Bridges have the capacity to delight and also terrify me.
On one hand, from a bridge you have an amazing view of whatever it crosses, and it’s a lot of fun to look down at water. On the other hand, a bridge also has the capacity to cross heart-stopping chasm, and that can be terrifying for someone like me who doesn’t like heights.
In the painting above, there’s a small bridge leading to a tiny island where the Torii stands. Since the Torii is the gateway between the normal world and the sacred, the bridge is the path to that possibility. Then, when you look out into the fog – who knows what odd things you might find out there?
If you’re a writer, bridges make great metaphors. They are also natural choke points so you can use them to force characters to have to meet something. They can bring up all kinds of feelings, especially if that bridge happens to be a high railroad trestle with all the world visible between your feet!
Speaking of bridges, portals and gateways, I just finished a short story of about 10,000 words called Gateway Drug. Check it out on my Books Page!
Mindflight 