impossible for me to write/describe anything regarding smell, because I have no idea how it even works, aside from incredibly generic terms that everyone uses. Sometimes I've simply googled "the smell of X" to figure it out, but that doesn't feel very authentic. And I can't really say that every character in the story has a malfunctioning nose.

Any ideas?

>> No.2597510

I honestly don't think its that important.... If you have to use descriptions keep them minimal.... "his cawk smelt musty"

>> No.2597514

>>2597510
I'd just like to make something more creative than "the stench of blahblah wafted up his nose", etc. Things that everyone and their mother uses.

>> No.2597546

I can smell, and I find it very difficult to 'visualize' it. It's weird - anything other than sound and vision is almost impossible to imagine.

>> No.2597554

>>2597503
the fact that you cant feel it might be even interesting, cause then you can write how you think it is without using actual experience as inspiration. think about it.

>> No.2597559

Is smell a big part of whatever you're working on? I don't think there's anything wrong with keeping descriptions of scents fairly minimal. I'm sure I wouldn't notice if an otherwise-competent writer described smell a little less than usual.

Alternately, go around licking things and just describe how they taste. Taste is close to smell, right?

>> No.2597561

http://www.scribd.com/doc/53285322/02-The-Emissary-Bradbury

>> No.2597598

>>2597559

Most of our taste is derived from smell.

>> No.2597604

>>2597598

I was kidding, but fwiw most anosmiacs have no problem tasting.

>> No.2597618

As a /sci/entist and philosopher, this interests me greatly.

Firstly, unless you have some neurological issues, taste should be essentially comparable to smell in qualia... such as "citrus"- sharp, tangy, fresh, orengian br0nx, sweet.

Generally smell is only used for relevant descriptions, such as plot devicing or an object of discourse. The affect of your condition towards your work should be negligible. I would suggest writing out a list of taste qualia when you need a smell-descriptor. (If you don't know the taste of something just taste your inhalation next to that something)

Remember that pungency is a huge factor.... the worst thing you can do really is have your character ignore/overreact to a stimuli because of this. (Such as ignoring a months-dead body in a dark closet or detecting the smell of lip gloss in a packed subway).

It would be cool if you could list situations in which you perceive a descriptive hole due to lack of smell... it really is one of those tertiary senses.

>> No.2597687

>>2597604
I have no trouble tasting, but my neurologist says I probably have a duller sense of taste overall since scent covers most of it. He says what I have is like a form of neuroplasticity. If you're blind, your brain will focus itself on your ears to adjust. Your ears don't get "stronger", they just get priority. Same thing happened to my tongue, most likely. But my tongue isn't built any different, so I probably have a less acute sense of taste overall.
>>2597618
I have neurological issues, but I taste (with my tongue) perfectly fine. Situations where I feel a "hole" due to a lack of scent? Really, anywhere that I'm consciously aware is supposed to be aromatic. Like a flower field, for example. Or a restaurant. Really anything like that.