By Gloria G. Adams
Most of
us have used writing prompts for different reasons: to break writer’s block, at
gatherings of writers, at conferences and workshops, to generate new story
ideas. But most of the prompts you may have used are only that: prompts.
Whether it’s a photo, a string of words, a first line, or a scenario, that’s
all it is.
What if
you could take those prompts further? What if you had a step-by-step guide to
show you how to take a prompt and turn it into a story or a book with a strong
plot, engaging characters, and believable settings?
That’s
what my new book, Photo Plots: How to
Write Great Photo-inspired Books and Stories, is all about. In it, you’ll
find some basics on plot, character development, and settings/world building, a
template with questions for building your stories, four sample stories, and
over 60 images to spark your imagination.
Here’s
an excerpt:
PHOTO PLOT: A story plot inspired
by a photo.
PHOTO PLOTTING: The act of
creating a story plot inspired by a photo.
PHOTO PLOTTER: One who photo
plots.
There are times in the writing life when
ideas dry up, when inspiration won’t come. Your brain has come up with what you
consider to be a fabulous idea, but no words seem to convey the vision you have
for it. Maybe you’re part way through your manuscript and nothing is working
right in chapter eight. Or seven. Your mind is blank and so is that white page
in front of you. Some call it “writer’s block.” No matter what you call it, it
can be a source of great frustration.
One way to push through writer’s block is
to just start writing. And sometimes you need a prompt to get you going. I’m a
big fan of word prompts, but sometimes they just aren’t enough.
I find that photos work much better,
possibly because they tap into the emotions through a visual experience. You
can actually see the character, envision the scenery, smell the scent of those
flowers. From there, hopefully, a story idea will germinate.
But, let’s take it one step further. The
picture is there, the ideas begin to flow, but where do you start and how do
you actually make it work?
Try Photo Plots.
With Photo Plots, you can choose a
picture, brainstorm some ideas, then fill in a special plot template, answering
questions about characters, plot, and world building as you go.
You’ll get some basics, step-by-step
guides, a sample story built with the template, and three stories written by three
different authors using the same photograph. Plus, many wonderful photos to
inspire you.
Whatever your experience with photo
prompts has been, Photo Plots will take you a step further by providing the
tools you need to build the stories only you can create. Ready? Let’s get Photo
Plotting!
Find it
on Amazon and Barnes and Noble:
