Shampoo as a writing aid

Yeah, I know. Sometimes this blog is downright odd. But if you're curious about how a fiction writer's mind works, stick with me and you might learn something.

I spend my days making up stories. I'm pulling all of that stuff right out of my imagination, a fairly tame monster in most instances, but one which demands to be fed well and often. It especially enjoys new experiences, but it also likes familiar things presented in new ways.

Which brings us to this bottle of shampoo. It's not my usual brand, but in my world, pretty things are almost always good for you, so when I saw this colorful bottle at the grocery store, I picked it up and popped the lid for a sniff. Yum.

This morning as I squeezed this fragrant orange goo into my hand, I was struck by a thought:

This is the shampoo my heroine uses. She never wears perfume, but she loves fruity, tropical scents, and she'll buy any colorful shampoo or handmade soap that smells of mangoes and the like.

Why is that important? Because the hero's going to get close at some point, and he's going to notice the way she smells. He'll probably recall her scent when he's away from her. And if I'm going to write about all of that, I need to know how she smells.

And now, I do.