It is always fun to stretch your creativity by designing a story from a writing prompt. Looking at a picture gives you plenty of visual clues as to what you want to include in your story. Take some time to absorb the whole picture and the details that appeal to you. Think about how the picture makes you feel. Sad? Happy? Excited? Does the picture appeal to any or all of your senses? Are there clues to the setting? Perhaps the time of year is indicated such as winter or fall? Is there any action in the scene? If there is a person or persons in the picture, study their face(s) to sense their age, mood, or interactions with other parts of the pictures.
Look for small clues as to what might be occurring in the picture. I once wrote a story
about a portrait by Renoir: A Boy with a Toy Soldier. I focused the story on the red toy soldier he held in his hand. It was just a tiny detail of the picture, but that is where I saw the action and motive for the child to stay still for the portrait.
Today I would like to present this picture prompt to you. This is a painting by Mary Cassatt an Impressionist painter who specialized in painting women and their children. Take in the details of the picture. Perhaps do some research on Mary Cassatt and her painting style. Do any words or phrases come to mind as you study the painting? What about the colors in the picture – does that spark some sensory feeling? See if you can develop an interesting story about what is happening in this picture.
Good Luck to you all. I would love to see the story ideas that you develop for your stories. You can leave them in the comment section below.
Chasing The Tale 