Variations on a Theme

It is always interesting to me that one idea can bring about many different responses. We all come at life and ideas with our own set of “glasses” on, and this is what provides the amazing and interesting variety of writing.

We are going to take our creative writing assignment for today from an image.

National Public Radio is known for this kind of assignment. They will present a theme or image and ask for contributions. Almost twenty years ago, National Public Radio’s Susan Stamberg asked six writers to write about a specific image. Writer and teacher, George Garret, picked “the wedding cake in the middle of the road.” This was an ingenious image and one that definitely required an explanation. You’re going to try the same kind of assignment—a variation on a theme. However, ours will be with a twist. We will use a picture as our writing prompt.

Here is an example of two stories that came from "The Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road:

Picture Perfect by Ann Beattie

Dermont's Dream by Judith Guest

http://www.radiohof.org/news/susanstamberg.html