Tales Revealed Through Material Possessions
Mindy Halleck, a renowned author from the Pacific Northwest, is an active member of the local writing community and a regular blogger at Literary Liaisons. Her novel, "Return to Sender", is a poignant exploration of themes such as innocence lost, unfulfilled love, and the impact of war and separation.
In her rewritten novel, Halleck introduced three unique storytelling objects: a toy soldier, a stack of blood-stained returned love letters, and a photograph of Korean Orphans. These objects serve as neon breadcrumbs, guiding the reader through the story and providing a deeper understanding of the protagonist, Theo Riley.
The toy soldier, love letters, and photograph of Korean Orphans represent the driving force and heart of the story, as they are valued by Theo. When the reader encounters these objects, they are reminded of important aspects of Theo's character and backstory. For instance, the toy soldier symbolises Theo's innocence, the love letters represent his unfulfilled love, and the photograph of Korean Orphans underscores the impact of war and separation on his life.
Halleck's journey to incorporate these storytelling objects was not straightforward. She sought advice and attended workshops, but found no solution until she read "The Weekend Novelist Re-Writes the Novel" by Robert J. Ray. This book taught her to use storytelling objects as shorthand for backstory and to repeat these objects to tighten the story.
Well-crafted storytelling objects can establish a character's values and enhance the story. However, overuse of these objects can lead to repetition and potential oversimplification. For example, in "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks, the storytelling object contains their love story, but too much repetition might dilute the emotional impact.
Halleck's first novel, "Return to Sender", was born from her short story, "The Sound of Rain", which placed in the Writer's Digest Literary Contest. The novel has been well-received in the Pacific Northwest writing community and beyond, thanks in part to Halleck's skillful use of storytelling objects.
In 2011, Halleck took a year-long hiatus for her novel, demonstrating her dedication to her craft. As an award-winning writer and writing & social media instructor, Halleck continues to inspire and educate aspiring authors in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
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