This week I’ve been sorting through a box of photographs. The women in my family were always “keepers,” keeping all kinds of photographs, letters, and ephemera. But as they grew older–or, in the case of my grandmother and aunt, developed dementia–they tossed these keepsakes and mementos in boxes, mixed up, or tacked them willy-nilly in photo albums.

Old photo of boy wearing letter sweater
Uncle Norman, is that you?

Sorting through them now brings up a lot of memories–or, in some cases, discoveries. Is this freckle-faced kid in a “Dublin Dukes” sweater my dignified Uncle Norman? Who is this strange guy posing with my teenaged grandmother? And why is Dad wearing that kimono?

Old photographs provide rich prompts. Dozens of prewriting exercises start with pictures. During the 2018 Highland Summer Conference, author Crystal Wilkinson gave a writing exercise based on family photographs.

Before digging in, however, she asked us to read a famous (and heart-rending) example: “I Go Back to May 1937” by Sharon Olds. The poem begins like a basic writing exercise. First look at an old photo, then write the words, “I see them . . .” After this start, Olds gives us vivid description: 

. . . I see my father strolling out
under the ochre sandstone arch, the   
red tiles glinting like bent
plates of blood behind his head . . .

Description unfolds into context and background: “they are about to graduate, they are about to get married,  / they are kids, they are dumb, all they know is they are   / innocent, they would never hurt anybody.” (What a perfect time to break the old “rule” of “Show, don’t tell.” In this case, the “telling” makes the poem.) Then she evokes the terrible miracle of her parents marriage–their suffering, the pain they inflict, her own existence.

Below is my version of some of these popular writing prompts. Feel free to try it out, and let me know if it works for you.

Fashionable young woman in foreground of a busy sidewalk
Note on back reads “Fay in Baltimore.” What details do you notice? Could there be a story here?

Zoom In, Zoom Out

Find a photograph you’d like to spend time with. You can be part of the photo or not; the photo can be of friends and families or complete strangers. Set aside at least ten minutes for sections 1-3. Remember this exercise is for prewriting, so don’t worry about making it “perfect.”

  1. Describe the photo in front of you as objectively as you can. Pretend you are an outsider; what is actually visible? (Pay special attention to color, shadows, location, clothing, expressions, etc.) Be detailed, and take as much time as you need.
  2. Now zoom in. Describe the scene as an insider would. Who are these people? What are they doing? (It’s OK to use your imagination.)
  3. Now zoom out. See beyond the camera lens. What is outside the picture frame? If you were standing behind the camera, what would you see if you turned your head? What might you hear, feel, smell?
  4. Zoom in even closer. What is the “secret” behind this photograph? What is something only the subject(s) would know?
Little girls in dresses at a picnic. One makes a face while holding a balloon.
Are we even related? Who knows. It’s still a great photo. Happy Fourth!