For all of us who haven’t done much creative writing lately, here’s a challenge.
It’s based on something Katie’s been doing during lockdown (so, yes, it’s all her fault). She found a daily writing prompt gave her more incentive to get some writing done. So, here’s the assignment for next time.
Write at least 50 words a day for two weeks – and here are the daily topics:
Wellies
Mountain
Pen
Cats
Rainbow
Autograph
Cave
Ringing
Bus
Blood
Scales
Beach
Unlucky
Wood
As always, the prompt is as flexible as you like. So, if the subject is ‘Cats,’ you could write about feline animals, but you might choose to use other meanings: the musical Cats, cat-o’-nine-tails whips, catamarans or catty people, for example.
And your writing could be a simple paragraph of description, or be developed into a poem, memoir, short story, play-script or any other format – you certainly don’t have to stop after 50 words if you can write more.
I’ll be putting daily reminders on the Island Writers Facebook group – let us know how you get on, even if you can’t make it to meetings!
NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY 17 AUGUST, 7pm-9pm at our house.
Scribbled down in a hurry, sometimes our attempts at creative writing can be… well, superficial. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A short story or poem can be simple, lighthearted and entertaining; it doesn’t need to be imbued with deeply significant psychological resonance to be worth reading.
But our new assignment title, Skin, was chosen because it offers the opportunity to get under the surface of our characters and perhaps create something more subtle and nuanced.
In a literal sense, the skin is the body’s protective layer, of course, but it’s more than that. It has become a social signifier to other people, revealing information about our age, our ethnic background, our state of health, and sometimes our relationship status, social groupings and personal tastes.
We decorate it with cosmetics and tattoos, lighten it with bleach or darken it with sunbed sessions, scent it with perfumes and smooth it with oils. Usually these are attempts to subvert the information our skin signals to others: to look younger or healthier or more aggressive, or just different from (or the same as) other people. Why might your character want to achieve this?
Even without these efforts, the outer appearance people present – or try to present – in public can be a metaphorical protective ‘skin,’ very different from the emotions hidden underneath.
Skin is also the organ for our sense of touch: the most important way we interact with and explore our world.
It’s how we express love, anger, sympathy and a myriad other feelings in a physical way, and how we experience pleasure and pain, heat and cold, freedom and confinement.
A character in the James Bond film The World is Not Enough is unable to feel physical sensations at all. In the film, he’s depicted as super-powerful, unable to feel tiredness or suffer injury – but what would life really be like for someone who cannot sense anything through their skin?
Our latest Island Writers creative writing assignment takes its inspiration from the famous science fiction novel by Robert A Heinlein:
Stranger in a Strange Land.
It seems perfectly fair to borrow his title, considering Heinlein borrowed it in the first place, from the Book of Moses in the Bible.
Heinlein’s theme, an alien experiencing Earth as an alien world, still has plenty of scope for creative writing, as does the Biblical idea of journeying for hundreds of miles to find a new home. However, your assignment doesn’t have to be science fiction, or religious writing, although it can be.
Your ‘stranger’ may be much closer to home: an ordinary person who has come to an unfamiliar setting or lifestyle, perhaps a city slicker lost in the wilderness, someone facing the trials of their first day at college, a club or a new job, or some other social milieu where everyone else seems to know the rules.
The important thing is to allow your writing to express the universal experience of being an outsider. Whether you’re creating a short story, poem, personal memoir or opinion piece, fill it with the emotions which will resonate with every reader. We’ve all been that stranger… but will yours find acceptance or rejection?
If you’re trying to remember all the assignments in case you’ve missed one (or perhaps more than one!) here is a list of the most recent ones:
Is your creativity feeling trapped? These long months of lockdown have left many of us struggling to write anything more challenging than a shopping list.
It’s not merely the physical restrictions of having to stay indoors, or events and clubs (including Island Writers meetings) being cancelled. The financial and practical issues of changes in business, job losses and working from home have affected almost everyone. Social distancing, wearing masks and being unable to invite friends and family to visit have left some people emotionally detached, trapped inside a mental bubble and often unable to express what’s wrong.
So, maybe it’s time to start planning our escape!
I had expected that we’d be allowed back to Ryde Library soon, but sadly it doesn’t look like that will be happening yet. Until that time, we’ll be returning to monthly Zoom meetings to keep in touch, and if the weather holds, we’ll try some mini-meetings in our garden – contact me if you’re interested.
No doubt you are all longing for our next assignment – oh, yes, you are! – so our subject is to write about someone or something which is trapped and wants to escape.
Your main character could be a person or an animal, of course, but there are other possibilities – even a Triffid-style plant.
Perhaps your trapped creature is a ghost or spirit, or you might prefer to write about a more abstract thing such as a snowflake escaping from a cloud, or water trapped behind a dam.
Whether your writing is a sorrowful, reflective piece about the trapped creature’s feelings or an action-packed escape from danger is up to you. Or maybe your character is only trapped temporarily and it’s a humorous situation, causing embarrassment rather than mortal peril.
Your assignment can be a story, memoir, poem or play-script, or you may like to experiment with another format such as a sequence of letters or diary entries – whatever you feel is appropriate to the subject matter.
Come and share your assignment at the next Island Writers Zoom meeting on Tuesday 15th September, 7.30pm – watch your email inbox or Facebook Messenger for an invitation.
Our current writing assignment is: THAT SEEMS SIGNIFICANT. So, what are we to do with it it?
We have a tendency to look for significance in everyday things found in nature. The shape of a leaf, an unusual-coloured pebble, or a well-timed crash of thunder, could be taken as a good or bad sign, giving an answer to a problem for your story character. Or if you’d rather write a memoir, perhaps you have a memory of finding something significant which helped you to make a decision?
We see ‘faces’ in random objects, from potatoes to buildings – a phenomenon called pareidolia – and many people give them such significance that they choose to buy things or reject them depending on whether they are friendly-looking or scary. This attitude could create a good opportunity for conflict between two story characters – but is it foolish superstition, or are they right to trust their gut instincts?
We assign the quality of being ‘lucky’ to the socks we were wearing when we scored that winning goal, or the bracelet we chose when we got that brilliant job offer. A character having to manage without the confidence of these items can be believed to prove or disprove whether they’re really significant. Then we have lucky or unlucky numbers, lucky colours… the Daily Telegraph’s spoof horoscope column even had such things as “lucky biscuit: custard cream.” A decision based on a horoscope column’s ‘lucky colour’ or the decision to buy the house at No. 13 could be the inciting incident to start your story, or an idea for a poem.
For many people, the search for significance is what life’s all about. But we may be deluding ourselves. Perhaps life is, as Macbeth described it, “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” And maybe the significance in your writing is that nothing is actually significant.
If you have nothing to say on the subject of significance, feel free to take it as a sign that you should pick another subject and write about that instead!
Our next Zoom meeting will be Tuesday 2nd June, 7pm. Watch your inbox for the link!
The eagle-eyed ones among you will have spotted something missing from our last meeting, on Tuesday 21st April.
Like… umm… all of it.
I’m afraid I have been conspicuous by my absence – I had intended to try to set up Zoom meetings for Island Writers, but I haven’t worked out how to do it yet. I’ll try for next time, so please sign up for a free account on Zoom now, while you’re waiting for an invitation from me. I’m certain you all miss me so much, you’d love your screen to be filled with a large image of my face!
Something else that’s been missing from my life in the last few weeks is creative writing. I’ve been editing two books for friends, and have barely glanced at my own books for over a month.
Yesterday, I finished editing the second book and heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, I could get on with my writing.
And then a new Facebook message popped up – another friend asked me to edit their book! Well, I will, of course (because I love editing), but this month, I’m determined that I will also make time for my own work. I keep monthly stats of how much writing I’ve done, and last month’s are positively embarrassing! And, anyway, I miss writing.
So I’ve decided that our next writing topic should be Missing.
Who or what are you missing most, during lockdown? A person, a pet, a place, an activity, a feeling?
Is there something you miss for another reason, perhaps something you enjoyed as a child, which is no longer available?
Is your short story or poem about a missing item… or a missing person?
Is your character missing an appointment, or an important target?
Is something important missing from your (or your character’s) life?
Oh, and by the way… no pressure, but…
This assignment is the last one before the first Island Writers book is published, so if you want your writing to be in it – don’t miss this chance!
And don’t forget to sign up for Zoom, ready for our first online meeting, which I hope will be Tuesday 5th May at 7pm (to be confirmed).
Well, it looks like we won’t be seeing each other any time soon, but perhaps this enforced isolation will give us more time for creative writing. According to Chantal, Shakespeare wrote King Lear during quarantine from the plague. Whether that’s true or not, let’s stick to it and not waste the opportunity!
Feeling stuck on our current assignment title: Sticky Stuff?
Okay, so, what things are sticky?
Sellotape, duct tape and glue, of course. Superglue is famous for sticking things you didn’t intend to stick together. Wallpaper paste is particularly hard for inexperienced decorators to use correctly, which can produce comic results. Perhaps you have a memory of using one of these in childhood, or doing DIY as an adult, which could spark a story or poem.
Then there are various foodstuffs: toffee, syrup, honey, treacle, bubble gum, even candy floss, marzipan or glace cherries, although many other foods can leave sticky fingers which could cause a problem as a basis for your story.
Looking at the natural world for inspiration, there are spider-webs, geckos’ feet, goosegrass, Venus flytraps, and various animals which cling to things, as limpets do, for example. One of these could be a good metaphor for a poem about human relationships.
Or perhaps you would prefer something awkward and hard to handle, metaphorically sticky – a sticky situation. Remember, your story or poem doesn’t have to be about sticky stuff – it only needs to include something sticky, or someone sticking something. If a character sticks a stamp on the crucial letter, or licks their sticky fingers after spreading marmalade on their morning toast, they can get on with whatever’s happening in the story without needing to work in a glue factory or be an amateur beekeeper.
I hope you’ll all give this assignment a try, and don’t assume there won’t be that dreaded moment when I ask, “What writing have you done in the last two weeks?” because I WILL be asking you on Facebook on 7 April, anyway – and it’s no good claiming you were away on holiday!
Stick with your writing – Island Writers will be back as soon as we can.
I’m sorry this ‘meeting’ is late. Having to put Island Writers on hold suddenly was a shock, but it had to be done then, before it was too late. I’m investigating online meetings, but I was too late to sort anything out for Tuesday night.
Are you sensing a theme here? Yup – this week, it’s Lateness.
What effects can lateness have?
Missing a chance, losing a job, spoiling an event or activity for other people, breaking up with a friend or partner, being unable to prevent something bad happening… could arriving late ever cause a positive effect?
How do we feel when we think we’re going to be late?
Emotionally – irritated, angry, worried, nervous, terrified – or relieved?
Physically – heart pounding, sweating, tightness in throat or chest, panting or gasping for breath, feeling sick…
How do we behave differently when we’re worried we’ll be late?
Decide to skip part of our normal routine e.g. buying a newspaper on the way to work, move more quickly, do things carelessly and have accidents, treat people rudely, forget items we’d intended to take…
So, what causes lateness?
Lack of consideration for others. We keep people waiting after an agreed meeting time (oops!) because we put our own preferences and convenience ahead of theirs, and see no reason why we shouldn’t.
Disorganisation. We intend to arrive somewhere or complete an activity by a certain cut-off point, but ‘somehow’ we don’t manage to achieve it – because we don’t organise and plan adequately. There’s an element of inconsiderateness here, too, but not always – being too late to catch a train does not inconvenience the other passengers, only you, as you arrive panting on the platform to see the train disappearing round the bend.
Unwillingness. Sometimes the conflict between duty and personal wish causes lateness. We know we’ve got to do it, but we can’t bring ourselves to get started – we delay for just one more thing… and another. Have you seen those t-shirts that say, ‘I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t want to come.’?
Luck. We make perfectly adequate plans, but on this occasion, the universe decides to thwart our wishes. We allow plenty of time for the task, but an emergency crops up. We catch the bus on time, but there’s a delay on the journey.
3-MINUTE EXERCISE: Make a list of words and phrases connected with lateness.
Running late, get the sack, better late than never, see you later, overslept…
15-MINUTE EXERCISE: Write a piece (short story/poem/playscript/memoir/whatever) which includes someone who is desperate not to arrive late.
Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with… or have I left it too late?
Oh, I suppose you’d all like an Assignment as well…
Ever wished you hadn’t chosen a certain writing topic? Sometimes, you have a bright idea, and you start writing, full of hope, and then suddenly… you realise it’s just not gonna work: the premise is fundamentally flawed. Much to your regret, no matter what you do, your story or poem is doomed.
Then again, you might have a topic – like ‘Regrets’ – thrust upon you by the evil leader of your writers’ group, and get home and think, ‘What on earth was she thinking? How are we meant to write anything about THAT?’
We all have regrets in life. And, of course, an easy response to the topic would be a memoir of a time when you did, or didn’t, do something, then regretted the decision later. The advantage of a memoir is that you already know the characters and the plotline, so you can concentrate on powerful use of language to tell your story in the most effective way.
The main trouble with this idea is: regret is painful. And maybe you don’t want to write a sad piece, revealing to the world how you did something unkind or foolish. But you don’t have to. You could write about a risk you took which you don’t regret because it paid off in the end.
Or your ‘memoir’ could be pure fiction, recalling your regrets about the time you won a million and spent the lot in six crazy months, or how you regret turning down the opportunity to go on the first manned mission to Jupiter.
If you prefer to write short stories or play-scripts, your character could regret something. Try one of these opening lines:
I’ll always regret opening the last box…
Marion had always felt she was too sensible to waste time on regrets.
‘If you walk out of that door, you’ll regret it, Simon. I mean it!’
The letter began, ‘I regret to inform you…’
There was only one reason to regret Mr Crawley’s death…
Alternatively, you could try a rewrite of a well-known story, where the character doesn’t take the action which led to a happy ending in the original version. Perhaps Cinderella keeps a good eye on the clock and leaves the ball sensibly at half past eleven. Or Elizabeth Bennet decides reluctantly to marry Mr Collins, her odious clergyman cousin, so when she falls in love with Mr Darcy, it’s too late.
But if your floor is covered with crumpled papers and you’re getting nowhere, don’t despair. Try writing a list of ‘20 reasons why I regret…‘ something – as long as it’s not ‘…joining a writers’ group!’
Or simply choose another topic and write about that instead. We’re quite happy if you turn up with a piece of Star Wars fan-fiction, a strange ranting piece about your neighbour’s dustbins or a poem about your old teddy bear. As long as it’s new writing, not some old piece you dusted off and added ‘regret’ in the middle to fit the topic. That’s not the idea at all.
And if you really feel you can’t write anything this time? Come to the meeting anyway – or you may regret it.
Next meeting: Tuesday 17 March, 7pm-9pm, Ryde Library.
Island Writers’ creative writing topic this time is ARCHWAY.
The engineering advantage of the arch is its ability to provide supporting strength without solidity, which is why the arch is used for railway bridges and viaducts, as well as buildings with heavy roofs, such as cathedrals and temples. Any of these could be the setting for your short story, or the topic of a poem or piece of descriptive writing.
Gateway Arch, St Louis, Missouri
An incidental advantage is that by the rules of its construction, the arch has an elegant symmetry and proportions which naturally please the eye. This intrinsic beauty has led to arches being used as statement pieces in both classic and ultra-modern monuments. Which famous arches have you visited on your travels? Or maybe your characters are building a monumental arch – what are they celebrating?
Arc de Triomphe, Paris
As arches are frequently used over gateways or required to span the width of doorways on important public buildings such as colleges, churches and law courts, passing through an arch has come to symbolise passing from one state to another, which is why bridal flower arches are popular at weddings. Your archway could be a portal from the everyday modern world to a different, magical place, or your character’s change of state could be symbolised by the arch – from safety to danger, from childhood to adult life, from pride to disgrace, or from imprisonment to freedom.
From a writer’s perspective, perhaps the most interesting part of an archway is not the arch itself, but the space underneath.
Another aspect of the arch is the protection it can offer, due to the shelter or darkness underneath. Perhaps your character needs to shelter there from rain, hail or snow. and finds an unusual person or an animal hiding there, or a mysterious item secreted in the shadows of the arch.
So, if it’s not a personal question, (she said, archly) what’s under your arch?
