I have a folder full of pictures that I’ve found online at various points.
Today I wanted to share some of the unusual, funny, and unique ones with you.
If you’re a writer and you find inspiration in one of them, feel free to grab it. I’d love to see what story or poem ideas you come up with for it.
All unlabelled images are stock photos and can be used for any purpose. William Crochot’s picture can be used, too, as long as you credit him and Wikimedia Commons as well as include the license number above.
The Statue Guy
The statue guy above has been running through my imagination for months now.
My first thought when I saw him was, “how long does it take to scrub all of that makeup off?”
My second thought was that sniffing a flower just might be the first thing that a statue who suddenly came to life would do!
Everything would be so new and unfamiliar to him that it makes sense for him to stop and marvel at the small things for a while.
The Abandoned House
Abandoned homes make me sad.
I think about all of the years people spent living in them. There was a time only a few generations ago when many folks spent their entire lives in the same area.
Were they happy years or miserable ones?
Did the people who lived there ever wish to move elsewhere? If they wished for it, did their wish come true?
How many babies were born in that house?
How many people died there?
Why was it abandoned? Are the owners still alive?
If you stepped inside of it, what secrets would the walls whisper to you?
A Woodland Sacrifice
This picture makes me shudder.
There is something unnerving about the juxtaposition between the bare skull and the healthy, young woman who is holding it up that I don’t like to dwell on.
Did she slaughter the animal who once used that skull?
Is this some kind of ritual?
Is she going to be blamed for something that wasn’t her fault?
The possibilities are endless. I haven’t been able to come up with a satisfying story to explain what is going on here, but maybe someone else can.
Sad Cat in a Gift Bag
This one is just plain silly.
Cat owners, can you explain it?
I would expect a cat to be thoroughly pleased by the presence of a gift bag.
It seems like the perfect place to hide while you’re waiting to swat at anyone who wanders too close to your sharp, little claws.
Why, then, does this cat look sad?
Does she need more tissue paper to cover herself up with?
Has someone refused to give her any treats today?
Or is she actually happy? Is this simply how her face and ears developed?
Lick My Lips
Finally, let me bring you lips covered in sprinkles.
This one makes me feel hungry.
My first thought was, “did the model get to lick the sprinkles off of her lips once the photoshoot ended?” I sure hope she did!
If this were a book cover, I’d expect it to be a young adult romance novel.
The protagonist would be fifteen and falling in love for the first time with a mysterious, new neighbour.
The rainbow sprinkles might be a subtle hint that this story has a lesbian, bisexual, or transgender protagonist. I would not expect her sexual or gender identity to play a big role in the plot, though. She’d be whoever she was, and everyone would be okay with it.
One possibility for the actual conflict in the plot could be the main character conquering an eating disorder. The storyline could open with her trying to eat desserts again without feeling horribly guilty about it.
I would definitely pick this imaginary book up and read the blurb. It caught my eye right away.
Respond
What were your first thoughts when you saw these pictures? How do you think the stories hiding in them should be told?