A Steering the Craft exercise where you try to weave a large lump of exposition into a story. The crowds stared and whispered, as they did every year. At least it was a different crowd this time. Country folk, gawping and gasping, instead of the sniggers of the city’s thieves and merchants. In all, Queen …
Prompt: All the statues in a major city go missing Janet switched the television to mute. The reporter standing in front of the empty pedestal didn’t have anything new to say and was looking increasingly uncomfortable. She didn’t blame him; the Albert Memorial minus Albert and his attendant symbols of the Empire was an eerie …
A random snippet from a story that went nowhere. The candidates were left to their own devices that morning, provided, they remained in their apartments, so each could be found at a moment’s notice for their meeting with Prince Justin. Marie raised a brow when her maid admitted the official from the night before barely …
The silence at the dinner table was deafening, Maria wanted to clatter her knife against her plate, or her glass, something, anything to break the bitter, suffocating blanket their mother had thrown over all of them and their father was doing his best to ignore. Marcus did it for her, casting down both knife and …
The first time it happened, I was sitting under the kitchen table. It was a good place for a small child in a busy household. Out of the way, unseen, but aware of all the goings-on. So anyway, the first time. It was a holiday, so I wasn’t at school and the kitchen was full …
Emrys walked through the station, making for the café he preferred to use for initial contact meetings. It was public, busy, and open. So, anonymous in a way that only hiding in plain sight could manage. He was in there often enough that all it took was a nod to the people behind the counter …
Another exercise from Steering the Craft, this one playing with tenses and perspectives. Which version do you prefer? Third person, all past tense Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Janice logged in to the blog she’d created all by herself and hit the ‘new post’ button. This week’s recipe ‘From the …
After all the excitement I decided a quiet, at-home day was on the cards the next morning. Chloe had left me a message in the crystal ball. She’d gone up to the tower to visit Ulfgar and I supposed I should follow her up there later. Or not. I sipped my morning cup of tea …
Writing Prompt: You found an abandoned puppy on the side of the road and took it home to keep as a pet. It wasn't until it started to sprout horns did you realise you, unwittingly, adopted a hellhound. It was the eyes, reflecting red in my headlights that caught me. Of course I had to …
Daniel staggered into the bare, single room of his home, leaning back against the rickety wooden door and groaning. A movement by the fireplace caught his eye and he groaned again. “Really? Can’t you go and be inspirational at someone else tonight? I’m exhausted.” Hope rose and drifted towards him. “It is when you’re at …
The DNA of Stories 