Ideas & planning · Tip 7 of 82 · 4 min read
Find a Story in a Picture
Every picture is a frozen moment. Ask what happened before and what comes next.
A picture is like a story that someone pressed pause on. Something happened just before it, and something will happen just after. Your job is to work out what.
Be a picture detective
Look slowly. Don't just glance and move on. Ask yourself detective questions and write down your answers.
- Who is in the picture? What might they be called?
- Where is it? What time of day, and what's the weather like?
- What small details stand out? A dropped glove, an open window, a footprint?
- How might the people feel? Look at their faces and how they stand.
Before, during, after
Now imagine the picture is one frame from a film. Rewind a little, then fast-forward a little.
Before: Ellie was swinging higher than ever, trying to touch the clouds. During: The swing is still moving, but Ellie is gone. Her red wellie lies on the grass. After: Up in the clouds, a small voice says, "Hello? Can somebody help me down?"
Notice how one small detail, the wellie, gave the whole story a mystery to solve.
Step inside
Imagine climbing into the picture. What can you hear and smell? What's just out of view, round the corner or behind the camera? The things you can't see are where the best ideas hide.