A Second Chance at Ekphrasis by Lani Longshore

Even if you  missed the deadline to write about the artwork on the Winterfest 2017 page, here is a visual prompt to let you experience the challenge now.

 

Photo Credit: Lani Longshore

My husband and I bought this vine because we had never seen such an unusual flower. The gardener in him looked forward to seeing it wind its way up a pergola. The Sci-Fi writer in me saw opportunities for world building.

Examine the flower. If you write romance, imagine it in a bridal bouquet. Do you prefer mystery? Set it in a funeral wreath. Now, throw some words on the page. I’m thinking of my next intergalactic setting (which is why I cropped the picture the way I did):

 

fragile purple spikes

hovering above white sheets

I dream of space ships

 

You don’t have to write much. Even a few phrases may lead to a longer piece later. The real benefit is in absorbing the world around you, and letting fragments of what you experience inspire your writing.