I loved this picture!  Why? There are so many elements to work with in this scene.  At first glance you see an empty wheelchair but take a moment to think about this picture and the story it could be telling you to write.

1.  The wheelchair is empty.  Where is the occupant?  Did he or she fall out into the water?  Does this person need to be rescued?  Is this person rescuing someone else?

2.  What is that shiny thing near the edge of the pier?  Is it a light?  Is it an ipad?

3.  Who is the person who is casting the shadow.  What are they holding?  A gun?  A cell phone?  Could it be the person in the chair?  Could it be someone who would cause harm to the person in the chair?

Take this picture and turn it into a mystery. 

Be sure to reveal where this is taking place, a protagonist, an antagonist and a motivation.  For instance, this story is taking place on a hot day in Florida.

The protagonist is a really nice nurse who is pushing this person around in a wheelchair.

The antagonist is the person in the wheelchair who can really walk but is filing for an insurance settlement.

The nice nurse finds out and the antagonist must get rid of her so dumps her in the sea after she says she’s not much of a swimmer.

The shadow?  That’s the antagonist calling for another nurse, of course.

The twist?  The nice nurse is a competitive swimmer who is trying to start over after losing at the Olympics and is now secretly swimming to shore to get the police.

So fun!  Now write your own story.

Picture found on Morgue File

Only a few more days until…