When my children were small we had a set of I Spy books. Each two-page spread revealed a random collection of objects spilled across the page, and a rhyme suggesting which ones to spy. We spent hours finding objects on the pages, and playing our own I Spy games together. I was reminded of those object-spying sessions as I prepare to lead writing workshops for women at a great conference this weekend.
I’m making final choices about prompts, making sure all the pens work, and pulling journals and supplies together. I almost always take a box full of random objects to in-person workshops. I will spread the items out on a table, like an I Spy book come to life, and invite the writers to choose an object that speaks to them. A seed packet. An old shaving brush. A baby’s spoon. A heart-shaped rock. A playing card. An old key.
They’ll carry the object back to their seat, and begin to write. Perhaps they’ll start by describing the object, turning it over in their hands, and holding it up to the light. As they keep their pens moving, they may suddenly find themselves writing about a summer afternoon with a grandparent, or describing a lost treasure from childhood, or putting words to a seldom-voiced hope for a certain kind of future.
Objects can be evocative prompts. They help us describe and remember concrete details we might otherwise forget. They can locate us in a place and time in our memory or imagination. They hold stories that matter.
What object will you write about this week, and where will it take you?
a writing prompt
Choose an object—something you can actually hold in your hand. Anything will do.
A small treasure you keep on your desk or in a drawer. An ordinary object you use every day. Something you are about to recycle. Something that belonged to someone you love.
Don’t overthink it. Go and spy something that speaks to you, and bring it back to your writing spot. You can always choose a different object for another day.
Next, just start writing and see what happens. If you need a place to start, or you get stuck, describe the object. Keep your pen moving, and see where your words take you.
