You might remember this stingray from yesterday’s post of photos from the Shedd Aquarium. At least I think that’s the same lovable dork.

S/he got me thinking about inspiration, and, more specifically, inspiration as it applies to characters. I can’t tell you whether the personality I see in this photo is simply a product of my human experience anthropomorphizing a stingray, or if it’s just an animal who loves his/her gig.

I’ve got to say, I think s/he loves her/his gig.

That aside, it really doesn’t matter, because the inspiration exists no matter what the objective reality. This stingray is a character.

I’ve got an edge in converting him/her to character status, as I write science-fiction, and alien species can abound. But even if I wanted to take the essence of the spirit I see, I could work that energy into a cozy, for example, or a fantasy, or even a romance (though probably not a main character. Then again, why create limits?).

Inspiration for your characters is absolutely everywhere. You don’t even need a human to spark you into bringing someone fictional to life.

Which gets me to the point of this post (yes, yes, hypothetical reader, I love to meander).

Writing Prompt: Use this photo to create a character, and write about the character in any form you choose. 

If it’s short enough, feel free to post your results in the comments (and I know I have some microfiction visitors 🙂 ). If you think it’s too long, go ahead and post a link. We’ll visit.

Have fun!

Oh, and if this stingray doesn’t do it for you, feel free to use any of the photos from yesterday to grab a character. We’re not picky, are we hypothetical reader?

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