Keys

Keys

Keys are amazing creations. They allow us to open locks that keep us from entering homes, diaries, and – in adventure stories – let us into an area of magic and wonder, where knowledge flows freely and answers abound.

Metaphoric keys also amaze the heck out of me. That one clue that lets a detective – trained or otherwise – solve a mystery, or that one piece of a puzzle that unravels a horrible plot that would destroy characters and all they have stood and fought for…letting the happier plot furl out its own pieces, wrapping into place to resolve those pesky loose ends.

Keys in books open doors to rooms where parents who have passed on have left memories and information for a coming of age child to learn about herself and her roots; they allow a boy to bring his toys to life and meet some great individuals. These keys don’t always appear as keys, though. Some appear as a letter delivered by an owl, to the annoyance of certain uncles – opening up a whole new world to a young boy – or the touch of a special goblin. They also appear as golden tickets hiding wrapped around bars of chocolate that open a world of candy, hope, possibilities, and a wonderful future for a family. They can even open a certain passageway to a child finding out that a beloved aunt is in fact the sister of Santa Claus, and within that journey also learning the true meaning and impact of that special man’s job. They can open books to allow the good guys to control the evil horde of mummies brought to life, and can help a young man learn about, accept, and deal with his father being a high minion to a supreme evil dude and the fact that he kissed his twin sister (fine, unknowingly! Sheesh! Lol).

Keys have meaning and stories for each unique form. Some, however, are utter...hogwash (I love those keys!).

I have been blessed to participate in a great program twice – the Oregon Writing Project, a local branch of the National Writing Project. It’s a month of amazement and exhaustion as educators come together to network, share lesson plans and ideas to help students become better writers, and – the main attraction for me – to work on their own writing craft.  I liked the first time so much, I applied a second time and got to go as a ‘helper participant’ – and had more amazing experiences!  The second time, I heard a story about an educator who wore a key around her neck and told her students the story of what it meant to her and how it was passed down from a couple generations prior, and how it had led a family member to some amazing event/place/something that I can’t remember. The story was completely made up. It was a key that the educator had purchased, strung onto a ribbon, and worn as a necklace. Why? To get those students going on writing, trying something, making up a story to see what a single object might hold inside its existence that writers can write about to share with an audience.

I love this kind of writing. I take an object, and write a story that involves that object. The story can revolve completely around the object, or it can play a minor role in the storyline itself. The main thing for me is that whatever object I’ve chosen – or had chosen for me – is the inspiration, the key, to my unlocking that story in my mind.  I’m currently working on one of these stories. I often plot out the basics of a story, to make sure I get the needed bits and pieces into the project. I do this for stories, articles, poems, songs, plays, essentially everything (some of the planning is in my head, other bits are sketched out, key words written, whatever comes to me). Except my train of thought pieces…like this blog, and that story. With these two projects, I’m just riding along, seeing where they go for now. Later, I will go back over the story and do major revision and such. 

For now, though, I’m enjoying writing a story that came to be based on a name suggestion. A first name was my start, my key, and it’s unlocking a great deal of potential as I get to know this character and his world.

What keys will unlock possibilities for you next? What will they unlock?

JBB