My Stuff and Yours

[Peg Herring]

I've been going through stuff, doing the spring cleaning that never happened because spring just arrived in Michigan (a nice day, three days of rain, a nice day, etc.). It brings to mind George Carlin, one of my favorite wordologists ever. He claimed that my stuff was "stuff" but your stuff is "shit," as in "Get your shit out of the way so I can put my stuff down." So true.

What other people consider keep-worthy is a mystery. We've all had the experience of spouse or roomie throwing away something we wanted and can't believe they didn't see the value of. And if you've ever had to clean out the home of a deceased elderly relative...well there's a lot of, um, stuff.

When I write, I like to imagine what "stuff" a character would consider essential. Lee Child's Jack Reacher keeps almost nothing, throwing away his clothes every few days and buying new or even used to replace them. An elderly character in one of my books has had to downsize several times as he moved from house to house to apartment and therefore has an odd assortment of stuff packed into a small space, unnecessary but somehow essential to him. Imagining what a certain female character might carry in her purse (or would she not carry a purse, like Kinsey?) reveals details that make the person real. My purse, for example, still reflects my teacher days, when I was expected to have one of everything, from Band-aids to cough drops to a list of world capitals. I really need to reconsider that stuff.

I often promise myself I won't leave a lot of stuff behind for my relatives to sort through when I die, but then again I may. It's all such good stuff.

[Dana King]

Excellent post and idea. Good writers do this all the time, but you helped me make the association here. I'm always looking for ways to characterize without just telling you something. I use anecdotes, maybe the car, drink preferences. What we keep and what we carry with us says a lot about anyone.

I'm looking for ways to distinguish the characters in my WIP. Thanks for the timely thought.

[Dennis Leppanen]

Sounds like you're still there, Peg. Yes, Cynthia is probably O.K.-but---she lacks adventure. I hauled my old Chevy pickup over six thousand miles, and only my wife would have tagged along. Had to try to protect stuff from the weather, (i.e. tarps) made of the cheapest plastic known to man. Oh my, what an adventure.

Yes, the stuff I needed was on the bottom---or forgotten all together.

[Peg Herring]

Hey, Dennis! Michigan has been potluck this summer. My kids had a good week in the Mackinaw area a while back, but we've had MAJOR rain the last week or so and John's considering building an ark.
Cynthia, You should speak to my sister, who recently moved and forgot the rule about packing essentials first. It makes the UNpacking difficult, she tells me.

[Dennis Leppanen]

Oops, forgot Peg.

I'm gonna leave my kids the unsold copies of WHOO?? Their inheritance...

[Dennis Leppanen]

Hi Peg,

How goes it? Just got back from Michigan, Tennessee, etc. Happy with book sales thus far. Miserable weather in Michigan. Wish we would have touched bases. Saw Marvelous Marvy one time. He has been a touch under the weather.

Say hey to hubby.
den

[Cynthia Rice]

Pet - This really hit homes this morning. I'm downsizing tomorrow, from a 12 room to a 7 room house and have been getting rid of a lot of "stuff." And the OCD-ish packing I was doing a few weeks ago has deteriorated to whatever is in reach and will fit in the box, throwing tax returns, harmonicas and boxes of Jello in together if they fit. Hoping for a sunny day.