Lost Baseball Writing Prompt

On my morning walk, I spotted a baseball sitting precariously in the brush over drainage water from a culvert that ran beneath the street. I wondered who owned the ball and how it got there. I walked by in the afternoon and it was still there. Would it be retrieved by the owner or found by another child. All kinds of possible storylines ran through my mind and I wondered if the story of the 1993 Sandlot film came about with such a simple find.

I decided to take a picture and make this a writer's prompt for all of you. If you'd like, take a look at the picture at let your imagination take on the journey of discovery of the story within. If you need a little prompting, here is today's writing prompt.

Today's writing prompt

Write a story about a weathered baseball wedged in the thin branches overhanging over water. The ball, seemingly abandoned and forgotten, becomes a symbol of hope and connection for two children from different backgrounds who stumble upon it. As they collaborate to retrieve the ball, they embark on a journey that transcends their differences, teaching them about teamwork, empathy, and the unexpected bonds that form in unlikely places.

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Writing exercise for the muse: picture prompt

Today's Pumping Your Muse prompt is a picture prompt writing exercise. I chose these images to challenge your muse to describe something new with elements of things familiar. As writers, no matter our genre, we will come across things we need to describe that stump us. The more we write, the more we learn to overcome these challenges. 

I remember when writing The Inheritance coming across a scene where it said the character gave an incredulous look. I stopped. The choice of words showed nothing. It screamed "passive telling." Something we don't want in our writing. I looked up the word hoping to find a something more descriptive but it didn't help. So I went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror and practiced giving an incredulous look. That visual helped me find the words I needed. You know, the lip curling into a sneer kind of thing.

Today's writing exercise: picture prompt

Using a picture prompt can do the same with your backdrop; your worldbuilding. I chose the image below because I think it is different enough to challenge most of you, but also creative enough to inspire fantasy writers and children's writers. The idea is to challenge your muse to describe what you see, but don't limit it to the sense of sight. Include strong verbs that let the reader feel, smell, and sense where they are. If this picture doesn't inspire, use one of the others above.

The benefit of this writing exercise

Why practice describing something unfamiliar, different, or unknown to you? Because you will come across such things in your writing. When I was ghostwriting western romance, I had plenty of things I had to research and describe. Like the inside of a train carrying passengers from New York to Cheyenne. As a fantasy writer, I often describe things not of this world. What does the portal look like? How does it work? Does it have a smell? Or showing how magic works. In my current WIP, one of the characters has the ability to make things grow, and when he comes across a swath of trees cut down by loggers, he uses his magic to tap into the life in the stumps and regrow the trees quickly. I thought time lapse photography, but what about how it feels? What about the smell? Include the senses as your write your description. Enjoy the journey!

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Image credit: Artist Iris Esther

Photo writing prompt: Graveyard

 

People often ask me where I find ideas for my stories. Really, the world is full of inspiration. We just need to pay attention and actually seek to see it. I can find a story by describing the sky because it leads somewhere. Or I can stand somewhere ordinary and imagine I’m only an inch tall and voila, I'm in an alien world. At times I go out specifically to shop for ideas. I especially like to visit thrift stores, antique shops, and those side-of-the-road junk collectors. You never know what you’ll find. It could lead to historical fiction or a true life vignette.

Shopping for character inspiration

I also enjoy sleuthing for character inspiration by people-watching. You can do this anywhere, but if the weather is nice, I really enjoy sitting on a bench, or the edge of a fountain to watch people from all walks of life go by. They interact, or they stare at their phone without really paying attention to where they are going. Parents with fussy children offer one story while parents with spoiled, demanding children are another. People are everywhere, so we just need to open are eyes. Learn to do it purposefully and jot down little things you notice. (If you use your phone for notes, people will think you're texting.)

Listen for a story idea

Another way to find a story is through listening. Listen to dialog of people near you, grab a line as the first line of your story. 

Or, sit somewhere quiet and listen. What do you hear? Is the wind stirring leaves? Is a barking dog in the distance? Coffee brewing? You can find a story when you zero in on a sound, but to find it, you need to start writing about it.

When I don’t have time or energy to go out for a dose of inspiration, picture prompts offer visuals that help discover something new.

Pumping Your Muse writing prompt

That’s what we’ll do for today's writing prompt. I offer three pictures with similar themes. This prompt reveals that setting plays a big part in a story, but it is not the whole story. I challenge you to find the story in each photo. Then choose your favorite and cultivate it to create a short story.

Photo 1:

 Photo 2:

Photo 3:

If you really want a challenge, tell a quick story about each picture (to yourself or someone else) before you start to write. Then start to put it on paper. You might be surprised by the story you discover.

Photo credits: wallpaperflare, pixabay, piqsels, publicdomainpictures