Author skills | Writing prompts
5 Photo Writing Prompts: Scotland
Putting words to the image
Hi there, writers! Time for another list of writing prompts. I like to share these weekly. And last week I summarized the story so far — all of my Medium writing prompts to date in a single article.
Prompts can provide both a challenge and a useful constraint, and they come in many forms. This week, I am going to go with some photo prompts (tied in with a bit of history), and a Scottish theme.
If you are doing the 💯 Story Challenge, or just want to increase your output of short stories or flash fiction, check out a list with all my prompt articles here.
Idea 1
Scotland is known for its castles… but some have seen better days! What kind of events might have led to this damage — erosion, or something more dramatic?
By the way, during a medieval siege, a tunnel was dug underneath this particular castle. Perhaps that could stimulate a story in itself!
Idea 2
This small Scottish island has a lighthouse… and not much else. Children who grew up here would get to school by boat. What kind of story does that bring to mind?
Idea 3
When walking in the highlands of Scotland, it’s not unusual to see ruins like this.
Old houses or mills that have been lost to time. What happened to the family who lived in the house above? Write an account of their last day(s).
Idea 4
Applecross is a small and very isolated Scottish peninsula. Until the early 20th Century it could only be reached by boat, or on foot via the Bealach na Ba — the ‘pass of the cattle’ — a mountain pass that rises to 2000 feet at its peak (see image).
What would it have been like to live as a crofter (smallholder) in such an isolated place? Perhaps you could write a historical story about everyday life, or about an attempt to cross the pass in difficult weather conditions.
By the way, these days you can drive over the Bealach na Ba. It’s not a road for nervous drivers!
Idea 5
Orkney is a group of islands to the north of the Scottish mainland. It is most famous for its neolithic sites — the earliest of which are between 5000–6000 years old (predating the Egyptian Pyramids). One key site, the ‘Ring of Brodgar’, is shown in the picture.
It is both magnificent and mysterious, as are the nearby (and even taller) standing stones of Stenness. It’s likely that these standing stones were highly significant to an early religion.
Scientists agree that at the time these standing stones were erected, Orkney had developed a new and advanced culture and technology that later spread to other lands. Perhaps people from neighboring places came on pilgrimages to meet and celebrate here.
What events or ideas had sparked this ‘new’ culture in Orkney? What were their gatherings and festivals like? And what was everyday life like for a tribe of islanders? Hopefully these questions will inspire a story or two!
If you need more background for prompt 5, the article below explains the significance of neolithic Orkney:
I share a list of prompts every week, as well as articles about the craft of writing, and occasional short stories and web-novel chapters. Get all my articles by email here.
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