Along with meeting our weekly Creativity Workshop goal, Merrilee gave us tips on ways to come up with writing ideas and assigned us the task of looking at three photos to spark three ideas each. Sometimes a story idea sparked, sometimes a line, possibly an opening, for a story came to me.
It was hard not to see this photo other than in a “techo” sense, so I went with that … and a bit of fantasy (which I don’t write.)
- A radical new technology enables photographic evidence of the human soul.
- She stared at the beautiful blue visualization on the monitor as his favorite song played in Media Player and her heart slivered into shards.
- She held her breath and touched the pulsing blue orb, but this time—oh, this time—encountered no barrier; she reached further.
Since the main character in my recently completed novel is a brokenhearted man who flees to his cottage by the sea, that’s what immediately came to mind, but I pressed on … sort of.
- A suicidal woman retreats to a beach cottage and falls in love with life again.
- A recluse suspects that her neighbors on either side are planning to kill her.
- In a rental cottage overlooking the sea, a man finally confronts the fallout from his years of alcoholism.
This photo just struck me funny, so I had a little fun with this one.
- A woman realizes that her husband had lost his mind along with his hair.
- If she had to listen to one more of his ridiculous ideas, she would murder him in his sleep.
- She knew in that instant on a sidewalk in Manhattan, their marriage was over.
I’ve rarely used photos as prompts, though something I actually see often sparks an idea. Dreams are a big source of inspiration for me. Music can be a good one. Occasionally, some bit of conversation sets my muse to scribbling down an idea. What serves you as a writing prompt?
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Linda Cassidy Lewis 
I’m constantly brimming with sparks on every day things. It’s gotten to the point my husband will see me staring at something and ask, “What do you see?”. He’s intrigued at how I’ll twist something so simple and insubstantial and make it more. (Hugs)Indigo
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I’m in awe of your husband’s perception, Indigo.
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I’m like a dog in that I don’t want to settle into writing until I’ve circled a few times. I’ll pace until a daydream starts (when one needs kick-starting); hold completely still to capture a theme, phrase, or whatever and direct that bit in the direction I need it to go; then sit down to work.
Anything and everything can prompt a line or idea for me, but to seriously write, I use the above routine.
These are good image prompts, diverse and emotional. All right; I agree to the challenge. Tomorrow’s post will include three ideas (or… concepts) per photo.
By the way, I’m itching to throw the first photo’s #1 to Hatrackers. You wouldn’t mind, right?
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Yes, Merrilee picked some good photos for prompting. I balked at first because I don’t usually work that way, but when I forced myself, it turned out not to be as hard as I expected. 🙂
You said: “I’m itching to throw the first photo’s #1 to Hatrackers.” Go right ahead. That’s not a story I would ever write.
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