Category: Writing Prompts

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It tolls for thee: using ‘Bells’ as a writing prompt

If our latest creative writing assignment, ‘Bells,’ has had you staggering around like poor Quasimodo, crying out, “The bells! The bells!” then here are some suggestions to help you.

Church bells offer a range of ‘ap-pealing’ story ideas, whether they’re ringing for a Sunday service, New Year, a wedding or funeral, being used as an alarm for an invasion or a flood, or just rung for practice.

As we’re members of Island Writers, the bell in John Donne’s prose work, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions (why are poets so crap at choosing titles?) may have come to mind:

“No man is an island, entire of itself… any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

The tolling church bell, signifying a death, could vary; in some parts of England, the bell would be tolled nine times for a man, six times for a woman, and three for a child, so people could tell which type of person had died.

Of course, they needn’t be church bells.

There are school bells and ship’s bells, marking the time through the day;

doorbells, alarm clock bells, bicycle bells and fire-bells, rung for attention;

bells worn by animals, such as cowbells in Alpine pastures, tiny bells on a cat’s collar or jingle bells on Santa’s reindeer;

or even bluebells or diving bells, which aren’t rung at all.

So, why are your bells ringing? Who’s ringing them? What would happen if they weren’t rung or didn’t work? Perhaps it is their absence in a foreign land which will stir you to create a poem or story.

Whatever you decide, ‘brrring’ it with you to our next meeting, which, as I’ve already ‘tolled’ you, is February 18th.

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Rounded individuals: using ‘Family Circle’ as a writing prompt

I don’t often get inspired to write by packets of biscuits.

OK, OK, those who know me (and you all do) will be aware that that statement is (ahem) a big fat lie. If it weren’t for large supplies of sugar-laden foods, I probably wouldn’t stay at my writing-desk nearly as long. Let me rephrase. Ordinarily, I come to the group with a planned assignment topic. This time, I forgot, so I glanced down at our refreshment biccies and chose, “Family Circle.”

So, how could you use this subject for creative writing?

Well, firstly, you could take it at face value: a story or poem about a pack of Family Circle biscuits. Maybe they’re given as a gift, which causes a problem for some reason, perhaps they could be part of a poisoning mystery, or maybe the stress of choosing is simply too much for your character.

You could use the most common meaning of the phrase, and write about a ‘family circle’ in the sense of a group of family members. How does being part of a family give you or your character particular pleasure or annoyance? Is there one personality trait or an unusual physical characteristic which all the members of the circle share? Who is excluded from the group – and why?

Or you could focus on the word ‘circle’ in a family context – perhaps the circle in question is Grandma’s wedding ring, or a circle of dancing family members at a celebration, or a circular photograph. Your ‘circle’ might be a dartboard, a flower-bed, a car tyre, a running track, or a circular saw. Or your story might include someone drawing a circle – in the sand, as a tattoo, on a blackboard, or in a letter.

Alternatively, you might have a more abstract family circle in mind: death and rebirth, the circle of life; arguments or discussions going around in circles; the astrological calendar; or karma returning retribution for past sins.

Your piece could be a short story, memoir, poem, letter, blog post, playscript or stream-of-consciousness notes on the topic. Or you could reject the topic completely and decide to write a random story about a planet where porcupine quills are the local currency, or a poem about different types of cheese. Or simply make some active progress on the novel you’re already writing. We’re not fussy!

Whatever you decide, as long as you get ’round’ to doing some new writing, it’s all good.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 21st January, 7 – 9.30pm, Ryde Library.

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All at sea

So, we are marooned here – on our sunny little island, floating like an emerald on a sparkling sea. The Isle of Wight has become our creative writing topic for the next fourteen days, and each of us needs to produce a contribution for our first book.

But what to write?

The Island has nine towns: Ryde, Brading, Newport, Cowes, East Cowes, Yarmouth, Ventnor, Sandown and Shanklin. Then there are villages, such as Freshwater, Newchurch, Arreton, Shalfleet, St Helens or Bembridge. Any of these could be the setting for a short story – preferably one which could happen nowhere else – or the inspiration for a poem. Or why not write a short non-fiction piece about the history of your chosen place?

Childhood memories…

Then there are the many tourist attractions to be found here, which could be the source of a piece of humorous writing set in the modern day, or a nostalgic childhood memoir: Blackgang Chine, Robin Hill, Monkey Haven, the Steam Railway, the model village at Godshill or the alpaca farm in West Wight.

The Island is stuffed with historical landmarks which may stir you to create some great writing. As well as some wonderful old churches and charming manor houses, we have intriguing historic places such as Osborne House, St Catherine’s Lighthouse, Carisbrooke Castle, Brading Roman Villa, Quarr Abbey, Fort Victoria, Appley Tower or the Pepperpot – oops! I mean, St Catherine’s Oratory. If you haven’t been anywhere lately, why not plan a visit in the next couple of weeks? Seeing the place in winter could give a new perspective to your creative writing. Think about what these buildings meant to the people who built them and lived there in the past, or their significance to the Islanders and tourists who visit today. Perhaps focusing on one particular part of the building, such as a beautiful window, elegant fireplace or time-battered turret, will catch your imagination and spark a story.

Who says we don’t have camels on the Isle of Wight, Yvie?

Of course, we have many Island events which could give you a setting for your plot – the Garlic Festival, Sandown Carnival, Wolverton Manor Garden Fair, Mardi Gras, the Round the Island Race, the Island Highland Gathering or Walk the Wight.

With parts of the Island designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, enjoyment of the natural world could be the theme of your piece. One of those hidden beaches the grockles never find, country walks at Bonchurch or Whippingham, the Lavender Farm, fossil-hunting trips in West Wight, riding the chair-lift at Alum Bay, sailing at Cowes or bird-watching at the nature reserve – it’s all good, as long as it’s specifically happening here. Or maybe you could create a poem about the Island at night, with ferries sliding silently over the Solent like vast, illuminated wedding-cakes, and the lights of Portsmouth glittering across the water, so close, yet far away.

And of course, you may have something to say about the Isle of Wight as a whole, or the experience of living on an island – a contrast with mainland life, the ferry journey (don’t forget to set your watch back to 1975), Island dialect, or a feeling of detachment from everyday life, family and friends on the mainland. Whatever you choose, you should find our multi-faceted isle a rich source of ideas.

The next Island Writers meeting is 3 December at Ryde Library – so get writing!

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I closed my eyes, drew back the curtain…

It’s curtains for you! And you should be delighted.

The latest writing assignment for Island Writers is “Behind the Curtain.” And, like doors, curtains can be a fertile source of ideas for writers.

Curtains can be elaborate and decorative or purely functional. They have several uses: they can conceal what is inside or outside, they can be used to form a temporary divider between two spaces, and they can offer protection from draughts.

So, what is your curtain hiding?

Maybe it’s a net curtain, disguising you (or your character) from people outside. A nosy person peering through the nets to see the neighbours going about their business, or a chance view of something you weren’t meant to see?

Curtains let us hide from others, but they also hide those on the other side. When you close your windows at night, you can’t see who – or what – might be lurking out there in the darkness, which gives an illusion of safety. Perfect for a horror story. Who could forget that shower scene in Psycho?

The main purpose of curtains is to give privacy. Once we’re behind the curtains, we may behave in ways which are very different from our public life. What do your characters get up to once the curtains are shut?

And that privacy may come at a cost. If people can’t see into your home, they can’t see you’re in need of help. An injured person could be lying inside the house, too weak to cry out for help, with passers-by just the other side of the windows…

Your curtain need not be made of cloth. A curtain of rain or fog might lift to reveal an unforgettable spectacle, or a willow tree could provide a secret hiding place behind its leafy curtains. Or it could be an entirely metaphorical curtain, representing emotional detachment, social isolation or the divide between life and death.

Not all curtains are made to cover windows. Your curtain might divide a bedroom for two argumentative children, be part of a four-poster bed, or hide a doorway or alcove. Or perhaps the curtain in a fashion store changing-room or a hospital ward could be the starting point for your creative writing.

You might choose to relive the sense of excitement when waiting for the curtain in a theatre to rise – whether you’re in the audience or on the stage. Or perhaps your story takes place at the end of the performance, after the curtains have closed.

Yes, July has five Tuesdays this year, so you’ve got a bit longer to get your assignment done this time. But don’t forget we’re meeting at Yelfs for drinks and writerly chat on Tuesday 30 July, 7pm.

Just like a nosy neighbour, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s behind your curtain at our next meeting at Ryde Library on Tuesday 6 August, 7pm.

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Breaking the chain: why Samuel Johnson was right

I chose the theme of Broken things for our last Island Writers meeting. I was feeling a bit broken myself, so it seemed appropriate.

We talked about people’s negative attitudes to broken things – I suggested that we see them as not important enough to bother keeping safe, or we feel disgust that they are now useless and only worth throwing away. They can be a visible expression of violent activity, or of a lack of care.

Some of you argued that shabby old broken items can be loved more for sentimental reasons because of their condition, and that a broken item might be kept as a reminder that we have survived bad times.

In creative writing, broken things can be used to show violent behaviour or strong emotions, such as in a TV scene where an angry or frightened character clutches a wine glass so tightly that it shatters. This particular trope is over-used, but the writing principle is sound.

The inclusion of something broken can also be used to represent an abstract concept, such as a broken relationship or psychological damage. A cracked mirror could stand for bad luck, or a broken window could be a metaphor for breaking the boundaries of normal social behaviour.

Something breaking in a story can be a turning point, representing a moment of change or a break in the cycle of events, so I asked you all to write a piece where the act of something being broken created a significant turning point in someone’s life.

I think most of you will agree that the standard of writing this topic produced was particularly high, and it was interesting that the breakage didn’t always represent a negative idea – notably, Katie’s idea of an egg breaking because a chick is hatching.

Continuing the theme, our assignment for next time is Breaking the chain.

Samuel Johnson once said, “The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” He was right. We don’t always realise our patterns of behaviour until things change.

I was always the quiet, studious one of the family. Since we were children, my sister Lucy has been my opposite self: the wacky, confident, popular person I wish I could be.

As most of you will be aware, shortly after reaching home after our meeting, I heard that she had died after a long illness.

I never made friends before I learned she was dying, because I didn’t need any – she was my best friend. She was always my go-to person, as I was hers, to discuss life decisions and creative projects: weddings, child care, jobs, cooking, holidays, home décor, crazy themed parties, family problems, business ventures and writing ideas.

Now the chain that bound us together is broken after 53 years, and I am having to reach out to new people and teach myself new habits.

I won’t try to be Lucy, and I will always miss her terribly. But perhaps in having to stand alone at last, I will make the effort and find the confidence to be the lively, sociable, interesting person who was always there inside my head.

Lucy’s son James asked me to write the last post on her blog, Lucy’s Last Post. I so wish I could tell her: she would have enjoyed the irony.

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What makes the perfect creative writing space?

What’s the perfect place for your writing?

Our latest assignment title, The perfect writing space, was chosen as a useful point to ponder for those of us who haven’t been doing any (ahem) much writing lately.

Quite a few of us have been off on our travels or away on visits. In some cases, we returned empty-handed, saying we were too busy to write.

Geoff, on the other hand, returned from his cruise with a couple of new chapters. So, was this brilliant writing progress conclusive proof of just how incredibly boring his holiday was? I’d like to think so – but I’m only jealous! Could it be a token of how devoted he is to his writing, that he could manage to write, even while on holiday? Or perhaps it was due to the inspiring nature of the places he visited? I’m sure this must have helped, if only subconsciously.

Have you felt energised to write in a special place? Or about it, after you got home? How do you feel when you try to write in different places?

Some writers can feel creative anywhere – they just need their laptop or a notebook and pen and they can get started. For others, only their familiar desk will do, and writing will just have to wait until they get home.

My favourite writing space. Maybe I should actually do some?

What’s special about the place where you feel most comfortable doing your writing? Is it the equipment you have available and the way it’s laid out?

Maybe it’s the smell of cinnamon and the sound of a purring cat, or a particular snack or drink, or the view from the window? What elements constitute the perfect creative writing space for you? What do you find motivates or distracts you? Have you found your perfect writing place yet?

If you prefer, feel free to write poetry or fiction on the topic. Perhaps your main character is searching for the perfect writing space, or is that merely an excuse? Or maybe they have found a place which changes their style of writing?

Anyway, you’re all wrong. The perfect writing space is Ryde Library, on Tuesday 18th June, 7-9.30pm. Be there and I’ll prove it.

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Gnome sweet gnome?

I’m in an impish frame of mind, so here’s our Easter writing assignment… Gnomes in the Garden.

So, what kind of gnomes? Any kind you like. They can be real live gnomes, living in a garden, or the traditional garden ornament. They can just be small-type people or have magical powers.

What kind of garden is it? Overgrown or well-kept? Which features does it have – a pond, a summer house, a rockery, vegetable patch, bird table, or even a sundial with a gnomon?

How did the gnomes get into the garden? Have they just arrived, or were they always there? If they aren’t alive, were they put there as a joke, or as some kind of protest?

Does the owner of the garden know they’re there, or do they lead secret Borrowers-style lives, while the humans are totally oblivious to their existence?
Does everyone know, or just one or two people, who want to gnome-ore about them? Or is it an alternative world, where everybody has gnomes in their garden?

How does the owner of the garden feel about the gnomes, if they do know? Proud and pleased about their presence, completely indifferent, or angry and invaded? How do household pets feel about the gnomes?

Do the gnomes just want to be left alone, or are they friendly? Or perhaps they’re a warrior race who are preparing to attack?

So, what’s your story? Do the gnomes cause problems? Are they in danger? Is their arrival a mystery to be solved?

It’s up to you. Gnome-atter what you decide, we’ll look forward to hearing your story or poem at our next meeting, on Tues 7th May.

Have a Happy Easter.

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A mystery boxful of creative writing possibilities

At the last Island Writers meeting, I gave you the assignment title, The Mysterious Box. And the only stipulation was that the box should NOT contain the traditional sort of treasure, i.e. gold coins, jewels etc.

Our treasure-themed meeting had already produced several variations on the idea of a box found in the attic after someone had died, so perhaps we can come up with some other ideas.

It doesn’t need to be an ancient wooden chest, of course. It could be a battered old biscuit tin, a plain cardboard box, a pretty gift box, a filigree metal casket or an elegant china trinket box.

Perhaps your box is mysterious simply because it’s an unexpected parcel, or a strangely-wrapped gift.

Or maybe the box itself looks peculiar, hinting at some unusual contents?

How did it come into your (or your character’s) possession?

Did it arrive by postal delivery, or was it given as a present, or was it hidden there, unnoticed, until it was found?

Was it meant for you, or have you accidentally received an item intended for someone else?

Will opening the box bring pleasure or sadness, interesting knowledge, special power, disappointment… or danger? Or will what you find inside start an unexpected chain of events?

So – if it’s not a personal question – what’s inside YOUR box?

We’ll find out at our next meeting on Tues 2nd April.

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Where the road ends…

Our latest writing assignment is Where the road ends… – but that needn’t be a barrier to your creativity.

What kind of road will you (or your character) choose? A winding, overgrown country lane, a street of suburban houses, an unmade track into the desert or a busy motorway?

How are you travelling? Trudging on foot, or walking easily and confidently? Cursing at your unreliable, battered old truck? Or speeding along without a care in the world, until suddenly…

Are you alone, or accompanied by your family or dog, or following a crowd of others?

So, where can your journey lead you? Maybe at the end of the road there’s a town or building which will be important, a strange experience, an escape from danger or someone you’ve been waiting to meet. Perhaps you don’t know what you’ll find, and the point of your story or poem is the journey itself rather than the ending.

Of course, it may not be an actual road you’re travelling. A road can be a metaphor for your journey through life, or through an emotional experience.

The next Island Writers meeting is Tuesday 19th March, so if you haven’t thought about your assignment yet, it’s time to get writing. After all, who knows where the road ends?

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Tunnel vision: secrets, surprises or life changes

Our next writing assignment is The Tunnel.

It can be any kind of tunnel, from a rocky cave entrance with deep-hidden secrets, to a journey through a modern road or rail tunnel.

It could be a scenic tunnel effect made by trees, the Tunnel of Love at a fairground, an animal’s burrow, a coal mine, or even a child’s colourful play tunnel!

The topic was chosen because in a piece of writing, a tunnel can function as a portal, with some kind of surprise at the other side.

The emotions created by enclosed spaces can also be a trigger to realising important truths, or making decisions about life, with a change happening to your character between entering and coming out the other end.

Your tunnel could be metaphorical, representing a frightening or sorrowful experience. Or perhaps it is a place of safety, to shelter from dangers outside?

As always, your assignment piece can be poetry or prose or any other style of writing, with no limitation on genre.

And if you can’t get inspired by tunnels of any kind – simply do some other new writing on a different subject.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 5th March, so tunnel out and come and share your latest writing.