writing, inspiration,

“Image Props for Stories #6: A Coffee Maker, Earphones, and a Lamp” by Joan Y. Edwards

Earphones Copyright 2012 Joan Y. Edwards

Here are three props to add to one story or use to give more life to your characters in several stories. I hope you enjoy using them.

Here’s a passage from a story that might entice you to use them:

Steve got home from the bar really late. First thing he did when he walked in the door was to brew a fresh cup of strong coffee with all the caffeine. The smell of it filled his nostrils. The telephone on the table beside the lamp rang.

He didn’t answer it. He was too tired to talk.

He sat in the lounge chair on the back porch. One image he couldn’t get out of his mind. What was the matter with him? He felt he needed to help every helpless woman who came into the bar. Perhaps it was time to sell the bar. Maybe he’d go into law enforcement and lock them up.

Could he do both? Be an undercover cop and run the bar at the same time. It sure did sound great to think of that 7 foot bully in the jail house, instead of infuriating him and hurting defenseless women.

Uncle Ted is a police officer in Virginia. He’ll call him and see if they do that kind of thing. He might be on duty. He’s the dispatcher for 911. He gets tired of wearing the earphones and talking through a headset. But he loves helping people. Helping people must run in our family. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Then why did Steve feel so powerless.

If you’d like to finish my story, feel free to do so. If you want to add a story of your own using these three props, please do so. I’d love to read your work. I hope you see how using props adds interest to a story. Please leave a comment. I enjoy hearing from you.

Here are links to my whole series on Props for Stories:

Joan Y. Edwards. “Props for Characters: Toys, Games, and Other Items:” http://joanyedwards.com/props-for-characters-toys-games-and-other-items/
Joan Y. Edwards. “Image Props for Stories #1:” http://joanyedwards.com/image-props-for-stories-1-all-that-was-left-a-stapler-a-money-bag-and-a-bird-ornament/
Joan Y. Edwards. “Image Props for Stories #2:” http://joanyedwards.com/image-props-for-stories-2-bananas-scissors-a-vacuum-cleaner-and-a-ferris-wheel/
Joan Y. Edwards. “Image Props for Stories #3:” http://joanyedwards.com/image-props-for-stories-3-a-basketball-a-pillow-and-a-pair-of-boots/
Joan Y. Edwards. “Image Props for Stories #4:” http://joanyedwards.com/image-props-for-stories-4-a-remote-control-a-basket-of-flowers-and-a-bandage/
Joan Y. Edwards. “Image Props for Stories #5:” http://joanyedwards.com/image-props-for-stories-5-love-bug-dogcat-and-love-letter/
You are reading this one. Joan Y. Edwards. “Image Props for Stories #6:” http://joanyedwards.com/image-props-for-stories-6-coffee-maker-earphones-and-a-lamp/
Joan Y. Edwards. “Image Props for Stories #7:” http://joanyedwards.com/image-props-for-stories-7-pay-phone-blue-wildflowers-and-fast-moving-river/

Thank you for reading my blog.

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

“Image Props for Stories #4: A Remote Control, a Basket of Flowers, and a Bandage”

Remote Control Copyright © 2012 Joan Y. Edwards

Bandage -Pixabay – I thank you for allowing me to use this image.

Dear Readers,

The challenge is to use all three props: a remote control, a basket of flowers, and a bandage in a meaningful way to show emotion in your main character. Feel free to add a paragraph or more in a comment below.

Joan Y. Edwards wrote:

There was not a bandage big enough to cover the hurt from relinquishing the remote control to my wife last night.

“What! You want to watch Boxing with the Stars?”

Ann said, “Uncle Ted is on it.”

“You don’t even talk to your Uncle Ted, yet you want to watch him on television?” It was all I could do to contain my temper. Why was I getting so upset about this anyhow? I don’t have control of my wife. I definitely don’t have control of her Uncle Ted.

“It’ll just be for an hour,” she said.

I know now, I’m upset because I was about to relinquish control of the television. Giving control of the television for an hour was like giving it up for a lifetime. This was my downtime from work. This was my recreation. But I owed her a little.

“All right,” I said. I slung the remote control down on the coffee table in front of her. It knocked off a basket of flowers. I didn’t mean to throw it that hard.

Ann picked it up and placed it back on the table. She patted the seat beside her. “Would you watch it with me?” She clicked through the channels to the right one. “Would you?”

I didn’t answer right away. Would it be relinquishing more control if I watched? I turned and looked at the screen. Oh my gosh. Uncle Ted was in boxer shorts. This I had to see.

“Yes. I’ve got to see Uncle Ted in boxer shorts.”

No bandage covered my hurt. But humor transformed it. I searched for ways to transform other hurts in my life.

Change any of the story you like. Use the props above in a free-spirited writing exercise. Write down the words that flow from your mind. Perhaps you’ll find a way to add a prop to one of your works in progress. A prop can add pizzazz to your story.

Do something fun for you today.

Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Writing, Inspiration