Something Simple
There are times the tool you need to save the world is something simple.
The Old Timer pocket knife given to the main character, Paul, in Sudden Mission didn’t play a huge role right away. That changed in Nasty Leftovers. I’m not going to give anything away here. The Old Timer is a simple story element. Why did I choose an Old Timer. Well, almost every adult male I knew growing up carried one of these little knives made by Schrade. Grandpa had one. He wore the blades down to almost nothing because he’d used them so much and sharpened them so many times. He finally bought a new one. Probably paid all of five dollars for it then.
They are small and fit in a pocket. Most of the ones I saw when I was young were two-blade folders like the picture here. Simple. Useful. Vital. Easy to carry and always in the pocket. If you needed a bit of twine cut, there it was. Need to trim your finger nails? Here you go. Want to whittle a bit on a stick or carve a buffalo head out of a chunk of cottonwood? Yep, you got it.
Fathers handed Old Timer pocket knives down to sons. Or, granddads to grandsons.
Now this is from my memories growing up in the western US. Your mileage may vary. But, when you find that item in either book, you now know where it came from and why it holds so much value. Something simple. But something that fulfilled a tremendous role in the story.
Save the World
Can you save the world with an Old Timer? Maybe. Maybe not. You might be able to build a civilization with one. Or save a life.
When you put your own story together, think about the simple things attached to the character or the action. What impact do they, or could they, have on the outcome? What impact might they have on the character and his or her development? Are the other characters in the story impressed by this simple thing? Something simple can feed the story’s crisis and conflict, or help the main character find the solution.
We often overlook the little things. The simple things.
In the case of the Old Timer, it was something simple Paul carried around with him. Until he needed it.
Keep writing.
Note: This isn’t on Tuesday because, well, life. It happens. Enjoy!
