Sounds

cwschizzy said:

I've been wondering about certain expressions of dialogue. Is an "mmm" sound a moan? What synonyms are there that convey the same thing? Is just having "mmm" as dialogue too odd, or is that fine?

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I've seen it used. And more often than you think.

As far as "Mmm" being a moan, not always. In bed? Yes. At dinner? Yes. In an agreeing way? Maybe.

But I have seen some big name books with "Mmm" "Hmm" and so forth. i wouldn't go overboard, but I'd think once or twice is okay. But keep in mind a publisher has final say.

I'd say you want to use onomatopoeia sparingly... I think it's about having the form fulfilling the function necessary.

"Mmm" for example, sounds more like... a thing of mild pleasure, or amusement, or a sound expressing that the speaker is enticed.

I wouldn't use it... In the middle of a hardcore sex scene, for example

But if your protagonist is slipping up against their intended partner seductively? Or your scene has just ended and your speaker is a bit of a vixen?

Just, like everything else, use sparingly and with as much thought as possible!

It doesn't strike me as a moan, more of a quiet humming sound. The kind of sound you intentionally make to express agreement or appreciation, so more useful for the kinds of scenes Rowan suggested.

I don't know that I've ever used it, but I'd probably accept it without question unless it was overused in a book.