This is one of my favorite writing prompts from my writing group of bereaved mothers.
Put in front of you, or recall a photograph. It can be of yourself, or of a loved one, or of a stranger. Start your writing with these words “In this one you are….” then write to the person in the photo, about what is happening in the photo.
Here’s one I found of myself recently.
My writing starts like this:
In this one you are in the backyard on Edgewood Avenue. Daddy brought home a typewriter from the office and set it up on a table for you, then scooted that huge chair right up so you could reach the keys. You have not yet decided that you want to be his secretary when you grow up. That comes later, when you are five, and a few years before you want to be Dorothy Hamill when you grow up. Never mind that no one is ice skating in Florida. Instead they are all in their sweaty backyards with the sprinklers snaked across the grass.
At this table, you are a writer. Already there are stories swirling in your head. You see no reason why you can’t write your own. You are only two, and you can’t spell yet, but you know what letters are. You know they make up words, and the words make up stories that people who love you read to you…..
What photo will you write about today?
