In my story there is a scene where someone uses magic to drop an apple to the ground. What word can I use to describe that?
Edit: Since some people have asked me to clarify a bit, the scene goes like this.
A non believer sitting under a tree asks a mage to show proof that magic exists. The magician proceeds by dropping several apples from the tree.
Thunk.(the first one falls).
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. (3 more).
Thunk. (The last one falls on the head of the non believer for good measure).
I think thunk sounds really weird here so I am looking for an alternative.
I'll also clarify that I'm by no means a writer and I'm just writing a story for an assignment. If you have any criticism of the blurb I showed here then I'll be happy to hear it.
Best Answer
Thunk is a valid onomatopoeia, although it isn't the first one I would reach for. Personally, I'd prefer thud instead, as thunk feels more like a hollow, drumlike sound than the ground typically provides. Of course, if your ground is raised flooring, thunk could very well be appropriate.
Use of onomatopoeia in general can be very comical, so I would be careful of their application. Strangely, some onomatopoeia are idiomatically more comical than others. Aside from the sound being slightly different, thunk sounds much more amusing than thud. Idiomatically, thunk is more frequently used for slapstick, while thud is often used for more serious situations.
You might want to consider using both. At first, thud with the apples landing on the soft ground, no drum like echo, and using the word that has a bit more gravitas to showcase the watcher's beliefs being changed. Finally, thunk on the head, suggesting that the asker was less than intelligent (head is hollow -> hollow thunk sound), wrapping it up with some comedy.