What Story Does This Photo Have to Tell?

Hot embers — the remains of a roaring campfire. Or is it something else?

By Jeffrey Bishop

The usual Scurry Tails production process goes something like this:

1) Get inspired by an idea, notion or concept
2) Think up a plot, characters and a setting to carry the idea. This happens either consciously or subconsciously. Sometimes this occurs around a campfire or in a tent as a story unfolds “live”
3) Draft up the story. Sometimes this occurs via mobile device : )
4) Edit. Edit again. Wish we had time to edit some more
5) Create art that illustrates the story in a creating and compelling way. Or, sit on the story until we come up with art to support the story. Or, if desperate, post sans art and re-post later with art
6) Wash, rinse, repeat

Knowing that No. 5 in the process can sometimes trump steps 1-4 in terms of time and difficulty, we’ve started the habit of taking pictures of “stuff” that we think might someday support a story that appears on Scurry Tails. So in recent weeks we have gathered a picture of a vegetation-choked farm house. We have a new photo of a bonfire that towers over its creator. We have pictures of mysterious-looking clouds in the sky. And we were quite thankful to already have this picture of a hiking trail (at Camp Warren Levis) to support our story The Hike.

And we have the photo above; a scene of seething embers — the bitter remains of a once-great blazing campfire. Certainly it’s full of potential — beyond another soliloquy from Sirius Black. But we don’t yet have an original story to go with it.

Does this photo give you any ideas? What supernatural or mysterious force do the blistering coals represent? Are the embers the end of something great, or the beginning of something terrible? What stories do you see when you stare into the cooling remains of a summertime campfire? Share your ideas; we might just use your idea to build a story to go with this picture!