They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but it is up to the author to write those thousand words. (Richard Petracca) Will you be the one to write those thousand words?
When you look at a picture, do you only see what is right in front of your eyes? Or do you see more? Maybe you can see romance. Or maybe you are someone who reads mystery, intrigue, or even horror into everything you see.
abandoned train tracks, pexels
Spread throughout this article, you will see pictures of abandoned railroad tracks. You need to study these pictures, ask “what if” questions and come up with stories that could be written based on each one. Allow your imagination to take flight and explore all possibilities.
Where are your abandoned railroad tracks located? What if they are in the woods? What if they run through the middle of a busy city? What if they go over a stream, river, or some other body of water? Are they on Earth? What if they are on some planet far, far away?
abandoned railroad tracks 3 in Waxahachie, Texas, flickr
What did the train cars that ran on them carry? Coal? Granite? Building supplies? Granite? Something else?
Who built the tracks? What if it was the government? What if it was a company who had them built to transport their product?
Was the train ever attacked by train robbers? If so, how many times? Why was it attacked? Did it carry valuable items?
Why are the tracks abandoned? Did something happen on them that made people afraid to travel on them? What if there are plans to reopen these tracks?
abandoned railroad tracks in Hingham Annex, Massachusetts, 2014, wikimedia commons
Who owns the tracks? What if they are the property of the government, a railroad company, or a private individual? Would whoever owned them be willing to sell them?
When were the tracks built? What if famous historical events have taken place around these tracks? Any famous Indian battles? Massacres? Wars?
Are the tracks still visible enough to tell with a glance that they were once railroad tracks? What if they are buried under leaves in the fall so that they can’t be seen?
What about those who have worked these tracks? What countries did they come from? Or were they born in America or whatever country you have set your story in? Did they work long hours maintaining these tracks?
abandoned railroad track, flickr
Did people ride the trains that traveled these tracks? If so, what kind of people? What was riding the train like? Maybe write about a typical train journey. Then write about one that wasn’t so typical. What if murders have taken place aboard the train?
What were the conductors like? Describe their uniforms. Did they prefer jobs where they hauled something like coal, or did they prefer to have a train full of passengers?
What are these tracks used for today? What if they are ignored by most?
Do kids play on them? If so, what do games do they play? Are they safe for children to play and around? If not, why aren’t they? Rusted metal? Sharp items that could harm them?
What if they are a hangout for child predators? Dangerous animals living in woods?
cat writing, pixabay
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