I found this photo at www.flickeringpictures.com and fell in love with the many possibilities it presents for story ideas. The most obvious is, of course, a funeral during Victorian times. We can ask who these people are and what … Continue reading
Writing fiction is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. You fit the outside pieces first, so you have a framework to fill in (your story premise and theme), then you start placing pieces in to build the picture (scenes, characters, events). … Continue reading
Here’s a poignant portrait of grandson Augustus Reid Arnold from the camera of Grandpa (and marvelous sci-fi writer) Mark Arnold. He snapped this masterful portrait of the parents and siblings holding their new addition to the family. (Check out Mark’s … Continue reading
A simple image this time, one of stark, monochromatic beauty from www.creativethorp.com. But oh, what a world of stories, characters and/or settings you can find here. It’s the otherwoldly starkness of this image that appeals to my imagination. I can … Continue reading
Writer Anna Unkovich (www.annaunkovich.com) sent me this fabulous photo of a pair of purple shoes. Not only is the photo great for inspiring stories, but the shoes are also my favorite color. No way I could fail to include them … Continue reading
Here’s a photo I discovered when I was roaming the net and came across www.orangecountyinjuryattorneyblog.com. It’s an effective visual to stress safety for backyard pools, but it’s also a great shot that suggests multiple story ideas. What is actually happening … Continue reading
At the morning session of my “What If? Writing Group” today, we got into an interesting discussion about symbols and the role they play in our stories. One of the students questioned the need for symbols at all, citing that … Continue reading
Here’s a great photo I found on www.cosmicsociety.com. This one should really get your noir juices flowing. Even if you don’t normally write horror, sci-fi or noir, give this one a try. Stepping outside your comfort zone once in a … Continue reading
Here’s a photo from Roland Portillo of Cambria, California. He’s an extremely talented photographer I located through a friend from church, Midge Lenoue. She works in a dentist’s office and he’s a patient whose talent she admires. She put us … Continue reading
Here’s a picture that I snapped of “The Rock” in Morro Bay, California, a huge rounded mountain of stone that juts up out of the ocean just off the shore. I thought it would be interesting to view this amazing … Continue reading