The Crow in the Snow – A Writing Prompt for Creativity, Perception and Contrast

Choose a simple contrast—black and white, light and dark, good and bad—and flip the reader’s expectations.

Imagine this:

A vast, snowy field stretching endlessly in every direction. The world is quiet, the air crisp. Everything is covered in a perfect blanket of white—except for one dark figure standing stark against the snow: a crow.

It perches on a low fence post, its feathers glossy and black, eyes sharp as it scans the ground. At first glance, the image might seem eerie, maybe even unsettling. In many stories, crows symbolize mystery, trickery, or even bad omens. But is that really fair?

What if this crow isn’t a sign of doom but a hungry traveler searching for food? What if it has a story to tell—one that flips our expectations?

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Now, picture a different scene:

A cozy, well-lit room—warm and inviting. The soft glow of candles flickers, casting long shadows on the walls. But something is wrong. The air is too still, the quiet too heavy. At the doorway, a black cat lingers, tail flicking. Most people associate darkness with fear, but what if the black cat is the one thing keeping danger at bay?

Your Challenge:

Use the power of contrast to shape the mood and perspective of your story.

🖊️ Choose a simple contrast—black and white, light and dark, good and bad—and flip the reader’s expectations.
🖊️ Experiment with who or what is being judged unfairly—a character, an animal, or even a setting.
🖊️ Make your reader question their first impression.

Think about:

• Who is observing the scene? What do they assume?

• What if their assumption is completely wrong?

• Can you play with small, everyday contrasts in your own stories?

Examples to inspire you:

• A menacing shadow turns out to be a helpful guide.

• A bright, golden light is terrifying evil.

• A villain wears white, and a hero is cloaked in black.

This is a great way to explore how stories shape our perceptions—and how we, as writers, can challenge those perceptions!

Try it out, and let me know what you come up with. I’d love to feature some of your stories in a future post.

Happy writing!