Creative writing group this afternoon

Today with my group we are going to talk about observation, and how it can lead to inspiration and then to creation… well, some creativity!

Here are eight little examples of observation, and I’m going to ask my group to deliberate on one of them, and then imagine how they might use it to suggest some writing. We will read them out and then talk around what thoughts spring to mind!

1. You are in the lounge of a hotel and you notice a woman in her forties on the next table. A man enters, and their eyes meet for a long couple of seconds, but he turns away. The woman’s husband is at the bar; he greets the man as a colleague. The husband brings the man over to his wife and introduces them as if they were strangers to each other…
2. You’ve strayed into a seedy part of town; rounding a corner there’s an elderly man on the other side of the road having a blazing row with a portly young man. He’s furious, trying to hit the younger one who hurries away. The old man leans against a wall as if about to collapse. A bouncer in the doorway of a club goes and helps the old man, taking him into the club.
3. You are on a small ferry going over to an island just off the coast. One of the passengers is a young woman; she is staring over the ship’s rail as the boat gets nearer and nearer the little harbour. On her face is an expression of dread, anticipation and determination. You notice her ankle is in plaster and she has crutches, the old-fashioned wooden crutches…
4. You are in a queue for a table in a restaurant at lunch time behind a man and woman, who are obviously good friends, but don’t seem to be a couple. She teases him, he chuckles, and you wonder if maybe she “likes” him. Another couple arrive and greet them warmly, but the first couple are obviously surprised, a little annoyed, and distinctly uncomfortable to meet them here.
5. You are in a small art gallery, just browsing; the owner is sitting at the desk, making notes in a catalogue. The phone rings and the owner answers it, jumps up, then rushes to the window and looks anxiously up and down the street. The gallery owner, who has said nothing apart from giving the name of the gallery, turns to you. “I’m sorry, I have to close the gallery now.”
6. You are waiting in the bus station. There is a drunken old tramp with a big red bushy beard wandering round, not pestering anyone but being a bit of a nuisance. Sitting beside you is a young man who has a newspaper, but seems to be staring unseeingly at it. Suddenly the man gets up, goes to the coffee stand and buys the tramp a drink and a doughnut.
7. You are in the library, trying to find a book. A man is wandering about in the travel section, doing the same. A woman with a flame of red hair comes in. She sees the man and her face lights up; she goes up behind him and puts her arms round him and gives him a hug. He turns round and there are exclamations and apologies. He leaves the library… and she follows him.
8. You come out of the supermarket loaded down with bags. As you cross the carpark, a bright yellow Citroen, driven by a teenage girl, accelerates past almost knocking you over. As you pick up your shopping you glance towards your car and see a man leaning against it, his face white and shocked. Was he hit? Is he hurt? He seems familiar… is he famous in some way?