Challenge Entry - Vanilla

The Single Frame Stories prompt for last week was an aromatic one. It was a word that, to some, brings to mind cookies and cakes, ice cream and candles. However, those are not the images that came to my mind. Perhaps this is more a commentary on where my mind was or where I expected others to go, but what I imagined was a woman standing outside a door. The woman was pale, shocked. What was behind that door was … too much for her, too unusual. She was vanilla; behind the door was anything but vanilla.

If I had access to a VW, I may have made that picture. If I took the time to find the proper door and model, I may have made it in RL. Instead, I slacked. Instead, I waited. Instead, I made a different image.

My life is not what it once was. That is probably true of everyone.

I could go into detail of how I’ve become an old, boring adult. I could go on about life in a small town. I could (longingly) reminisce about a former life and a former me. However, I’ll spare you all that and just say that as I went through ideas for this prompt, my mind formed an image of a woman drowning in a sea of vanilla…


"Lost in a Sea of Vanilla"

It's not exactly what I had in mind, but (considering I had to "steal" one of my own, very old, photos for the "girl") I think it conveys the story I wanted to tell.

Either that or one of a cargo plane crash that was carrying a shipment of vanilla...

~B

Challenge Entry - Blur

Single Frame Stories Prompt: Blur

Last week the prompt at Single Frame Stories was “Blur.”

I had an image in mind that I wanted to create, but (as usual) it just didn’t work out. I did, however, create three other stories. I even posted them to Flickr.


"Life passes by in a blur"


"A memory… or a dream"


"A moment in time, everything else is just a blur"

Although in the moment of creation I liked them, when it came time to commit and submit, I just wasn’t “feelin’ ‘em.” I saw the flaws in the images rather than the stories. So, I waited.

Add to that the fact that I wasn’t feeling well last week, and I was out all day and night Friday (and most of Saturday)... I just did not get anything submitted.

All three images tell a story. A picture is worth a billion words, or something like that.
Still, I just couldn’t choose and, even if I could, I ran out of time.

So, there you go. The story behind the lack of story.
My story of last week. Incomplete.
Again.

~B

EDIT:
Because a friend asked about the second image, I thought I'd add a little information about it. This is, essentially, what I said to her:

The objects are literally an entryway, a leash, and a shoe....
But, it is not a picture to be taken literally.

Perhaps the leash is a snake? Perhaps it is a rug-tack or ruler... perhaps it is a dream, or an unclear memory,
a blur... a moment ... an image in your mind of a story... but did the story happen when you were awake or was it dream....

Perhaps a boy took a pet for a walk
Perhaps you were a pet then turned into a snake and then a person
*shrugs*
It is whatever you see, whatever story forms in your mind as you “read” the picture.

I know not everyone "gets" every image. Perhaps sometimes there are some people who just need permission to imagine, to allow their mind to create the story that a picture could be telling...

So, if you don't get it, that's okay.
However, if you just need permission to imagine, you have it.

~B

Challenge Entry - Almost & Block

I decided to work a little differently this week. Rather than forming a story around an image, I wanted to create a story and then conform the image to it. The idea was that maybe, just maybe, there would be less back and forth about which image to choose. I'd be telling telling a specific story rather than general one. Then two things happened.

One, I was gentled reminded that the goal is not to define a word but to tell a story.

Two, an immediate image did not come to mind.

Well, this worked out ... well.

It took a few minutes before my mind started creating word stories (as opposed to picture stories). Of course, I was (am) only operating on about four hours of sleep. It went something like this:

Single Frame Stories Prompt: Almost

First there was nothing. No image, no song, no sayings, not even a dust bunny moved in my noggin. Which was fine since I wanted to try a different process. Until I realized that I was completely blank. I had to take a few moments to ponder the word.

Then, it began - What is almost? Um. Uh. Okay, let's see... It's, uh. Hmm. Think! A story with almost. I... Hmm. Again, what is almost... Almost is everything and nothing. It is something that is not quite or is yet to come, such as: And scenes, settings, movie type imagery, RP and book type writing started kicking in. There may or may not have been audible motorcycle engine revving sounds to go along with the steam coming out of my ears as my brain began to work.

Many short stories and situations formed. Everything, as opposed to something, became an "almost."

Fast forward approximately 2 weeks.
(Single Frame Stories Prompt: Almost & Block)

Company arrived before I completed the "Almost Challenge." Company stayed through the "Block Challenge." To be honest, I am not sure I even knew last week's challenge word until today. My point is this - I do not have any images to share at this time. However, I do intend to visit the Single Frame Stories site soon and begin working on this week's word - whatever it may be.

Sorry to disappoint anyone who had hoped to find my challenge submissions and their back stories. Maybe I'll get something more ... artistic for you later this week.
Here's hoping!

~B