Crónicas: On the mysteries of Harris Burdick

Chris Van Allsburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is the kind of children's book that upon reflection as an adult, might not be for kids. Not young ones anyway. The enigmatic, often surreal book is made up of a series of images, each of which is paired with a single line of text. The premise is that after submitting them to the publisher,  the creator was never heard from again. The way that the book made me feel as a child – about ten years after its 1987 publication – has never left me. In a good way (I suppose I've always loved a haunting).

The book strikes me now as a good writing prompt. Putting illustrations aside (unless that's a skill of yours), the format challenges the writer to fill a single, simple line with as much story and intrigue as possible. This goal is really present in all writing, but limiting the blank page to a single line forces one's hand.

A few responses of my own to the prompt:

Locals rushed Boll House when the nor'easter took a turn for the worse, fleeing to the only site whose lights still blinked through the night.

Though he insisted they had dated for months, Eve had no recollection of his thin voice and firm hand.

Stripped wood emerged at low tide, the shifting deadbolt sending crabs scuttling along the frame as the door swung open.