Objects are props that characters use to take action. They are helpers that add flavor to the scene. While they aren’t strictly necessary, they do add a lot of interest to the story.

Imagine that your mysterious stranger is holding a crystal ball. The object a character chooses and the action they use with that object actually tell readers a great deal about the character. That’s one of many reasons objects are so valuable when you’re telling a story. You can have a story without objects, but objects are the spice that make the story so much richer and deeper than it would be without them.

Giving your characters unusual, unexpected, or non-traditional objects is one way to add a whole lot of interest to a story that otherwise might be boring. That’s why The Write Words offers at least 10 different objects from the humorous to the more serious: a top hat, a loaded gun, an aerial hoop, a picnic basket, a tattered notebook, a crystal ball, a timber axe, a flannel gown, an encoded note, a floral bouquet, a treasure map, and – my personal favorite – a squeaky hammer.

When deciding what object to play, which action to choose, and what character to use – think about the way those three add up to a different tone to the scene you’re developing. A lumberjack attacking a circus clown with a squeaky hammer or a floral boquet has a very different tone to it than a lumberjack attacking a circus clown with a loaded gun or even a timber axe.

The trick to creating great stories is to take what’s expected and do the exact opposite. Break the pattern, and you’ll get the interest and attention of the person who is hearing, reading, or watching that story in a hurry.

If you have ideas for objects you’d like to see included in a future expansion pack, send those ideas to brandy at 40daywriter dot com. I don’t promise I will use the ideas, but if I do I will be happy to give you credit for the object.

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