Photography Narrative Help

I have been given an assignment that requires me to create a story with 20 pictures, and then frame 6 to bring in for my tutor to mark. I wanted to do it about a severely depressed man, who ends up taking his own life at the end of the story. The only thing that I am missing is the conflict in the middle of the story; I need to have a reason other than his overbearing sadness, as to why he kills himself. I had trouble with depression a little more than a year ago, but (as a way of coping, no doubt) have forgotten what it was really like, other than being miserable.

Any suggestions on how i could create my story?

You could try and give life to your subjects demons either by overt means or via metaphor.

For instance, a gambling problem could be shown overtly with your subject doing something obvious like being the short stack at a poker game or metaphorically with him walking past an off track betting parlor (or similar) with his collar turned up, head down, shoulders hunched and hands in pockets looking like a "loser."

I'm sure you could do similar things with drugs, self image issues, paranoia, eating disorders, etc...

Have your subjects appearance deteriorate over time and I think that would convey a "downward spiral."

My subject is skinny, so I couldnt really do it about weigh issues, but I could possibly photoshop some scars onto him, to imply self harm. I was also thinking about alcohol being in there somewhere as well, possibly in the background of a shot with him holding his head in his hands.

Loss of one or more family members - a father who has lost his family in a crash of some discription maybe.

I would take a less literal approach. As Jay pointed out use a metaphor or approach it more abstractly. I would even recommend using some type of visual other than the obvious to show death. Have you ever seen the series Death Comes to the Old Lady by Duane Michals?
http://prettygoodphoto​graphy.com …old-lady-by-duane-michals

I would recommend not doing the obvious.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #12381469
I would take a less literal approach. As Jay pointed out use a metaphor or approach it more abstractly. I would even recommend using some type of visual other than the obvious to show death. Have you ever seen the series Death Comes to the Old Lady by Duane Michals?
http://prettygoodphoto​graphy.com …old-lady-by-duane-michals

I would recommend not doing the obvious.

I really liked that series. I have also decided that the complication in my narrative will be his girlfriend leaving him, although that won't be shown directly in the picture. I'm going to have a note with a key placed on top to indicate that she's left him, then another picture with him holding the note but the camera is focused so that the text is unreadable.