Writing Objects

One of my favorite movie scenes is the one in Castaway, where Tom Hanks’s character sobs after losing a volleyball. Of course, the ball in question—which he’d drawn a face on and named—has been his only companion on a deserted island for four years. He’s got reason to be daft about it. But what I like about the scene is not just the strangeness of it (and Hanks’s great performance). It’s the fact that it plays with an often overlooked part of everyday life—the importance of inanimate objects.

Even those of us who’ve never been marooned in the Pacific have strong bonds with the objects around us—the mug we drink our morning coffee from, the chair we sink into after work, the hammer that feels just right in our hands. We get all fuzzy inside when we think of our cozy quilt or comfortable slippers, and can get positively rapturous over a new shirt or power tool.

Writers often overlook the everyday items that populate our world. Maybe we consider pens, gloves, screwdrivers and the like too trivial to waste precious words on—we’re too busy writing about the Meaning of Life. But writing should be about day-to-day experience, and objects are part of that experience. Explore the work of the best authors, and you’ll find how important ordinary objects can be to good writing.

How can you write about something that has no feelings or perceptions? Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Write about an object you’ve lost. When a friend of mine discovered his beloved guitar had been stolen, he was in such grief he couldn’t play for weeks. If you want to truly realize how attached you are to something, lose it. Everyone has some favorite item that’s been broken, stolen, or lost in a move, and our feelings toward those objects are often keen. What is your story of loss?

Write about an object that played a part in an event from your life. Sue’s struggling marriage was finally destroyed over a knife with a broken handle—she had no idea throwing that knife out was going to deal her fragile relationship a final blow. Objects often play a role in the way lovers meet and break up, in the creation of friendships, in family feuds. Think about your life’s turning points. Did an object offer you comfort in a crisis? Create friction between you and a loved one? Bring you close to someone?

Write about an object you associate with a person. After the death of my sister, Jan, I began to wear her jewelry. The pendant she had once worn often rests close to my heart—actually and metaphorically. On the other hand, whenever I see the old broken clarinet that is still lying around my basement, I think of another sister, Kim, who played it in grade school. The power of objects to evoke memories of people is powerful. Look around your house. Rummage through your basement. Who comes to mind?

Write about an object you want. Why do those boots in the window seem to be sending out tendrils that entwine around your heart? How often have you looked at the picture of that power saw with a longing that approaches obsession? We can become attracted to objects almost as if they were potential lovers. Delve into that desire. Write a love poem to the briefcase you’re dreaming of, an ode to the table that has caught your eye.

Write about objects you hate. Inanimate objects can evoke hatred just as easily as love. When your best friend’s favorite necklace makes you want to scream or you feel annoyed every time you set eyes on your partner’s IPod, you know it’s time to take stock. It’s also time to write.

Trying writing about an object—any object. Explore the longing, loathing, and tenderness you feel toward the things in your life, and see what surprising places it takes you.