A Walk in Nature Mini-Challenge

Week of February 12, 2012: A Mini-Challenge Throw Down

Thursday, February 16—A Walk in Nature Mini-Challenge

Today, take your writing notebook and your digital camera outside. You can explore your backyard, a park, a nature preserve, or other location. Make a list of the first 20 things you notice. For instance, in my backyard here in Florida: Oranges on the trees, white lilies, waving palms, squirrels on roof, possum running on the back fence, dogs barking, and so on. Now point your camera at inspiring sights you see—a close-up of three oranges nestled together, Spanish moss hanging from a giant oak, a wild violet pushing up through the soil. (I know some of you are in colder climates, so your images will be different, but just as inspirational!)

1.      Think of how you can use what you see in nature to inspire a story. (For me, maybe squirrels who own an orange grove and must keep the humans out.)

2.      Think of poetic prose to describe your photos. (For instance: Spanish moss weighted down the Oak.)

3.      Now see where your list and your visuals take you. Perhaps you’ll imagine a setting for a story, a problem to motivate a story, an idea to inspire a concept book, or see someone or something that might become the main character in a story.