Story idea

[TarnishedPenny]

A sculptor is asked to repair a statue of an angel in the local graveyard. He is amazed at not only the quality of the work, but also the radiant beauty of the woman portrayed in it. Doing some research, he finds that the original artist married the woman who modelled for the sculpture. He is visiting the graveyard to check dimensions of the pedestal or something when he sees the exact double of the angel, a young woman who is laying flowers on a nearby grave. She turns out to be the great-granddaughter of the sculptor. Our sculptor is smitten with her and asks her to model for his repairs. After some persuasion, she agrees. And then…

The above has the artist as male and the model as female, but that’s pretty flexible, I think. My use of a graveyard is a matter of convenience; both the location and how the two meet are flexible. It could equally well be a statue in a private collection, a war memorial, etc.

 

[Husky_Embrace]

I like the idea. There is his facination with a woman of history, who might not even be real. Then he meets her (descendent). It makes him pine for her.

However, I would like to know more. So far he's infatuated with the statue, and a woman just happens to look like it. They have nothing to share except the statue, and only one can have the infatuation with it and make sense. How is she going to get a connection? That is my biggest problem here. Just falling for him might be cheap? It could work if they are close together in the workplace, but I hope for an extra connection.

Maybe how her grandmother said that only someone who could do her justice in stone could steal her heart, and it repeats now? How his hands sculpted her body, and his words sculpted her soul? It establishes a connection through mirroring the situation in the present day. You can double down on it by having failed relationships of the children if there's no artist involved. Art created more than the art itself. The art made their relationships. An invisible canvas, only visible in the loving interaction of the people involved.

 

[OnlyHappyEndings]

He meets her in the graveyard and his only interactions are there. He suggests they have dinner or something and she makes vague excuses. Drawn to each other, they kiss, profess their attraction. But artist is reluctant to go further among the graves. 'I can't leave this place,' she says, 'You know that, don't you?'

 

[Rob_Royale]

I think its a lovely opening for a romance. I would lean toward a lesbian romonace, perhaps of the May/December variety.

The artist asks her to pose for a series of artworks and they become friends and then lovers.

But there has to be some sort of tension or secret. You can go supernatural like @OnlyHappyEndings suggested or give the muse a checkered past complete with an abusive ex who wants her back.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

The 2nd statue is in a church where they're attending a wedding. Quirk - both are atheist, or perhaps practicing another religion than the church's. Both are attracted to the other but a little concerned that the other's a 'believer', and don't want to upset their believer friends who're getting married by making waves. How do they learn about the other's faith (or lack thereof)?

 

[Carnevil9]

He meets her in the graveyard and his only interactions are there. He suggests they have dinner or something and she makes vague excuses. Drawn to each other, they kiss, profess their attraction. But artist is reluctant to go further among the graves. 'I can't leave this place,' she says, 'You know that, don't you?'

I like this approach a lot.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

-snip-
But there has to be some sort of tension or secret. You can go supernatural like @OnlyHappyEndings suggested or give the muse a checkered past complete with an abusive ex who wants her back.

Could be done as supernatural, or erotic horror/nonhuman - that ‘granddaughter’ ain’t human! - or sci-fi, or romance/erotic coupling/les/gay/etc (it’s all coincidences, honest!). The basic premise is wide open, and for a challenge, writing a series of stories based on that basic concept and warping it into as many different categories (each in its own post) could be interesting - how much has to change in the tale to make itc fit in each?

 

[UsuallyPresent]

A sculptor is …

You keep coming up with neat plot bunnies. Congrats, enjoy my long-distance applause & disgruntlement - why didn’t I think of that?!?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

why didn’t I think of that?!?

Probably your youth and innocence.

But I’m glad you like it!

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Probably your youth and innocence.

ROFL! Thanks for that laugh! While there are definitely people with more years and experience than I’ve had to date, very few would use the term ‘innocent’ while describing me.

But I’m glad you like it!

And I do! One of the things I love about this place is all the creativity which sidesteps my expectations but doesn’t snap my suspenders of disbelief. The original sketch here potentially being a great start on one such.