Monday, March 15, 2010

Sounds and Writing

Awhile ago, I got some great ideas for random smells that people love (and hate), which, in addition to being amusing, is something I go back to if I need to jog my writing mind in the area of smell. Lately I have been thinking about sound, and how some background noises can be peaceful or soothing while some (I'm talking to you, bathroom fan!) can drive you utterly insane.

For instance, I absolutely love the sound of a cat licking its rough paws, wind coming through a screen, the sloshing of the dishwasher, a child’s out-of-control laugh, and an airplane in the very distant sky. I cannot stand the sound of a knife running across a plate, fake nails on a keyboard, or someone sniffling instead of using a Kleenex. I also don’t like the sound of high-heels on a hard floor, skin screeching on a bathtub, or the loud clapping of cupped hands. Oh, and I like the sound of a man running his fingers over one-day stubble.

What about you? What are your favorite and least favorite sounds?

12 comments:

Barbara Slaton DRE#01855977 said...

LOVE
Running water of all kinds
Babies giggling
Horses running

HATE
Sirens
abusive yelling
...and the age old favorite, fingernails on the blackboard

Baggiemama said...

LOVE:
heartbeat in a chest

sound of door closing behind a child who has just entered

frogs calling out in spring

clickety clack of train on track

CANNOT STAND:
head thunking on the ground, followed by painful silence

commercials louder than televised programing

military jets flying overhead...it makes me cry to think of people in war zones and how that sound must impact them

Nicole Settle said...

Love the sound of rain and typing on a keyboard, and of course voices. Don't very much like the sound of creaks and slams of doors. And I agree with you on the knife running across a plate (eek!).

Casey Something said...

OMG. The bathroom fan drives me insane. I won't realize it's on but I'll be extremely irritated. I always check to see if the fans on when I'm feeling all irritated or anxious now. LOL.

Robin Mellom said...

LOVE:
When two magnets connect (such a subtle CLICK, but SOOO satisfying!)

HATE:
The squeak SOMEWHERE in the car but I can never find it. Aarrggh.

Little Ms J said...

Love - wind whirling around my house (it is very windy in Vegas), rain, thunder.

Hate - bitchy women that complain right outside my office door. Ok, fine. Serious - nails scratching against fabric, coughing, sneezing.

Anonymous said...

Love:
rythmic ocean roar
train whistles in the night
rushing water

Hate:
two-year-old tantrums
cars hitting each other
hateful swearing

CAM

Anonymous said...

Love
owls hooting in the night
coyotes howling (in the distance)
migrating sand cranes
pastel sticks on sanded paper
pencil writing on paper


Hate
dentist drill
balloons popping
whiney voices

Janie

Jennie Englund said...

I love the way playground bark smells after a rain.

But the sound of my kids fighting isn't my fave.

Dena said...

Sound of a mourning dove
Ira Glass' infectious laugh
Mel's deep voice (he's a he)
Smell of dark roast coffee beans in the bag
Crackling fire
Smell of horses and sound of hooves along a dirt trail

Abhor:
People talking over each other (The View, cable news, panels, etc.)
Loud engines and exhaust
Incessant sniffing and nasal content relocation (have left many a venue b/c of this).
Excessive rattling of a newspaper, loud talkers on an early flight.

Jackee said...

I hate chalkboards too. And my 3 y.o. has a yell that can rival most banshees. I hate it. But the inverse, I love the sound of my kid's laughter, the sound of rain, and the song of a Swainson's Thrush.

Graeme Stone said...

Love:
Rain, wind, ocean waves in the distance, the sound of laughter downstairs as I drift off to sleep, a cat drinking water, cat purring, cat chirping hello, wind in the trees

Hate:
the sound of someone chewing closeby, parents yelling at kids in public, music distortion, crying babies, cellphones in theaters