Outtakes 86

Snap Shot

By Cait Collins

I didn’t realize how important old photographs were until I began writing TABLES, a series of stories about growing up as a Baby Boomer. The 50’s and 60’s were exciting times.  Lifestyles were so different back then. Family was important and so was picture taking. My photo albums witness the advances in photographic technology. My skills improved with each new camera I purchased. But cameras are not the issue. The picture, the snap shot is the subject of the Outtake.

I’ve been flipping through photo albums searching for more inspiration for my stories. Each shot brings back memories of my youth. The colors and scenes fill in blanks in my memory. Some spark memories that make me laugh or bring a tear to the eye. The pictures serve as a history of my family and the life we shared.

As valuable as the prints are for my current work, they also trigger story ideas. Take the photograph of my older sister getting ready for her wedding. She’s rolling her long auburn hair on super-sized rollers. Disappointed in the style she received at the salon, she started over. But what if we change the situation? The young lady has a date with a new guy. A friend arranged the meeting in hopes the couple might hit it off. One of the duo harbors a dark secret. The other approaches the evening with anticipation. Maybe this new person is the one.

What if Mr. New Guy arrives carrying a box of chocolates and a long stem yellow rose? And then, instead of giving his date the gifts, he gives them to her mother. So when she sees how he honors her mom, she decides to give him more than a passing glance. Maybe she feels a twinge of jealousy. Mom is not that old and she’s still a beautiful woman. What is he’s more interested in her mother than he should be? Let’s suppose he plans to play one woman against the other. Or maybe Mom is his mother; the woman who abandoned him at birth. He accepted the date with his sister to get close to the woman who threw him away. Hurting the sister is his way of getting back at Mom. However, the older woman doesn’t really care about her daughter’s feelings. She has her own agenda. Our young lady is not so innocent. She’s going out with her friend’s friend in order to get out of the house and meet up with her gang member boy friend.

Now we have the start of a story.

Photo albums may not be plentiful in every home, but no writer should miss out on the inspiration of pictures. Post card racks, antique store photo displays, magazines, and craft stores are sources for creative stimulus. Start an album of photographic treasures to help spark or enhance your imagination. One snap shot might actually be worth a thousand words in your story development.