ArtStoriesInspiration strikes in all sorts of ways. This page is dedicated to what I call ArtStories: These are short stories inspired by the art I've found, mostly on DeviantArt. My stories are not endorsed by DeviantArt. I'm not trying to profit off of the artwork of others. Instead, I'm sharing my view of others' art. I always link back to the original artist's page. This is done as a writing prompt for my own artwork. Feel free to read through the stories and, if you like the art, maybe give the artist a commission or toss some change their way via your favorite online tipping service.
Because I prefer the formatting of what I've written to how the website does it, I've also included PDFs of each story. |
A Day at the Beach, RuinedBy the time we hit mid-2021, I was working my way through a pretty heavy exploration of H.P. Lovecraft's works. His deplorable racism and politics pop up from time to time in there, but what I really noticed was a lack of characterization. While his monsters are memorable, I can't really recall much about any of the men (of course) that populate his stories. So, that led to me to try my hand at a more character-centric piece of eldritch (?) horror. This wasn't the original image that set up my story (I couldn't find it again), but it's pretty close.
Click here to read the story or here to download the PDF, which has a better formatted version. |
HelpingI found this image evocative (that's why I choose the art that I do, so I guess that's a bit of a given), but it took a long time for me to "hear" what the story would be. When it came out, it was a lot sadder than I expected. The tranquil expression on her face means something different in the context of the story, but I hope it still makes sense.
Click here to read the story or here to download the PDF, which has a better formatted version. |
Rookie MistakeI'm not going to lie: I thought a lot about Terry Pratchett's Eric and Jonathan Stroud's The Amulet of Samarkand as I wrote this one. I think there was a Goosebumps book about this idea, too. (Let's be real: There's probably a Goosebumps book for basically every idea.)
It's a familiar one: Kid thinks he's hot stuff and gets in over his head. In this case, by summoning dark entities from a different brane. The picture that inspired it is really evocative, and I recommend that you check out the artist's original story for his picture. I chose not to let it really influence the story I was generating in my mind, in part because that's one of the things that I like about this writing exercise: It allows for a different point of view on the art, a new story created through the experience of artistic interaction. I liked the glimpse of the world I made in these 2200 words: Maybe this written art will lead to more. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. Click here to read the story or here to download the PDF (which is the better formatting of the story that I prefer). |
Duck, Duck, DeathWhere does inspiration come from? What stories do particular items contain? What does trauma have to do with our inner demons? How does one overcome a creative block? And what does this all have to do with murder? Randen Anderton is a struggling late-Millennial who needs to find something to inspire the art he has inside. And wouldn't you know it? A pep-talk with Mom leads him to his path toward his future.
Click here to read the story, here to download the PDF, or here to read the behind-the-scenes essay about the process of making "Duck, Duck, Death". |
Community ServiceResistance against oppression takes many forms. I'm not an activist, nor am I massively politically active, but I do wonder how I can stand up for something I believe in. Monique Weber, here, wants to do the same. Don't let her cutesy appearance fool you. She, too, feels that oppression should be resisted.
Click here to read the story online, or here to download the PDF (which is better formatted). |
Dirt PathI'm not a fan of driving. I think it comes from spending so much time behind the wheel during my early twenties whilst I missionaried in Miami. Road trips in particular are a necessary evil in my mind. And, since you never really know what you'll see on a road trip, I feel like this story toys with that possibility.
Click here to read the story online or here to download the PDF (which is better formatted). |
SidewalkThis is the first story I tried to write using the artwork of others. It reminded me of some of my time in Miami, which I think is reflected in the heat that Lana works through. Though I didn't know it when I started out, this story is a look at what we might be willing to do for someone who has dropped out of our lives and comes back unexpectedly.
Click here to read the story online or here to download the PDF (which is better formatted). |
TraditionBlack and white photographs often carry a sobriety and sense of gravitas that appeals to me. This particular one by sandas04 stood out to me because it felt like there was something more to what was going on in the picture--a necessary component for me to want to make a story about the image. And, since I've been writing a lot of fantasy and darkness in these other stories, it was nice to come up with something that has some hope in it.
Click here to read the story online or here to download the PDF (which is better formatted). |
Open CallContrasts make for great art. This painting by Eriyal is a great example of that: Size, color, posture...it all works well for me. Seeing it makes me wonder what the deuce they're doing on that pedestal, so I let the story start to flow out from that fundamental question. What surprised me was the way that I started world building (more in my head than on the page) what was going on with Fairyal here and why these two ended up together. Who knows? Maybe this will be an open call to explore a new world. For now, however, these two will have to be content with this story.
Click here to read the story online or here to download the PDF (which is better formatted). |