We all keep treasures from our travels, places we've lived, or reminders of our childhood. Maybe you kept your first Valentine from someone special, the old revolver your great great, granddad passed down through the generations to you, or quilts and tatted doilies made by early women in your family.
My treasures are a shelf clock with a beautiful chime, the pie safe that stood in the farmhouse first used for venting pies and later stored canned goods, a beautifully, hand-painted bowl from Prussia, or my Dad's Bible well-worn from teaching the Men's Sunday Class. One of my favorite keepsakes are the doorknob and silver box from the old farmhouse. The door in the picture is a photograph by Nancy Hartney (www.NancyHartney.com).
Your treasures can form the basis for a short story or hold a well-loved space in a memoir, novel, or mystery. Turn into story the seashells from your trip to the beach, the Navaho rug hanging in your office, the tool box belonging to your Dad, or your childhood toy truck or doll.
Use your passion for these keepsakes to add richness and believability to your characters, settings, or story plots.