Anything but Silence - How to Use Sound in Your Writing

It's raining and I can hear the uncertain syncopation of the raindrops hitting the roof of my house-shaped shed.  It's evocative to listen to: small, staccato needle points of sound.  If I close my eyes, it takes me back to camping trips as a child: the caravan windows steaming up, condensation dripping from all the fittings, the dampness of my sleeping bag.

Even if you're not writing for radio (but especially if you are) sound can be a valuable tool for the writer.  It can help you out with a number of things.

• It can create mood and atmosphere.
• It can kindle memories, providing something familiar to which your reader can relate.
• It can shift the focus of a scene -- a sudden noise will make your reader do the literary equivalent of turning their head to see what has happened. 
• It can shock -- think of the sound of skin being peeled back from human flesh.
• It can create suspense -- imagine the noise of a dress being slowly unzipped, or of a knife being eased from its sheath.

Close your eyes for a moment, and listen to all the sounds around you, and think how you might use them, creatively...