Writer's Tool: A Treasure Chest
While taking a creative writing course in college, my instructor
introduced me to an invaluable tool--a Writer's Treasure Chest.
This tool is easy and fun to make and will come in handy time
and again throughout your writing life.
First, you'll need something to house your treasure. It could be
a plastic tub or a cardboard box. Decorate it, if you wish. It
can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
Now for the adventure! To fill this chest, your imagination is
your only limit. Mine contains newspaper clippings that I feel
will make for good stories, pictures clipped from magazines,
travel brochures, tourist information guides and advertisements.
Let's look at each of these:
Newspapers often run stories of a bizarre nature. These can be
wonderful seeds for creative ideas! If you write crime stories,
there is a wealth of information for that as well. And don't
forget slice of life stories, there are invaluable resources for
this genre, too.
Pictures make up the bulk of my Treasure Chest. I'm a very
visual person and these help me to "see" the things I am writing
about much better. I have pictures of people of all types, sizes
and in different sorts of dress. I may just clip out the eyes,
arms or hair because it caught my creative eye. Some photos may
have an "attitude" that I want to capture in my writing. Don't
forget places! Fields, a mountain stream, diner or small town
street will often lead you in the right direction. Pictures of
home exteriors and interiors are invaluable, also.
Travel brochures are priceless for information on different
parts of the world as well as additional photos. These can be
had for no cost at a travel agency or trade shows.
When traveling, stop at the tourist centers. They have numerous
brochures covering shopping, sites of interest, museums and city
attractions. These are also free and you may choose as many as
you like.
Advertisements are wonderful for ideas on d