This week: Mysteries of old stuff Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week: "Don't become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin.
~Ivan Pavlov |
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Imagine your characters buying or inheriting a house with an attic full of old things. What might they find there?
A good part of it might be classified as junk, but some items might turn out to be valuable, or at least interesting and possibly mysterious. Here are a few things that might be there:
Books
Old books might tell your characters something about the people who used to live in the house? What did they like to read? Does the book collection contain children's books, mysterious texts in a strange language, a Bible with family records, scientific writings, a diary with someone's forgotten secrets, or a rare and valuable edition?
Photos
Old photos give us insight into life in the past. I love looking at photos of ancestors I have never met or elderly family members when they were young. Old photos can also be a source of mystery. Maybe one family member was always absent from photos or the photos show a person nobody remembers.
Documents
Your characters might be tempted to throw away a box of old documents, but they should definitely look through them first. Old documents such as birth, death, graduation, and marriage certificates can contain important information needed to research family history. They can also be a source of mystery. For example, I found a manifest showing a passenger list from the day my paternal grandparents entered the US through Ellis Island in 1909. On this list, my grandfather used a different surname than the one he was known by throughout the rest of his life in the US. I have not been able to find out the reason for this, since anyone who might know has passed away, but it is definitely interesting!
Objects
Some old objects can be quite valuable as antiques, but even those with no monetary value are fun to look at and can be mysterious. Old coins, jewelry, knickknacks, silverware, guns, swords, or furniture all have a story to tell.
Clothing
Clothing can give you important clues to the history of your characters. Maybe a lady who you remember as always being quite large was actually tiny as a young woman. Maybe a very poor man kept one fine suit carefully packed away. Maybe a couple who never had children have a box of children's clothes.
Something to try: Write a mystery story that involves mysterious old items.
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There's some things in this world you can't explain. (2142 w) Winner: 2020 Quill Awards.
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Mystery: June 02, 2021 Issue [#10797]
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