A pocket guide to olfactory imagery and how to use it.
Written by Rochelle
Edited by CHIQIO
Keywords: olfactory imagery, immersive experience, sensory writing, memory triggers, descriptive techniques
Ever wonder how you’re able to smell that warm cup of cocoa through pages of a book? Or perhaps, that musky smell of the Earth after rain through your phone screen, merely because you visualised it? That is called olfactory imagery.
Olfactory imagery is primarily a literature technique where writers paint colourful scenarios to trigger the reader’s sense of smell, making the reading an immersive experience. We also see this technique used in art and design, and really, anywhere words or images are used to trigger the viewer’s nose.
Examples of olfactory imagery
- “What’s in the name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet?” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)
- “The overwhelming smell of dark roasted coffee filled the room”
- “The piping bowl of lemongrass soup warmed my body on this cold night”
- “A hot glass of milk and freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies”
- “She smelled like warm cinnamon donuts”
- “The stench of the routine banana”
These are simple examples of how descriptive words are used to trigger emotions and the creation of a particular scent in literature. This is also seen in art, where the artist delicately paints the food, and you can almost smell and taste it just by looking at it.
How to create olfactory imagery in literature
You would assume that the more descriptive words used enables you to recreate the scent better. This is true in some sense, but there is something such as ‘over-describing’. If too many words from the same adjective category are used (for example, sweet, salty, bitter, sour) then it becomes difficult to recreate the scent. If too little is used, then it becomes nothing more than a bunch of words. The key is to find a balance between different descriptive words and form an olfactory imagery that is easy to recreate. It is easiest if it is relatable or memorable. Consider the key emotions you want the viewer to feel before creating your olfactory imagery.
Creating olfactory imagery in your mind: How to smell scents in your thoughts
Let’s do a small exercise. Picture this (and by that I mean remove yourself from your mental surroundings and feel every word I say):
“After your tiring day of work, you pass by your favourite Italian bakery. As you walk in, you are suddenly hit by the warmth of the freshly made bread, rejuvenating you. The sweet smell and the sight of oven-baked milk bread makes your mouth water, so you cannot help yourself but to buy some.”
Did it work? Were you able to recreate the scent of the warm, freshly baked bread? If it did not work the first time, try closing your eyes and immersing yourself in the short story, removing any other thoughts.
One way to seamlessly smelling your thoughts, or rather, recreating the scent from your thoughts is by describing the entire scene/scenario/environment. You need the brain to trigger the nose for you, so make sure it has an easy time doing so by giving it an immersive description, be it with words or images. As smells are controlled by the olfactory bulb in the brain, it is important to consider how seamless the scenario you are bringing to the brain is, so that the viewer recreates the scent with little to no effort. The other way is to trigger memories and emotions. This makes it much easier to ‘smell thoughts’ as it has already been experienced and needs little prompting.
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