It helps me sometimes to have an item associated with a particularly unruly character that I can wrap my fingers around, see the colours of, smell the material. Having the item in my hands means I'm experiencing the character's reaction alongside them, and I can isolate my responses physically and emotionally, then put those into words on paper.
I've done this with coffee mugs, cutlery, stuffed animals, bodily injury (I didn't harm myself! I just pretended to be injured in a room, alone, with no one to see me so I could pretend to go from Point A to Point B in the way a maimed character might.), and recently purchased a marbleised tobacco pipe to have on hand while I write scenes where my characters are using one.
What about you? Do you have physical objects associated with your characters that you use to promote your writing experience?
I've never used a prop, and really never thought about it, but now, I want to try it. I understand how using props can help you somewhat fill the character's shoes, and it might even stimulate some other thoughts you never even knew existed. So, yeah, this is a good idea!
ReplyDeleteI hope it works for you! :)
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