1. My favourite time of the day is ….

2. Walking through the castle gates Becky felt a….

3. With silent amusement Linda watched her fully-clothed nephew lifted from the water by his ….

Scene setting. Describe the furniture in your character’s home. Is it contemporary to the period you are writing in? If not, is there some reason for this? Is there something that doesn’t fit with the time period or your character’s personal preference for some reason? If so, what is it and why is it there? Does it have a special significance?

Timed exercise. Check the time on your watch, clock, or computer display.
Write the title “The Storm” at the top of your page and then write for 15 minutes about whatever comes to mind for this heading. Perhaps your muse will instantly find a short story forming, or perhaps a memory springs to mind about a storm you remember, or maybe you find yourself writing about storms in general. The kind of writing doesn’t matter. What matters is that you write for the full 15 minutes. If at the end of that you find you have something that you want to take further, feel free to continue on!

Your exercise today is to incorporate all of the following words into an article, short story, poem or whatever comes to mind. You must use all of the words (in any order) to complete the exercise, but the context in which they are used is up to you. Think about the words for a few minutes before you start to write and see what pictures come to mind - then see if you can weave them all together into a piece of writing.

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Which of your senses do you value the most? Why is this?

Idea Seeds! Start your page with any of the following and see where your creative muse takes you:

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What makes your character cry? Do tears coming easy, or are they seldom seen? Is the character openly emotional, or are their real feelings well hidden? Write a seen where something happens that makes your protagonist cry.

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Body piercing is becoming increasingly popular with people throughout the world. Write an opinion piece, as if for your local newspaper, either for or against this fashion craze.

Your exercise today is to incorporate all of the following words into an article, short story, poem or whatever comes to mind. You must use all of the words (in any order) to complete the exercise, but the context in which they are used is up to you. Think about the words for a few minutes before you start to write and see what pictures come to mind - then see if you can weave them all together into a piece of writing.

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Most places have at least one or two areas that tourists are drawn towards. Describe the part of your town/city that is a "must NOT" see for tourists! This can be tongue-in-cheek description of something usually cited in a travel book, or a serious factual article against an unpleasant location.