To make your writing vivid, you want to bring concrete details into each scene.
Each particular place you set your scene in – whether it’s a room, a yard, or an alley- will have objects.
In this episode, we’re going to talk about including objects to give your story more muscularity and vividness.
We’ll explore 3 different types of objects and the various purposes each play in a scene, and in your story as a whole.
And I’ll give you examples of each.
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Episode at a glance:
[05:57] Mood objects
Some objects symbolize your character’s feelings, and they don’t play an important role in the plot. They add to the tone of the story, and they deepen our understanding of a character’s feelings.
[09:52] Ambient objects
These are similar to mood objects but they’re not necessarily tied to a character’s feelings as much as they ‘re in the scene to create a sense of atmosphere.
[12:45] Significant Objects
This is a single object that’s given more attention in the story. What makes an object significant is when it directly affects your plot, or character development.
An example of a plot significant object would be evidence to solve a murder, or an artifact. The plot takes a new turn once the artifact or piece of evidence is introduced or found in a particular scene.
[16:49] A character significant object has value to your character for personal or sentimental reasons. For example, a talisman, or a piece of jewelry.
A character significant object does not need to change the course of your plot, but it does need to be described in enough detail and with enough repetition and variation that the reader understands its value to your character.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 150: How To Build Multi-Dimensional Story Settings
A Crime In The Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne
The Elephant Vanishes: Stories by Haruki Murakami
The Staircase on Netflix
Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
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