They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but it is up to the author to write those thousand words. (Richard Petracca)
The name of the doll in the picture is Isabel Rose. With her elegant green dress, the pearls around her neck, the luxurious bag she carries, and the rose in the bow around her middle, the name was obvious to me. Her hair is curled and at one time was most likely very beautiful. Her once flawless makeup is not so perfect anymore. About half of her lipstick is missing, and there are smudges of dirt on her face.
Isabel's home is on the top of my computer desk, and any time I glance up, I see her. My daughter acquired this doll at an auction, and I have often wondered what her beginnings were like. I wonder what kind of home she came from, and I wonder what her owner was like. I especially wonder why her owner decided to get rid of her. And why is she not in perfect condition? Was she a young child's toy?
What do you see when you look at this picture? Do you see just an old worn-out doll? Perhaps you think she is ready to be thrown away. Or do you see her as material for a story? I see her as a fighter and a survivor. She looks as though she has come through a terrible ordeal.
From the way Isabel Rose is dressed, my guess is that she is going to the opera. Or perhaps she is going to a play. She is all dressed up, so it is a big event she is attending. What about her date? Is he a rich, handsome businessman? Or was he born wealthy? Could she be dating a man who is so rich that he doesn't have to work?
What if her date has a secret? What if he has set her up for disaster?
What if the theater or opera house she was in caught fire? What if the building she was in also had a basement of vampires in it? Could one of the vampires have bitten her? Could she now be a vampire?
What if her dress is bewitched? Maybe the old lady who made it for her was a witch and cast a spell over the dress. The one who wore it would be protected against whatever trouble she encountered. Is this the only reason she survived whatever disaster she met?
What if she was once the possession of some spoiled, little, rich girl? Has she been mistreated by her owner? Has she endured torture that no doll should ever have to face? Does she seek her revenge one night when she mysteriously comes to life?
What if Isabel Rose now lives in an almost life-size doll house? The owner of the doll house doesn't see fit to have any doll besides Isabel Rose in the house, and Isabel is lonely and bored. So she decides to have some fun with her owner. She moves the furniture in the doll house around. When that gets old, she begins to move objects in the owner's house around. Yeah, the owner is pretty freaked out. Does the owner figure out what is going on? Does she figure out who is responsible?
How many writing prompts can you come up with for this picture?
