01
Questions to ask about any picture
What happened five minutes before this moment?
What can the person see that the viewer cannot?
Which detail seems most important—and why?
What sound would you hear inside this picture?
What might change in the next scene?
02
Visual story ideas
A bicycle rests outside an empty lighthouse.
A red umbrella floats above a crowded city street.
Footprints lead across the snow and suddenly stop.
A tiny garden grows inside an old suitcase.
One window in the apartment building glows bright green.
How to use these prompts
- Choose a prompt that creates a question or picture in your mind.
- Spend two minutes listing details before writing a first sentence.
- Write without editing for five to ten minutes, then read your work aloud.