Image Prompts

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Being the visually inspired person that I am, I like to take photos, especially ones that can inspire me to write. The great thing about taking pictures to use in your writing is that, like the idea day, you can have a photo day.

I’ve been taking pictures for years (have over 6,000 on Flickr) and now, what with the iPhone365 project, I’m taking at least 1 photo a day. It wasn’t until I read Leslie Thomson’s A Kind Of Vanishing, where she talks about using photography (in the back of the book) in her stories, that I suddenly made the connection.

So here are a few photo’s that I think could inspire stories……

This is a pic of my grandparents back in the 1920’s.

Yes, that really is my foot lol.

My daughters two friends a few years ago.

Greenwich Maritime Museum.

The Orient Express (hubby’s 40th birthday treat).

Ooooo, the ideas are flowing lol. Now do you see why I never suffer from writers block? Lmao!!! And you’ll probably understand why I suffer from insomnia 😉

do you ever use photos/pictures to prompt stories? Successfully?

I managed Thursdays prompt about midnight, which turned into a story about a guy who leaves his wife and kids (mid life crisis) only to end up the envy of all his middle aged friends, but desperately miserable. Yesterdays prompt was swimming against the tide which I also turned into a mid life crisis story. This time, a 45 year old Dr who falls for a sickly 19 year old pregnant girl. Hmmmm, not sure where that’s going lol. Today’s prompt is write about an ending. Oh gawd, it’s all doom and gloom at the moment 😉

Daily Routine

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I was reading today about the benefits of having a writing routine. A friend of mine recently made herself a timetable so that she could see where her time each day was going.

I had considered myself quite lucky…..I don’t work (yes, ok, I cook, I tidy, I do laundry, but you know what I mean) so I have plenty of time available to write….. But…..Ian Rankin said Friday night, that when he was unemployed (and his wife was supporting him) he had all day every day to write. But, actually, didn’t write that much lol. He found that he wrote more when he was working and his free time was more limited. I know exactly what he means. You find every excuse under the sun, not to write, as there’s always something else you think you should be doing 😦

So, perhaps the answer is having good routines in place?

Judy Reeves says:

1) Make writing part of your daily routine, a commitment to write every day for a set period of time (however brief that period is).
2) Make an appointment to write, just like you would for the dentist or Dr….and stick to it.
3) Set your daily writing time at a time that suits you (a time that’s practical for you, taking into consideration chores, school runs and dinner times etc).
4) Vary your set time to catch yourself in different moods.

I think, for me, the best way to do this would be to allocate a time every day and add it to my iPhone diary on a weekly basis. I could then set myself reminders so that each day I get a message to tell me to write lol. I could change the time weekly to vary it.

Today’s prompt is you’re in a tent and all I can think of is Tracey Emin lol 😉

Four Days To Go…..

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Vikki Thompson

Until I come to the end of my Project 365 journey. On January the 2nd 2011 I downloaded the Project 365 App to my iPhone and began to take a photo a day, uploading them to FaceBook and the iPhone Project 365 Website

I’m feeling a little sad that it’s all coming to an end…..I didn’t miss one day 🙂 But it’s often been very hard, especially when you’re ill or just not in the mood to go out anywhere lol. A lot of the photos I’ve taken have ended up in my writing notebooks, to use as prompts for stories and character sketches.

Now, the question is…..do I do it again in 2012? Lol…..I haven’t decided yet 😉

I managed to get a couple of early morning hours yesterday to do some writing. I ended up with 3 short plays, a short story and a character sketch. Not a bad mornings work eh? 😉

So, I’ve been thinking a lot over the last couple of days about my new years resolutions. I make them every year, and every year I don’t stick to them (I think I made it to June with one a couple of years ago lol). This year, things will be different. This year I’m only going to make a couple, and maybe, actually have a chance of keeping them 😉

One of the resolutions I’m considering is the 100k in 100 days challenge. I’m not too sure I can manage it, I’ve never really counted how many words on average I write every day…….

*goes off to count how many words excluding this blog and FaceBook status updates she’s written today*

Wow so far today I’ve written just under 1500 words….. But, do I want the pressure of having to do 1000 words every single day? Is that just a little bit too much?