SONY A7Sii + 24-70mm @ 24mm, ISO 6400, 10/1, f/2.8

Creativity Begets Creativity

In creating a story, or expounding upon an existing one, I’m continually discovering that any plot hole, character developmental issue, inconsistency in setting, etc. can usually be ascribed to the business of questions. Without enough of them answered, things are ill-defined. Even a story itself can be thought of as a sort of answer sought by a character we are led to favor. I think the exercise from the STORY GENIUS series was a great example of how to ask good ones (I still plan on coming back to that btw).

In the above photo taken by my friend Luke Rabalais, there are a few questions I could immediately raise: what’s burning? Why? If I want to write a murder mystery I simply make the inflamed object a body or evidence. If I wanted to write a romance novel, I could make what’s burning a bonfire set ablaze for a secluded romantic dinner. Sci-Fi? Aliens. Comedy? All of the toilet paper found at the protagonists residence. All from a question.

It’s the answers that lead us down the rabbit holes of our stories.

For more amazing photos, videography, and art (or to hire the guy), head over to www.rabalais.org, or follow him on Instagram at @rab4point0