What is the correct way to write sound effects?

[MrAngelwithnowings]

I had a few questions.

1. What is the correct way to write sound effects or sounds in a novel manuscript?

Like something breaking a window outside.

Is it

CRASH!

"Crash!"

or something else?

Please let me know anyone

[Lori Basiewicz]

I wouldn't write it as a sound effect at all, but would describe what happened, how the glass shattered, the sound they made as they bounced against nearby objects, the characters' reactions to the sound and the breakage, and would leave it to the reader to fill in any sound effects in their own mind.

[MrAngelwithnowings]

hmm

That makes better sense to me than what I previously had in mind. Thanks Lori. Really appreciate it.

[Gala]

Depends on the type of novel and what you want to convey.

Graphic novels use POW and BANG, kid's use HONK and QUACK.

A thriller might have a killer that uses a chain saw to buzz off limbs, or who fires bullets that whiz past bystanders ears.

Music would best be conveyed with sound words (ha.)

Sound effects might best be conveyed using onomatopoetic terms.

And I think the Simpsons use "DOH!" a bit; :smack

Surely Dave Barry uses sound effects words in his novels.

Dogs grrr :teeth

[macalicious731]

I'm with Lori on this one - you'll want to use an actual description of what's happening, instead of sound effects.

But if your work is a comedy or something, your writing may call for a more "specialized" noise, and a sound effect could work.

[maestrowork]

I'm with Lori. My writing professor once told me: sound effects make your book sound like an episode of Batman... POW! BANG! KABOOM!

There're, of course, always exceptions. In Five People You Meet in Heaven, forex, Albom used some sound effects for great emphasis (in addition to the actual description of things happening). It worked.

[Gala]

The question was how to write sound effects, not if they should be written.

What say ye.

[Jules Hall]

And I think the Simpsons use "DOH!" a bit;

Apparently, in the scripts, it is written as "annoyed grunt".

[Pthom]

The question was how to write sound effects, not if they should be written.

What say ye. On a mat of peas, eh?

[SRHowen]

John crept around the corner, now if he could make it across the floor and out the door--he was home free.

squeek

Damn that loose floor board, he had forgotten all about it.

IMHO, if you are going to use them vs the BAM, BANG BOOM of comic book standing.

[maestrowork]

How, that was the question.

I'd make them a separate word, italicized or all-caps. And no exclamation point, please.

[Gala]

From Life Of Pi, by Yann Martel, page 166, the end of chapter 57:

"TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE!"

You'd be blowing that whistle loud too, if you were stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a Bengal tiger.

This book won the Man Booker Prize and other awards, is widely read in groups, was chosen by Arizona for it's library book of the year to read, etc.

I'm reading it to discuss with a group, having abandoned it on page 50 of a previous read.

While I'm at it, Martel uses bulleted lists (see the page after the above reference for one of several examples), italicized passages, ALL CAPS for people yelling at the circus, or sound effects.

This is a serious book. I betch we could rely on ol' S. King to have used a few sound effects words. No time to look it up.

The trick with all writing craft is to be judicious, to know how and why, and make it move the story along.

In the middle of nowhere, on a silent ocean with a tiger glaring at me, only "TREEEEEE!" works, imho. If the char said, "I blew the whistle with all my might..." the effect would be less.

[macalicious731]

Gala, very good example. I'd forgotten about that, and you're entirely right. I remember reading that bit and actually hearing the whistle. It was a very smart bit of imagery.

[maestrowork]

Lots of exceptions are made for literary fiction (which The Life of Pi is).

E.g. Lots of writers don't use quotation marks:
I really like your hair, said Abbot, but would you keep it down?

A few weeks ago I read a book in which there was almost no dialogue. Seriously, if you put up the pages on the wall, everyone is a big block of black text. The whole story was told in narrative. Obviously I didn't finish it.

[JuliePgh]

I wouldn't write it as a sound effect at all, but would describe what happened, how the glass shattered, the sound they made as they bounced against nearby objects, the characters' reactions to the sound and the breakage, and would leave it to the reader to fill in any sound effects in their own mind

Lori,

Could you demonstrate what you meant? Thank you

[Lori Basiewicz]

Something like this maybe:


Lori juggled the crockpot and covered cake stand in her hands as she trotted up the basement steps. She had taken both items out of their boxes in order to avoid having to make multiple trips up and down the stairs, but was starting to wonder how wise she had been. Halfway to the kitchen, the crockpot slipped from her hand. She cringed as it landed on a tread a few steps down, only to arc back through the air towards the hard basement floor. She fervently prayed it would not break, as she watched its trajectory, unable to do anything to stop it.

Her hopes were dashed as soon as it landed. She winced as the crock shattered. Tiny shards skittered across the hard concrete floor.

Above her, she heard Geoff's footfalls as he crossed the living room heading towards the kitchen. She stayed where she was, shoulders hunched, staring at the pieces, wondering how she was going to cook the BBQ for their company now, waiting for him. She met his wide-eyed stare as he poked his head through the doorway.

"What was that?"

"The crockpot. It didn't bounce."

[ChunkyC]

Gala - you mentioned Stephen King. I'm currently reading his 'Dark Tower' books, and in one spot he uses nonsense phrases to describe these bizarre creatures that attack the hero. He embellishes with descriptions of the sounds they make, saying they rise at the ends like questions. (I'm going from memory here).

did-a-chum? did-a-chik?

The overall effect is both funny and chilling.

[macalicious731]

"The crockpot. It didn't bounce."

:ha