Some stories begin with a single character. Others start with a question.
Today, we’re starting with color—three of them, to be exact: gold, dust, and ash.
Why colors? Because they instantly set tone, texture, and mood. They give your reader something to see, feel, and breathe in before a single plot point unfolds. Think of it like painting the stage before the actors step into the light.
🌟 The Palette
- Gold: Warmth, wealth, sunlight, power, divinity, decay
- Dust: Abandonment, dryness, neglect, age, time slipping away
- Ash: Loss, endings, survival, shadows, something burned but not gone
🖋 Challenge Prompt
Write a scene where gold, dust, and ash are not just mentioned, but woven into the heartbeat of the scene. They should shape the sensory details, influence the emotions, and maybe even reflect the state of the characters.
For example:
- A ruined ballroom, where gold leaf peels from the walls, dust swirls in abandoned light, and ash still clings to the floor from the last fire.
- A deserted battlefield, where golden armor lies tarnished in the sand, dust drifts over forgotten weapons, and ash floats from smoldering ruins.
- A temple at sunset, glowing gold against the horizon, its halls layered with sacred dust, and ash from burned offerings still warm in the brazier.
💡 Writing Tips
- Anchor each color to a different sense. Gold could be the gleam in the light, dust the dryness in the air, ash the faint bitter taste in the mouth.
- Let the palette mirror emotion. Gold can be bright and hopeful, or fading and false. Dust can feel peaceful or suffocating. Ash can be solemn or cleansing.
- Use contrast and blend. Maybe one color dominates while the others hide in the edges—or all three merge into a hauntingly unified tone.
✍ Mini Prompt to Try
“The sun was sinking when she found it—the gold still gleaming faintly under layers of dust, the air heavy with the scent of ash that no wind could carry away.”
If you take on this challenge, tag your scene with #GoldDustAshChallenge so I can see your creations!
Let’s paint with words—and let the colors tell the story.
Happy Writing ^_^
Sara's Writing Sanctuary 