When I examine myself and my methods of thought I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing knowledge.
Albert Einstein
Hello from Janice Thompson, freelance writer and speaker. I’m happy to bring you this two-fold course on personification. You will find all questions bulleted and written in bold ink. You can cut and paste them into a separate document and email them back to me next week (or at your convenience).
Let’s get going!
This week we’re going to delve into an area that I love: personification. Here’s a brief overview of the word:
per·son·i·fi·ca·tion n. The act of personifying.
- A person or thing typifying a certain quality or idea; an embodiment or exemplification: “He’s invisible, a walking personification of the Negative” (Ralph Ellison).
- A figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form, as in Hunger sat shivering on the road or Flowers danced about the lawn. Also called prosopopeia.
- Artistic representation of an abstract quality or idea as a person.
Let’s Get Going!
In this lesson we’re going to be focusing on definition #3 (bringing inanimate objects to life).
This is truly one of my favorite things to do. Perhaps (in my heart) I’m a fable writer.
And speaking of fables… before we begin, I’d like you to read a couple. You’ll find one of my favorites (The Selfish Giant) at this link.
You’ll find several of Aesop’s fables at this link.
There’s just something fun about giving life to inanimate objects. Perhaps it’s the “what if” thing. “What if my dog could talk?” “What if my car had a mind of its own?” Kind of makes you wonder, right!?
After you’ve taken the time to read a couple of fables, choose four or five of the ideas listed below. Get creative. Think, think, think about that inanimate object (what it would say, do, think, etc.) Don’t be afraid to get silly! That’s what this is all about – throwing caution to the wind.
One side note: If you live in a house with others, you might have to “explain yourself” a little this week. But don’t worry. If you’re a writer, I’m sure your family already thinks you’re a little wacky!
Dive In!
#1: “Personification”
Lesson Idea: Choose three or four inanimate objects. Lay them out on your desk or table and examine them carefully. You might give one or two of them a name: Paula the Pencil, Sally the Soda Pop, etc. Now write a dialogue between them all.
Objective: Bringing inanimate objects to life
Corresponding Activity: Start the story now and finish it later with two or three more inanimate objects strategically chosen from your bedroom.
#2: “Fabulous Fables”
Lesson Idea: Using your pets (real or imagined), or even stuffed animals, write a story with talking animals. There must be a moral at the end of each story. Characters should have clever names and distinguishing speech patterns.
Objective: Stretching the capability of your characters.
Corresponding Activity: Visit the zoo for a great fable-writing experience. Imagine the animals in new and exciting situations/activities.
#3: “Talking Trees”
Lesson Idea: Imagine you’re taking a walk in the forest when the trees begin to converse around you. What are they talking about? Do they all speak the same language or does each specimen have its own lingo? What are their concerns, worries, ambitions?
Objective: To encounter the unexpected for emotional and physical reactions.
Corresponding Activity: Take a walk in the woods to do some writing. Be inspired by natures, with all of its sights, sounds, smells and feelings.
#4: “The Light in the Refrigerator”
Lesson Idea: Write a story about what happens when you close the refrigerator door. Does the light go out? How do you know for sure? What if you didn’t know? What might be happening in there after the door is shut? Do the vegetables converse? What do they talk about?
Objective: To impress the importance of curiosity.
Corresponding Activity: Carefully examine the inside of your own refrigerator and contemplate a story based on what you find inside at the moment.
#5: “Interviewing Characters”
Lesson Idea: Put a character from a story you’re writing on the witness stand, and interview him/her as if they were a criminal.
Objective: To make sure the character is fully developed.
Corresponding Activity: Do the same thing with a secondary character in your story.
#6: “Talking Cars (in traffic)”
Lesson Idea: Imagine you ARE a car. You’re caught in evening traffic, trying to get home from a long day on the road. What do you say to other cars? How do the other cars respond?
Objective: Personification – giving life to an inanimate object
Corresponding Activity: Take a writing tablet the next time you ride (not drive) in a car, repeating the same exercise while on the road.
