I'm a visual person. Tell me something and I'll forget it. Show me a picture and there's a better chance I'll remember. So along with using music as an inspiration, sometimes I turn to photos. Do you ever look at certain images and wonder at the story behind them? This is a photo that seems very straightforward on the surface. A woman undressing for bed. But if you ask yourself enough questions, you'll formulate the start to a story. Is she undressing before or dressing after? Is he sleeping or is he angry and trying to seem relaxed? Are they a couple or is she married and going home to her spouse, leaving him alone? Fun prompts like this sometimes can be exactly what you need to get writing again. Do you ever use pictures to inspire your work?
Yes, sometimes a pear is just a pear. But to writers, a pear can be part orange or really a lemon on the inside or even just pretending to be a pear to avoid being returned to his bushel...
Before I go...today is the release day of my good friend JA Saare's incredible urban fantasy, Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between. I had the privilege of reading this story before its release, and all I can say is...go buy it! Seriously, you won't be disappointed. It's a fabulous story, but FYI, Disco's MINE. LOL Want a copy? Go here.
12 comments:
Ooh, nice picture -- I can come up with several scenarios. I initially thought she was dressing "after", and that neither were happy with the other (the way she has her back turned to him, the way he's staring at the ceiling) I'm always amazed when I can see something (even just a headline in a newspaper) and spin it multiple ways while others can't. I love using my imagination...
I love the picture. To me, it reads as if they are having an argument. Or perhaps are lost in their own inner thoughts?
And thank you for all your Dead support. I'll tell Disco hello for you!
Jaime
Hmm, I thought she was dressing after the deed too. It's a great picture to do the what if thing with.
You know I was rather taken with Disco, and I've only read a couple of excerpts. Toss you for him ;)
Love the image this picture brings to mind. Yes, I do this all the time.
As I work on my medieval series, it's not quite as easy to find images of the medieval setting I need. Thank goodness for the movie, Kingdom of Heaven and sexy Orlando Bloom! Along with tons of research, the images in the movie helped a lot as I created the setting and the hero, letting my imagination run free.
Good luck with your submissions and with getting your other stories ready.
PS I'm happy for Jaime too. Dead and Disco sound great!
Very hot photo -- and definitely inspiring!
Congratulations to Jaime!
It's funny, but I can't look at a picture and NOT start speculating about what the different scenarios might be. It's not just with pictures either. I'm an obsessive people watcher, so I always like to try and imagine people's lives and what's going on with them. I get a lot of inspiration from these visual feeds. It may not be specifically from what I see but usually it's more from what my over active imagination has managed to spin off. And the picture? I tend to think something called a halt to IT. The back of her dress still looks like it might be tied - like she got partially undressed and perhaps changed her mind? He looks like he's trying to deal with it. Perhaps not very well :).
Congrats Jaime!
HI Cari!
Fun post! The naughty girl in me assumes that it's a "Walk of shame" event. lol You know the scenario- waking up after a night carousing and not really remembering what the chap's name was. (not that I've done that, but you get the gist!) *wink wink*
What a fun excercise in creativity! Love the pic too.
Congrats to JA!!! That is wonderful news!!! Wah-hoo!!
I love this! When I first looked at it, I thought she was dressing to leave. He seems lost in his own thoughts. The fact that she has her back to him is telling too. She's put a wall up between them either because she can't bear to leave him or she's hiding something... oh, I could go on. I won't. : ) I am right in the mix with you, hon. I want to sub by the end of Feb and to do that, I'd better get off my arse. (why does spelling in like a Brit seem less vulgar?) ; )
Lynne
That is a great photo, Cari. Definitely lots of different scenarios to play with here!!
Yep I use visual prompts all the time. Eternal Press is the house I just joined. :-)
I love to look at photos and try to come up with a story--I love to people watch, too, for the same reason.
I looked at it and actually thought she was leaving before the deed, LOL, he looks angry, so to me it looks like they had a fight and she's leaving before they ever got to the good stuff, LOL.
Great, thought-provoking post!
This is a fantastic pic for a writing prompt!!! I immediately sensed tension in the photo. I miss talking to you my dear, but this rotation that I just started this week is INSANE. Insane, i tell you. :(
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