A Photo Prompt Writing Exercise

I thought this was a great photo to use for a Photo Prompt Exercise.  Write a slice of life vignette or a full story using the picture and all it entails as your starting point.

When doing an exercise like this, it's important to spend some time studying the photo. Don't merely look at it and start writing. Check the different parts to the picture. Make a list, or even a mental list. 

What I see:

• two people on a bench
• one appears to be a man, the other a woman
• the bench is made of wood
• the bench is on what appears to be a dirt path
• it must be chilly, or even cold since they are wearing coats
• the people both are wearing boots but in different styles
• the season seems to be late fall or winter
• there are houses in the distance
• the trees are bare
• there are some bare looking plants in front of them
• the woman is wearing a scarf and hat
• the man is either wearing a scarf or has his coat collar up
• lack of color

Do you see something else that I did not?

After you have made your list start thinking about their conversation. Is it amiable? Bitter? Coarse? Troubling? Frightening? Or something else? 

Many stories that can end up as submissions can come from an exercise like this. It may be worth your time and effort to do the exercise. Have fun dreaming up a story for these two people.