Carl Vonderau is the author of thrillers Murderabilia, and his latest book, Saving Myles. You can find out more about him on his website, www.carlvonderau.com.
Carl, what a fabulous writing idea. Your examples were stunning. I like how objects with their backstories can enrich all elements of storytelling, including bringing a renewed or, perhaps, brand new value to the object itself. Thank you.
This is a powerful reminder of how objects retain memories. Thank you for sharing a valuable piece of advice with examples. I used to teach The Things They Carried (an emotional ride to be sure). Seeing the cover again brings back strong images and memories of meaningful discussions with my students.
I love this idea, Carl. I'm currently revising another thriller wrapped entirely around a lost object. The book idea came to me when someone from my past emailed me with a photo of a lost object that I cherished as a young adult. The "thing" belonged to my mother, who is now passed away. Whenever I think of this object, it makes me think of her. I hope to have the book ready for pitching or publishing by January, then I'll share more details. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks Carl for sharing such visceral examples of how objects can absorb and create emotions. You now have me thinking of what I need to include in my current WIP. Thanks for planting the seed.
Wonderful post! I love how objects and their meaning to the story play such an important role in how a story is both conveyed and received by the reader. Love your examples!
Maybe they did. Another story about 911 told how there were hundreds of thousands of pages from the buildings that blanketed the city. One of them was a performance review for a man who had died. Whoever found it searched out his wife and gave it to her. She took it as a sign from God the he was okay.
What a beautiful, thought-provoking post, Carl! I will definitely be thinking about objects more in both my writing and real life. I loved the part about the woman with a birthday on September 11th. Perhaps finding those objects helped her through some grief.
Carl, what a fabulous writing idea. Your examples were stunning. I like how objects with their backstories can enrich all elements of storytelling, including bringing a renewed or, perhaps, brand new value to the object itself. Thank you.
This is a powerful reminder of how objects retain memories. Thank you for sharing a valuable piece of advice with examples. I used to teach The Things They Carried (an emotional ride to be sure). Seeing the cover again brings back strong images and memories of meaningful discussions with my students.
It's a great book my favorite of his.
Fantastic examples, Carl. Thank you!
Thoughtful and poignant post. A pleasure to read!
I love this idea, Carl. I'm currently revising another thriller wrapped entirely around a lost object. The book idea came to me when someone from my past emailed me with a photo of a lost object that I cherished as a young adult. The "thing" belonged to my mother, who is now passed away. Whenever I think of this object, it makes me think of her. I hope to have the book ready for pitching or publishing by January, then I'll share more details. Thanks for the great post!
Intriguing - I like how this lost object from your life can now be manifested through your writing. There's something mystical about that.
I'm not sure I would have thought about it if it hadn't been for the weird email. It was pretty sketch, which was the inspiration for this thriller.
Thanks Carl for sharing such visceral examples of how objects can absorb and create emotions. You now have me thinking of what I need to include in my current WIP. Thanks for planting the seed.
Glad it helped!
Wonderful post! I love how objects and their meaning to the story play such an important role in how a story is both conveyed and received by the reader. Love your examples!
Maybe they did. Another story about 911 told how there were hundreds of thousands of pages from the buildings that blanketed the city. One of them was a performance review for a man who had died. Whoever found it searched out his wife and gave it to her. She took it as a sign from God the he was okay.
What a beautiful, thought-provoking post, Carl! I will definitely be thinking about objects more in both my writing and real life. I loved the part about the woman with a birthday on September 11th. Perhaps finding those objects helped her through some grief.