About the Collector of Spare Keys

The Collector of Spare Keys was a very fun piece to write. It was published at Just a Cuppa, a literary journal started by one of my classmates at Lindenwood.

The theme of Just a Cuppa’s first contest was “Spare Keys.” As a lover of horror and an avid reader of Stephen King lately, I felt the urge to write something more horror/thriller related. I wrote it all in one sitting, but later went back and made quite a few edits. The overall content, however, didn’t change much from that original version. After writing it, I was worried that it didn’t fit Just a Cuppa thematically. My story was quite dark, but Just a Cuppa seemed to want cozy and comfortable stories. Despite my reservations, my attempts to write a short story that fit more into the theme went nowhere. I ended up just sending it, and I told my classmate that if it didn’t fit, I wouldn’t take offense to a rejection. I ended up getting second place, which I’m very proud of. The flash piece that won first place was really good and I am glad it won.

I really like folklore tales that are about “a guy.” A guy who lures children off into the night with his flute, a guy who sprinkles sand to make you sleep, a guy who trades teeth for quarter, etc. My story is about an entity, “a guy”, who takes spare keys. Such a harmless thing, such a mischeivous thing. I really wanted the Collector’s narrative voice to be distinct. I played around a lot with word choices, they were a lot more British at the start, but I think their playful self awareness worked out. What I like most about the Collector is their competence, their strict morals, and their self-awareness. I think it makes them a fun narrator and sets the story apart from others.

I had originally written it as the Collector giving the protagonist a tour of their key collection and talking about each one, but I felt like I needed a bit more than just that to make a full plot. I started thinking about what things the Collector might get up to and I began to think about what it would be like if they stole an important key. The rest came easily after that.

I tried really hard to make the story an actual letter to the murderer, but I just couldn’t make it work. I think it turned out well anyway, but I would have liked to give just that little bit of a fourth wall break. Either way, I really like the story and I’m glad it got accepted!

Thanks 👍🏽