Whatnot Wednesday Inspiration / #ThursdayDoors help me choose

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Velma Daphne lazy play cats

Velma: Haha!  I’ve got the hammock!

Daphne:  Suit yourself. That string is going to start moving on its own just like the furry bird does — and I’m going to be here to grab it.

Velma:  Yummy Human is playing with pictures again.  Do you think she’ll stop to play with the string if you do that chirpy-howling thing you do?  It usually freaks her out.

Daphne:  Meh…  She’s already had playtime with us three times today, and you don’t look like you’ll give up the hammock soon.  Why don’t we just take another nap.

Whatnot Wednesday

Pink Steampunk woman n white duck

Whatnot 1

Hello, everyone.  Yesterday I was happily shocked that the amazing author/translator Olga Núñez Miret reviewed one of my older novelettes, Fiona Finch and the Pink Valentine.  Olga is an inspiring person.  Saying her review is positively ducky is a huge understatement.   I hope you’ll click over and visit Olga’s post.  The story isn’t typical of Valentine’s Day at all.  It’s steampunk, quirky, and a mystery.

Click here for Olga’s post

Whatnot 2

Photos, drawings, and images of all sorts are inspiring.  Making them helps alleviate my anxiety issues.  Images are also great prompts for writing.  That’s why each year when Dan Antion announces the two phases of his Thursday Doors Writing Challenge, I’m always excited.  Phase one is the submitting of door-related images.  These will later become “prompts” for writers, poets, and other creatives to use for the writing phase of the challenge.  You can get all the information for participating in the challenge straight from Dan if you click here.

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I’ve been busy creating the collages, or composite images that I find so relaxing.  The trouble is, we can only submit three for the challenge, and I’m finding it difficult to decide. So… I’m inviting you to help.  In a comment, let me know your favorites from the images in the Thursday Doors section, which follows.

Thursday Doors

These are the Doors I made as inspiration images for the 2025 Thursday Doors Writing Challenge.  Would you help me pick three?  Each one is a composite/collage of multiple images.  They are shown in reverse order of my favorites.  Which would you choose?

A

A:  “2 Blues, 2 Red Ristras.”  This began with a photo of a southwest house with two blue doors with two red chili ristras.  I modified both doors to have the frame/windows to make it “fictional”.   I couldn’t resist adding the cat bathing himself and the expression on his face.  There are a total of four images in this composite.

Blue door pair n cat

B

B:  “Camper Window to Doors of the Past” was the first idea that came to me, and it gave me a devil of a time, even though I only used three images. Not my best work.  It’s an image of the inside of a camper or “RV” that I modified so I could add a vintage black and white photo.  I blurred things around the window to suggest some sort of time shift or dream.  Note the photo has a camper door and a station wagon door.

RV window to past camper n car

C

C:  “Bedroom Door to Flying Saucer.”  I was in a retro mood, thinking of things like the first Lost in Space TV series.  The family on the Jupiter-2 was educated and sophisticated.  What, I wondered would a 1960s farm family think?  This composite has three parts.  I took the image of the bedroom and added the dog.  I had to remake the door.

Br Door to Flying Saucer dog

D

D:  “Goat Jumping from Roof.”  When I found a colorful photo of a Santa Fe house, which was deliberately positioned askew, I was captivated.  The world had tilted sideways.  (How appropriate for this year.)  I wanted to have someone hanging onto that wall by their fingertips, but that wasn’t working out.  Suddenly I knew that some animal needed to be jumping from either the wall or the roof.  What more likely culprit than a goat?  Next, I added a “pastel sketch” filter to both.  Then I emphasized the line of the wall (which disappeared when I applied the filter).

Goat jump Santa Fe House door

E

E:  “Bedroom Door to Retro Rocket.”  When I was a little girl, I loved my Barbie doll.  But I dreamed of having adventures through space and time.  This composite of four images began with a bedroom that could have belonged to anyone.  At first, the only thing I had in mind for the walls was to cover something that I was unhappy with on the walls.  Then I realized that the addition of the rocket would cause a lot of people to assume it was a boy’s room.  When I stumbled upon the wallpaper of 1950s fashion designs, that was what I had to use.

Br Door to Retro Rocket

F

Update. This is a late addition, because I felt that I didn’t have enough real-life doors.  The main image is a public domain photo of the chapel of The Ice Hotel in Canada.  This hotel made of ice is built every year near Quebec City.  I added some things to it, like the two curious penguins.

The Ice Hotel penguins

Now you’ve seen all of my potential “Doors” images.  Would any of them inspire you to write or otherwise create something?  Will you help me choose the three that I will submit as inspiration for the Thursday Doors Writing Challenge?  Leave a comment to let me know which ones put a story or poem in your mind.  Thanks for opening this door.  Hugs!

Fiona Finch and the Pink Valentine

I must include the obligatory shameless self-promotion.

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 © 2025 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

100 thoughts on “Whatnot Wednesday Inspiration / #ThursdayDoors help me choose”

  3. I’ve deliberately not read the earlier comments; I don’t want to be influenced by anything other than my own reactions. I favor that last one; it seems more subtle and less busy than the others. The others seem intimidating to me, but the last one invites. I can’t help thinking that you are getting a universe of subjectivity which will only make things more complicated for you! A very interesting writer’s exercise, though, and good for all of us. Good luck with choosing!

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  8. Scoobies and fun collages in one post! This is a delight. I really like the images that you’ve put together. As for my three votes, I’d choose B, C, and E. You had me at time travel and space travel 🙂

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    1. Hi, Dave. The Scoobies refused to be left out. Thanks so much for voting. Time/space travel seems very desirable these days. LOL. My subconscious had more to do with these collages than I realized while I was making them! I appreciate you opening this door. Hugs.

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  10. Pingback: Canton Avenue Doors – No Facilities

  11. Oooh, Teagan, so hard to choose. However, I thought about writing ideas and this informed my selection of A, D, and F. I do not write about time travel or aliens but I can see other people would like those. I really hope D makes the cut.

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    1. Hi Robbie. Your comments today have really made me smile — thank you for all of them. That’s a very good point about the syfy/fantasy aspects of many of these. I want to encourage people to write something, and getting them outside of their comfort zone would be good… but not many people are willing to do that. Hmmm.
      By the way, you are welcome to use any of these as a prompt, whether or not I send them to Dan. Although, you and others have changed my inclination about D. The goat definitely has to be included. 😀 Big hugs.

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  12. Hello Teagan!

    I had so much fun last year with the challenge, that I’ve already submitted my doors. LOL!!!

    Let’s see… I think I like F the best… then A & E.

    Of course I haven’t slept on it!

    Heading to Olga’s.

    Hugs!!

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  16. Congratulations on the great story review! For the doors, I’d go with F because it’s in Quebec, E because of the wallpaper, and B because it looks like Sasquatch is hitching a ride on the trailer.

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  18. I like all of them but can narrow it down to A, B, and C. Love the kitty talk. Have the same issue here with sharing, and they never get enough playtime with the string. Congrats on the great review, too, xo

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            1. I misspelled it, Robbie– should be Sasquatch. Also called Bigfoot. A huge, very hairy humanoid creature, most people believe is a myth, mostly in the northwest US and Canada. Look up the movie Harry and the Henderson’s for A comical take on the legend. 😀

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  22. I love the kitty conversation. Good for Olga. Congratulations. I like doors A, C, and E. And as I’ve said before, your Thursday Doors graphic is stupendous!

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  24. Congratulations on the great review from Olga. I read that and was nodding along with her comments.

    I feel like I should recuse myself, but it’s a writing challenge, not a legal proceeding. I like A and B. I like them all, but I can’t choose a third one from the remaining options. You did a wonderful job, and I really appreciate your help in promoting the challenge. I also appreciate your explanations of your thought process and technique.

    I hope you have a great day. I return from my blog break tomorrow with a Thursday Doors post from a road trip to Pittsburgh.

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    1. Good morning, Dan. Thanks for your feedback. It’s not a contest — just a challenge to prompt creatives to work together. No one has any right to criticize you for voicing your opinion.

      I started feeling like maybe I should have more real world doors, so I’ve updated this to include one of The Ice Hotel.

      I’m looking forward to the photos from your trip. Many thanks for visiting Olga’s review post. Hugs.

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      1. I am much the same with my water abstracts. Some I spend time on and think are so good, get barely a mention. Whereas others that are quick and an almost, that’ll do attitude, seem that people enjoy. Go figure 🤔

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    1. Aww, I will pass that along to the Scoobies, Darlene. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 3 years since I adopted them. I think they’re officially out of kittenhood. Velma no longer jumps three feet into the air and does a 360 degree turn when playing… and I only have to straighten the living room furniture about once a week instead of daily. LOL.
      Thanks for your feedback. I actually added one more door image — the Ice Hotel. Big hugs.

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        2. Haha, of course, Darlene. It’s not any sort of official vote anyway, but the feedback helps a lot. I still can’t decide on which 3 to send Dan.
          Yes, three years with the cats… I had to check my calendar because I just couldn’t believe it. ❤
          PS: You’re welcome to use any of these as a writing prompt, even if I don’t submit them to the challenge.

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  31. Thanks, Teagan. I enjoyed reading and reviewing your story, and I love the colour pink since I was a child, so it was perfect all around! As for the pictures… I agree they are a difficult choice and I like them all. Funnily enough, I’m reading a book set in old New Mexico at the moment, so the colourful Santa Fe scene with the goat and the first one are very appropriate to my reading and lots of fun, but I find the nostalgia of the others lovely as well. Oh, I know I’m not helping, sorry! Take care and love to the Scoobies. I see they are relaxing and having fun, as usual!

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    1. Hi, Mandy. That’s interesting. Maybe it’s because I put so much work into that one, but it didn’t occur to me that it would be a relaxing scene. Although now that you mention it, it is relaxing to look at it. Thanks for your feedback. Hugs.

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