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Writing to entertain and encourage other writers. To keep you informed of events, workshops, retreats and conferences available for writers.

The Love of Dance

Saturday 31 January 2015

The three prompt challenge.

Due to illness last week, I didn't post. In fact this week hasn't been much better, not me ill, but my poorly father has gone downhill rapidly. I went to see him today and I can happily say he has started to fight and was engaging. I have only managed a small amount of writing, but have been doing a lot of work on structure for my YA. It was at the Windmill Writers meeting that I discussed with members and came up with the right way forward. This has been an issue for some time so I am happy to have a set direction in which to go.

There has been some amazing work coming out of from the Windmill Writers and sometimes it even surprises the authors. Which isn't a bad thing. My aim for this week is to send two manuscripts out and write for at least one hour a day – even if what I am writing isn't as good as it should be. I need to get back into the swing of it.

I am taking the opportunity to send some samples of my thrillers to a couple of people who have expressed interest and I believe will give me honest feedback.

Onto this week’s prompts. I am giving you three ideas from which you are to write one story using all three prompts. It doesn't matter which prompt you start with but at around 500 words you need to incorporate the second one and then the third 500 words later. This can be tricky, but it is worth giving it a try. You can keep with the same characters or bring in new characters, but whatever you do it needs to flow naturally.
  • Lightning struck just as…. 
  • Mould interlaced its way…
  • Blood oozed across the…


I hope you have fun doing this challenge and feel free to let me know how you faired. 

Sunday 18 January 2015

Last nail in the coffin.

Happy Sunday! Yes, I know that last statement means I'm late with my Friday blog post, but I've been busy. I have to admit I've not been busy on writing, but busy catching up with life outside the house and friends inside. I'm pleased to say that the little flurry of snow that got a lot of children happily excited for half an hour on Saturday was beaten back by beautiful sunshine. Don’t get me wrong I love the look of snow and walking through the fields and woodland, but when it comes to diving in it and trying to get to work, well I would rather it didn't arrive. I'm still hoping we won’t get any, but one never can tell.

The last Windmill Writers meeting was great fun. We read our WIPs, shared rejection and participated in a writing activity, which gave us all a good giggle. This coming Wednesday, we are once again sharing WIPs and if time permits there may be a few writing exercises to try.
The time has come to share this week’s prompt. You will be using the phrase: Last nail in the coffin. To create a piece of creative writing. You can use it in whatever context you feel fit. However, to make it a bit trickier, you are going to attempt to write this phrase in three different ways.
  • 1000 Word short story.
  • Poem
  • A stream of thought. 


So there you are, give all three a try. Go on, get writing 

Friday 9 January 2015

Stepping out and moving forward

So the New Year has begun and with it opportunities to develop. I'm aiming to look forward and not back to what has passed but to what is yet to come. That said, I'm putting my head down and preparing submissions this weekend. I've done all the editing, tightened and honed to the best of my ability, which only leave the submission. I've studied my market and selected my targets. I am submitting to some who have asked to see examples of my work and those suggested to me. I'm after good feedback and or representation, which would be a dream – of course after that even more hard work will ensue.

At the end of 2014 I have been able to get back in contact with many old, and I've known them for a long time, writing friends and will endeavour to keep in touch throughout 2015. It has been great to hear what everyone is getting up to and how their writing is coming on. Some great projects are developing and success has been made which excites and inspires me.

I hope you are getting on well writing up your journal every day or night and are making sure you are writing daily or as much as you can. I aim to write, think about my work or just scribble bits and bobs to keep my creative ideas alive. Doing this, I hope I will keep my writing fresh and flowing.

This week’s writing prompts are below.

  • Write the following words into a short story: Sinus – Candle – Donkey – Willow – Ink – Tools – Mouth
  • Use the following as an opening line: Two steps forward is what he said so, so be it…
  • Use the following as the ending of your work: “So drink, dance and be merry for tomorrow will never come.”

I hope you will have some fun with these prompts and please share my blog with others.

So go on, get writing.

Friday 2 January 2015

Happy New Year 2015 - 1st Prompt of the year.

We have stepped into the New Year and I hope it will bring you all some good times, some great times and some amazing times. None of us know what will confront us in the future but I know that we must all go out there and enjoy every moment. I for one intend to take up as many invitations, offers and chances that come my way, well as many as I can and at the same time seek out a dancing partner.

On the writing side I will be setting out my writing plan to allow me greater time to write and not just think about writing, which I do too often. This weekend I am setting out what I’m going to be submitting and where to. I'm hoping that with this new approach will allow me to move forward in my writing career. As always I’ll keep you all updated, with the highs and any lows that come my way. One of the things that keeps me going are the great comments on my work last year and the critiques which have given me great direction.

The next meeting of the Windmill Writers is Wednesday 7th January at 19:00-21:00 but people can continue longer if they wish. If you are interested in finding out more about the writing group please email: windmill.writers.hertfordshire@gmail.com The group meets weekly and welcome, new, developing and published writers. If you write or have ever been interested in writing now is the time to get in touch.

As a writer, I always keep a journal of my daily experiences both good and bad. I find writing down my thoughts and feelings at the end of the day allows me to utilise them when I'm creating a piece of writing. I find when reading some of my yearly journals back I get quite emotional, not just upset, but angry and often have a little chuckle to myself. I recently read one from 2001 quite an emotive time in my life and now with fresh eyes I see some great material. Beware if you were around in that year!!

So I come to my first writing prompt for 2015.

You need to use all the following words in a short story. The choice of genre is up to you, but each word has to appear somewhere in the piece.

Wasted – Suck - Mouldy – Creaky – Vacuous – Frilly – Toe-nails – Icing sugar – Dexterous.

I hope you have good fun experimenting with this prompt. Feel free to let me know how you got on.

So go on, get writing.