She looked Lyra over and gave a single nod that somehow managed to combine approval, relief, and commiseration. She set the box on the bed and opened the lid. Folded inside was the dress. Or more accurately, a fine linen under-gown, an over-gown in silk lighter than a breeze, shoes and a belt. Lyra shed …
I'm going to use the next five Wednesdays to post the same scene from different points of view. It's a fun exercise, and you learn a lot about the characters in the scene. The prompt: Princess Sofia-Anna of Bulgavia is in Wittleup Princess Sofia-Anna of Bulgavia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She’d managed to get …
Professor Jones grinned and pumped Mikkel’s hand enthusiastically. “Such a pleasure to finally meet you.” Mikkel murmured something suitably similar in reply and glanced around him, the hallway of the Archaeology Building seemed unusually dimly lit. Professor Jones grimaced. “We seem to be having some trouble with the electricity, or maybe the wiring, this morning. …
Prompt: An heiress is found dead in a shopping mall. Beside the body is a bikini and a puddle of vinegar. Can you explain what happened? Detective Sarah Michaels looked over the crime scene and heaved a sigh. This one was going to be a nightmare. Celebrity deaths always were, and this one was weird …
A writing exercise where you alternate positive and negative statements. Emrys opened his flat’s front door and scanned the interior, nothing disturbed, nothing amiss, he was home. His eyes narrowed and he pulled the recurve bow from the umbrella stand by the door, notching an arrow, drawing and firing in one movement. The arrow, fletched …
Read part 1 here... And so, as Aria began constructing her wardrobe, and studying every gossip sheet she could lay her hands on, Cressida boarded the coach to the university, and sank into study of every other kind. One trick she had learned from Aria though, or maybe Aria had learned it from her; gossip …
The following morning, she sent a message to the Sanctuary, with her apologies, she couldn’t assist that day. After consulting with Maryam, the red dress, now more blotched than ever, was removed, never to be discussed again. She had a feeling the housekeeper had sent it to the guild of dyers with a polite note, …
First part of an exercise contrasting the same place at different times of day, I didn't pay much attention to be honest... The light through the attic windows was fading, and Lana dusted her hands off on her jeans as she went to switch the overhead lamp on. The day might be nearly over, but …
As the one friend scurried out of the door, and the other looked confused, but settled happily enough when handed wine, Khalik hissed. “They don’t know the Prince is coming, it’s a surprise, don’t spoil it.” It wasn’t going to be her doing the spoiling but obedient to his request, she kept quiet as the …
Every morning, when Claudia hopped out of the shower, she checked the mirror. More specifically, she checked the message written in the steamed-up mirror. It had been there ever since she could remember. Following her through childhood and then multiple house moves. She’d learnt early to never mention it. Her mother had praised her imagination …
The DNA of Stories 