Picture prompts for writing

When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What is the woman thinking about? What would she like to say to the baby? What is the baby thinking? What would the baby say if it could talk?Who are they? What is their relationship? What are their ages?When is this meeting taking place? What time of day is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?Where are there?What is the mood of the scene?What are their surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of both people in the picture. What do they see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Enjoy your writing process!When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What is this person thinking about? What led her to this spot?Is she coming from somewhere? Going to somewhere? Or both?Who is this person? What is her age?When is this taking place? What time of day or night is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?Where is this?What is the mood of the scene?What are the surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of the girl in the picture. What can she see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Why does she have that look on her face?Enjoy your writing process!When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What are the clowns thinking about? Or choose one clown: what is that clown thinking about?Where are they and what are they doing?Who are these people when they aren’t dressed as clowns?When is this taking place? What time of day is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?What is the mood of the scene?What are the surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of clown or clowns in the picture. What can the clowns see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Why do the clowns have those facial expressions?Enjoy your writing process!View the list »
When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What are they talking about or thinking about? What aren’t they saying? Are they saying the same things that they’re thinking?Did the adult or the child prompt the meeting?Who are they? What is their relationship? What are their ages?When is this meeting taking place? What time of day is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?Where are there?What is the mood of the scene?What are their surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of both people in the picture. What do they see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Enjoy your writing process!

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Using pictures for writing prompts is a fun tool to engage the visual process with the writing process. It’s a great creative writing activity that can be used for any genre of writing—short stories, poetry, novels, science fiction, romance, etc.

Picture or photo writing prompts often help spark the imagination. Sometimes they spawn an entire new story. Other times they might help create a subplot of a story in progress, develop a new character, spark story dialog, or just send a story in a new direction. Most importantly, picture prompts for writing are fun!

Click through the list to see if any of the writing prompt pictures get your creative juices flowing. Just write whatever comes to mind and enjoy the writing process.

And, if you do use any of these image writing prompts, please consider sharing your experience in the Comments. Other writers would love to read about your creative writing experience!

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  • When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What are they talking about or thinking about? What aren’t they saying? Are they saying the same things that they’re thinking?Did the adult or the child prompt the meeting?Who are they? What is their relationship? What are their ages?When is this meeting taking place? What time of day is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?Where are there?What is the mood of the scene?What are their surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of both people in the picture. What do they see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Enjoy your writing process!
  • When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What are the clowns thinking about? Or choose one clown: what is that clown thinking about?Where are they and what are they doing?Who are these people when they aren’t dressed as clowns?When is this taking place? What time of day is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?What is the mood of the scene?What are the surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of clown or clowns in the picture. What can the clowns see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Why do the clowns have those facial expressions?Enjoy your writing process!
  • When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What is this person thinking about? What led her to this spot?Is she coming from somewhere? Going to somewhere? Or both?Who is this person? What is her age?When is this taking place? What time of day or night is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?Where is this?What is the mood of the scene?What are the surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of the girl in the picture. What can she see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Why does she have that look on her face?Enjoy your writing process!
  • When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What is the woman thinking about? What would she like to say to the baby? What is the baby thinking? What would the baby say if it could talk?Who are they? What is their relationship? What are their ages?When is this meeting taking place? What time of day is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?Where are there?What is the mood of the scene?What are their surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of both people in the picture. What do they see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Enjoy your writing process!
  • When using picture prompts for writing, just go with your gut! But if you want additional ideas, think about the following:What is this person thinking about? What led this person to this spot?Is this person coming from somewhere? Going to somewhere? Or both?Who is this person? What is this person’s age?When is this taking place? What time of day is it? Is this the past, present, or future? What’s the time period?Where is this?What is the mood of the scene?What are the surroundings? What can’t you see in the picture?Consider all the senses of the person in the picture. What can the person see, hear, taste, smell and feel?Enjoy your writing process!
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, San Mateo Creative Writing Examiner

Beth McMurray is a writer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has published short stories and children's books and is currently at work on a novel.

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