Inspiration Part 18 - Junkyards

Welcome back,

It has been a while since I have written an inspiration post based off of my explorations. Well, this month I looked through my archived photos and found that I still had not posted my trip to the junkyard. Seeing as I have been going through a lot of my own junk recently, I felt it was the opportune time to share these photos.

**Please note, that junkyards are dangerous and one should not travel there without permission or supervision. These photos were taken from a safe distance, while supervised by one of the yards workers. Permission was acquired from the site’s owner, but they still would like to remain anonymous.**

A junkyard is a place where scrap is collected before being discarded, reused, or recycled. The inspiration that can be pulled from these types of locations is just as varied as the waste that you can find in it. It’s content can be anything, from old cars, appliances, tools, office supplies, toys, etc.

Take cars for examples. Junkyards can be a great place for someone to get an up and close look to a discontinued model, or a vehicle that we don’t come across that often. Granted, their conditions may be less than exemplary, but they still give us a good idea of size, shape and content. Not to mention their broken down state might be useful for describing cars in stories with severe car accidents or a post-apocalyptic setting.

           Cars are the most noticeable content in a junkyard, mainly because of the size and the space they take, but if we take the time to look around, we can find so much more. Literally tons of scrap are kept here, any piece of which could strike inspiration. Maybe you are looking for old car parts to help describe a war/junk machine like those in Mad Max, or maybe some crusty old tool that could be used as a weapon.

           Besides their overabundance of scrap, junkyard locations can serve as inspiration as well. They make great settings for a variety of stories. Maybe you need an isolated location for a superhero battle, or a hideout for an antagonist, or maybe even a symbolic refuge for a coming of age story. Junkyards can be very versatile in writing, and have been used in many different genres.

           Admittedly this was one of my favorite urban locations to explore. There was so much more I wish I could have taken pictures of, but safety (and the yard workers) demanded I avoid certain areas and keep a safe distance. Regardless, I had a great time, and hope these images have given you ideas for your next story.

Until next time.

Cheers,

            Patrick Osborne