When I am working on developing characters for a story, I like to think about what they smell like.
I know that sounds weird, but think about people you interact with, live with, know. They all have scents that are unique to them.
One place I like to go, in particular, to get ideas for my female character scents is Bath and Body Works. They’ve got oodles of scents and by the time I sniff a few, I’ve got an idea for what my character will smell like.
Why do I even care about the scent of characters? Because I think it adds another realistic dimension to them. Especially in a romance novel, the way the hero and heroine smell – particularly to each other is a big deal.
Is your heroine an outdoorsy kind of girl, an athlete, younger, middle aged, soft-spoken, brash? All these characteristics will influence the type of fragrance she would wear.
If you want to add another layer of depth to your characters, think about their scents, how they smell and see what you can come up with. If you get stuck, go to a bath and lotion store for some great inspiration and ideas!
