Using Props in Writing

I recently read the first three chapters of a completed work in progress for a friend of mine. She is a fantastic writer who has a way with words that just makes you feel like you are right there with the characters.

In one scene, she makes use of a prop. Yes, a prop. It was so well done, that I found myself following it with my eyes as the character the villainess was talking to must have been doing. Now, I don’t want to spoil anything so I will not reveal exactly what this prop was (You will just have to buy the book when it is released as I am sure it will be in the not too distant future.) Just suffice it to say, I realized I needed to do a bit more painting of pictures in my book.

What I realized, when reading Sharon’s chapters, was painting pictures with words goes far beyond describing the scenery or even describing the action. What better way to do this than by using props that draw the eye? Just as they do in movies. In a particular scene in my current work in progress, my heroine is at the breakfast table having a very uncomfortable conversation with her hostess and the hero. Although the scene works as is, I now realize it will be much stronger once I add some more imagery by showing Evelyn’s discomfort through the way she plays with the food on her plate or how she grips the fork. But it can’t end there. By bringing the readers attention to the subconscious way Evelyn arranges and rearranges said fork, fidgeting, the reader will start to feel her anxiety rather than needing me, the author, to tell them Evelyn is anxious.

I started to go through some of the books I have by my favorite authors and have found a couple of them to use this technique to their advantage as well. Although I have yet to see anyone do it as well as Sharon did with the particular scene I mention above.

For all of the aspiring authors out there, keep this in mind: The old argument of show, don’t tell is a valid one.