Hello,
I’m writing a fantasy short story, quite dark as usual, and there’s a scene where my main character walks through a garden at night. I wanted the sensations to feel rooted in something concrete, rather than just saying “it was cold” or relying on vague descriptions. So I decided to centre the whole scene around a scent, and I started thinking about Tilia perfume, that slightly sweet, almost heavy lime blossom scent that seems to cling to warm air.
It felt perfect for creating an atmosphere that’s both soothing and slightly oppressive at the same time: the character smells something sweet and comforting, but somehow knows there’s something wrong with it, almost as if the pleasant scent itself is a warning sign.
The problem is, I’m not sure whether readers will actually visualise that kind of scent, or whether a reference to Tilia will simply go over their heads. Do you think olfactory references in storytelling can really grab a reader’s attention and build an atmosphere, or do they tend to confuse people when the scent isn’t something universally familiar?
