I found this plastic racing car washed up on a Malaysian beach some years ago, and have kept it ever since. Each time my eyes graze it, I wonder who it once belonged to, and how it came to be ownerless.

The smallest item, lost or discarded, can resonate with possibilities for a short story writer. Glance down occasionally and look out for a dropped earring, a button, a playing card (quite a lot of those appear close to where I live for some reason!) or a misplaced toy. Then begin your story by wondering how it happened to fall there, to lie alone and abandoned by the side of your path.

If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to Judy(at)socket creative.com to let me know. With your permission, I’ll publish it on SkyLightRain.com.