Writing with Imagery First: A Writing Exercise

Have you ever had that moment where you see a scene? Mine always happen in the shower, or just when I'm ready to drift off to sleep. It may be fleeting, and a little underdeveloped, but it sparks you to run to the nearest notebook or computer to get the idea down.

That's what I call starting a story with an image!

If you've read some of my previous blogs, you'll notice I've talked about writing mini short scenes [that I never end up finishing], and I think that's the best example of starting with an image I can think of. Read it HERE if you haven't already!

Now, let's get into writing with only an image to guide us!

Photo by TBD Tuyên from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/whimsical-forest-elf-in-mystical-setting-31882416/

Start with the image you see above. We'll be using it as our guiding hand for this exercise.

Let's say you see a young girl, not quite human, squatting and inspecting plants on a forest floor. This will be the base of your story. Now, build that imagery in your mind.

• Is she facing away?

• If not, what does she look like, young or old?

• What color are her eyes, hair, and clothes.

• What kind of clothes is she wearing?

• Is she calm or tense in her inspection?

Focus on the details of the scene, and only branch out once you've fine-tuned those details. Pull back the camera, and observe what's happening around her.

• What does the rest of the forest look like?

• Is it lush? Are parts of the forest destroyed?

• How do the trees look? Are they normal, or do they look fantastical?

• Is she alone, or is there someone else she hasn't seen yet?

Photo by TBD Tuyên from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/enchanted-forest-elf-in-mystical-woodland-scene-31882417/

Now, you can begin asking more of the scene. Keep going deeper until you can start building the world around this scene.

• How did she get here? Where did she come from?

• If there is another person with her, what is their relationship?

• Are either of them able to wield magic? What kind?

• What are the plants she's inspecting, and why? What is their purpose?

• How large are these woods, and how deep is she?

Keep writing! Try to work on the more visual aspects of the scene before moving into the broader concepts, and see where it goes!

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I'd love to see what you wrote if you tried this exercise out. Drop your mini story (as much as you're willing to share) in the comments! Was it helpful? How much detail were you able to squeeze into this mini scene? Let me know, and have a wonderful Saturday, writers <3