Wednesday Writing & #ThursdayDoors — Favorite Photo Exercise

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Javier Rodrigues at Pixabay
A door to a universe of imagination.  Javier Rodrigues at Pixabay

Welcome, all.   This weekend, Dan Antion offered to let me use one of his favorite photos for my weekend serial, Atonement, Bad Bishop.  “(It) is one of the best photos I’ve ever taken,” Dan said. 

His remark got me thinking…  Pictures and other images are doors to memories and feelings.  They’re also doorways to the imagination, to stories. 

Image collage by Teagan

Images are also doors to a universe of emotions, both familiar and strange.  They can conjure up such amazing feelings that I extend this exercise to everyone, whether you think of yourself as a writer or not.  Just write and see if it makes you feel good. Thursday Doors photographers surely have at least one favorite photo they’ve taken while out and about.  (Although the photo need not be of a door, unless you simply want that.  I’ll leave that writing challenge to Dan, this spring/summer, assuming he hosts the Thursday Doors Writing Challenge again this year.)  

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Writing Exercise Details

CGI by Teagan via GenZArt

The challenge, or exercise if you prefer:  Look at a favorite photo, painting, mural, or other image.  Drink in the feelings that it brings to mind.  Then write something related to the image.  Short or long, fiction or memoir.  It doesn’t have to be a complete story.  A vignette is fine.

My only restriction is that you do not use photos of loved ones (people or pets).  That wouldn’t be much of a challenge, because the feelings are already known to you.

If you post your response, please leave a link to this post or to https://teagansbooks.com/.  Or leave a link to your post in a comment.

I’ll post my own story next Wednesday.  My hobby is making image collages.  Here’s the collage I chose for my inspiration.

Image collage by Teagan

If you know me, then you know that I just can’t write romance.  So, the one thing of which you can be sure, is that the story won’t be what this collage implies. 

Thanks to all of you for opening this door. I look forward to reading your creative responses. Hugs!

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Obligatory shameless self-promotion

Fiona Finch & the Pink Valentine

Kindle:  relinks.me/B084NZFZ14

Paperback:  relinks.me/B084P73L4C

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Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. It’s hosted by Dan Antion.  Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).

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No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.

Copyright © 2024 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

85 thoughts on “Wednesday Writing & #ThursdayDoors — Favorite Photo Exercise”

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  9. Teagan, your image collages are inspired and inspiring! Pictures are indeed a doorway into our imagination and giving it free rein. I look forward to yours next week and haha, I would not at all expect a traditional romance story! A great post and one that has my mind in a good spin about doors & images!

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  15. “Images are also doors to a universe of emotions, both familiar and strange.” I had goosebumps reading that sentence. I agree wholeheartedly that doors are portals to new adventures, insights, collaborations, and exploration.

    I just returned from a blog break. During my time away, I read “A Peril in Ectoplasm: Just Once More (A Medium’s Peril Book 1)” and “A Peril in the Bayou (A Medium’s Peril Book 2)”! Fabulous stories – can hardly wait for Book 3!! I especially enjoyed your Real World Notes, which indicated to me the depth of your research. I did not know that “Hello” wasn’t always the greeting used for answer the phone. “Ahoy” was Alexander Graham Bell’s suggest greeting. I look forward to those “gems.”

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    1. Welcome back, Rebecca! I hope you’re refreshed and that all is well in your world.

      I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the books. Thanks for the good feedback on the Real World Notes.

      Haha. Yes, it’s hard to imagine not answering the phone with hello. Hugs on the wing.

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  16. I completely agree that images can inspire stories, Teagan. I often create images of people and places (and creatures) because I find details that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. They frequently end up in my books. :-) Your images are always wonderful. 🙂

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    1. Thank you kindly, Jo. Although it sounds to me like you already have a story or article in your head. If you decide you want to give it a try, you’re welcome to use my collage. 🙂
      I think the sophisticated lady’s name is probably Eve. I’m struggling with her last name. It needs to have the word “heart” within the name. I’m thinking Trueheart, but I don’t know…
      I appreciate you opening this door. Hugs.

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    1. Thank you kindly, Tandy. As I usually do, I’ve bitten off a bigger story than I intended. But as long as it stays fun, where’s the harm. My weekend Atonement, TN serial might be delayed, but… now and then I have to consider what I “need” to write for myself. I appreciate you opening this door. Hugs.

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  21. Adore your image you will be writing on. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

    I have doors, but I might not have time. I quite like the exercises/challenges you come up with. I still want to do a character diary entry.

    Hugs!

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    1. The diary entry exercise is fun, Resa. I hope you find a moment to do one. LOL, I can imagine one from Drac.
      Thanks about the collage. I’ve added a few items to it for the story. I get too ambitious with the projects I give myself… considering how slow I work. But I was really excited about doing a new story. Time to stop researching, now and start writing.
      I appreciate you reading and commenting. Hugs winging back to you. ❤

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  30. You’ve captured my curiosity by showing a collage with a heart, then saying you’ll post your story on Valentine’s day, but also that the story won’t be what the collage implies. As that famous Alice said, “Curiouser and curiouser!”

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    1. Thanks, Robbie. Even though that one only has a few parts, I’ve always enjoyed the clean lines and color contrasts.
      You share so many wonderful photos on Facebook and on your various blogs, I’d be curious to see what some of your personal favorites are. Hugs.

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