Writers Toolkit: Night Sounds

Airplanes overhead, descending and decelerating for landing -- so close they rattle the windows.

Cars at a nearby drag strip on hot summer nights when the windows are open. Loud and annoying.

Police sirens and fire sirens. All night. Every night. Until you don’t even hear them any more.

Neighbors fighting.

Creaking floors.

Baby sounds: snuffling and shuffling, keeping me awake. Worse: silence that makes me get up to go into her room to make sure she's still breathing.

Dogs walking around the house, checking on their people, occasionally pausing to scratch, after which they resume their patrol.

The ice maker downstairs in the kitchen. Water running. Then ice falling into plastic bin.*

Occasional train whistles far enough away to be plaintive and beautiful.

Soft, dark silence.

Meredith


*Note to self: turn that damned thing off before going to bed!