Here’s a snapshot I took last night. It’s nothing special, but I liked how the soft glow of the tea light seemed small and quaint compared to the incandescent modernity of the background. I also enjoyed imagining how such a small flame could burn down the entire establishment if properly provoked.

And that gave me an idea for a short story.

It also made me realize that I could use random snapshots like these as my very own writing prompts. So that’s what I’m going to do. Once a week, I will try to post a visual writing prompt on this blog. I might even post the results of those prompts if I’m daring enough, but for now I will just post some questions to myself and anybody else who wants to take a stab:

Where are we? Is it a hotel lobby? A casino? A cruise ship? In America? In Italy? What are the chances that the bathroom sinks have brushed stainless steel fixtures that turn themselves on and off?

Who are the clientele and, for that matter, where is everybody? Does the girl in the background want to be sitting across from that guy, or does she wish he were someone else? Do they speak with an accent? Hushed tones? Loud, obnoxious outbursts? Why is the viewpoint so far removed from the other table? Is it to eavesdrop? Avoid? Stalk?

What time is it? Early evening or the wee hours of the morning? What is the most improbable thing that could happen in this instant, in this place? How would the people react to it? What is the funniest thing that could happen instead?

Is there music being piped in? What other sounds can we hear? Does it smell clean? Delicious? Fishy? Smokey? Is it too chilly or do you have to shed layers? And what are those things in the glass container with the tea light?

This is the visual writing prompt for this week.

BB