One Image, Two Story Ideas: Hiker in the Desert
Jen and Tina love writing prompts. Sometimes they turn into stories, sometimes they just get our creative juices flowing. Either way, they’re a lot of fun.
Jen’s Idea
My first thought when I saw this photo was not, “Where is this man going?” but instead, “Why is he alone?” Maybe he killed his hiking companion and hid the body in the wilderness. Maybe he stole his company’s money and is escaping to a new life. But as I pondered these stories, I realized I wasn’t interested in getting into the mindset of a villain today. So I started with a different question: “Where the heck is this guy?” The answer took me out of my comfort zone and I had so much fun writing it.
Tina’s Idea
Upon seeing this photo, all I wanted to know was what was around the corner. Then I needed to know why this man was on this particular path. Why did the path entice him? What was about to change? And then I realized everything had changed, and I started writing.
Jen’s Back Cover
It’s been sixty-five days since Mac Albert took over as sheriff of Rho Colony, the seventeenth outpost in Galactic Growth’s Interstellar Expansion Project.
For a newly minted officer who graduated at the bottom of Galactic Growth’s Leadership in Law Enforcement program, the assignment seemed too good to be true: great pay, brand-new facilities, and no hint of the mining issues that trouble Galactic’s other IEP properties.
Mac preferred not to question the assignment, and now, two Earth months in, he figures out why he’s been chosen: the powers-at-be think he’d be too much of a nitwit to catch on to the smuggling, embezzling, and who-knew-what-else was happening at Rho Colony.
Mac considers looking the other way. After all, if the locals are happy, who is he to argue?
But when the colony’s Telecommunications Chief is murdered, Mac faces a choice: take the Premier’s suggestion to write it up as an accident and enjoy a comfortable life in the lap of (modest) luxury, or dig into a death no one wants solved and risk being sent back to the life on Earth he said he’d do anything to escape.
Tina’s Back Cover
Jeremy Josephs thought he was getting away, clearing his head, but he got more than he bargained for.
J.J.’s finance job pays well, but when he took this job five years ago, along with the friends, girlfriend and entertainment that came with it, his life took a brisk left turn. He is always busy. His life is a blur, a happy blur, but he never stops to smell the flowers anymore.
He is a photographer, an artist at heart. For years, it had been his passion to capture the best and most unusual aspects of his surroundings. His photographs received awards, but his job now takes all his time and energy. His camera equipment gathers dust and his creativity is sapped.
When J.J. wins a bonus vacation for his skyrocketing sales figures, he sees his opportunity. He gently tells Melinda he is going alone. He decides on a backpack, a camera bag and his camping gear, that’s it. No golf clubs, no electronics, and he heads to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. He spends his days thinking, reading, trying to capture the ineffable vista. His creative juices flow and he begins to wonder what he’s been doing with his time. He hasn’t felt this alive for many years.
On his last morning, he heads out with dread, he knows it could be years before he does this again, if at all, and he doesn’t want to leave. His mind works furiously to create an excuse to extend his trip. He lingers later than usual and finds a path he hasn’t noticed before. He follows it as it winds beyond his vision. At the top of the path, the orange earth is darker in spots. He grabs his camera to capture this trick of light and then he sees it…a severed hand, still fresh. He has just found his excuse. He isn’t leaving this desert anytime soon.
Tina’s Response
I love how creative and different Jen’s piece is from our usual fare. She teleports me so quickly and securely into the future – I never see it coming! I find it hard to believe that she is out of her comfort zone. I rarely read sci-fi, but I enjoy how she deftly blends the futuristic setting with all the comforting elements I look for in a traditional mystery. The familiarity draws me in while still offering me something different. Stellar!
Jen’s Response
Talk about a cliff-hanger ending! I love how Tina takes the barren setting of the photo as a jumping off point for a character looking for a “blank page” reboot to his life. This story has all the makings of a Tina deBellegarde classic – a deep character exploration set against a rich landscape. While it feels right up Tina’s alley, it also feels like she’s dipping her toe into the thriller category, which I would love to read from her. Keep writing this one, Tina!
Photo by Ryan Ancill on Unsplash