Writing Prompt — Incident on a Bridge

jeff salter~ By Jeff Salter

Happy Friday. :-)

Today, to kick off the weekend, we’ve got a writing prompt. Thank you to Jeff Salter for coming up with it!

Don’t be shy. Dive in and give this a shot. It’ll get you warmed up for a weekend of writing, and prompts are a great exercise in learning about your voice.

Have fun!

Incident on a Bridge

The twin cities are separated by the deep, swift Redbone River, but joined by the high Lawrence Bridge over that channel.

You are a character in my story. You and your best friend are crossing the bridge on foot – on the pedestrian walkway – when you come to one of three overlooks, which jut out a few feet from the otherwise straight lines of the superstructure.

On the metal grating – some 75 feet above the water’s surface – are an empty pair of sneakers. Folded on top are a pair of denim cutoffs and a t-shirt. From the styling, you discern the owner of this clothing is young — probably mid-twenties. From the size and color of those items, you can easily guess the gender of the owner.

1. Is the person who wore these clothes, male or female?

2. Why were her/his clothes and shoes left on top of the bridge?

3. What is the first thing you say or suggest?

4. What is your best friend’s reply or reaction (to your comment)?

[Note: this writing prompt is slightly modified from an actual situation my daughter and I encountered while walking across the Long-Allen Bridge (over the Red River) between Shreveport and Bossier City, LA]

Good luck. Feel free to share your writing in the comments. Or at least let us know how it went.

Have a great weekend!

Jeff Salter has completed ten novels and three novellas; nine of those titles have been published and one is due for release soon.  He also co-authored two non-fiction books with a royalty publisher, in addition to an encyclopedia article and a signed chapter. Jeff has also published articles, book reviews, and over 120 poems. His writing has won nearly 40 awards, including several in national contests. He’s a retired librarian, a decorated Air Force veteran, and a published photo journalist. He’s married with two children and six grandchildren.

3 thoughts on “Writing Prompt — Incident on a Bridge”

  1. “Look, what, what is that? Someone’s clothes? Someone left their clothes…where are they?”
    “Oh, my God! DO you think they jumped?”
    “They had to have jumped, but where are they?”
    “No, I mean, JUMPED, jumped, like, really jumped.”
    “Let’s hope not.Maybe they were rescuing someone.Maybe their dog fell in.”
    “The wouldn’t have taken the time to get undressed, let alone fold up their clothes…do you see a body anywhere?”
    “Don’t say ‘body’!Let’s hope this is a prank.”
    “I think we better call the police.”

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