Write the title "Shivers and Goosebumps" at the top of your page, set your timer for 20 mintes, and then start. Keep the writing going until your timer goes off. Fiction, non-fiction, personal memory – it doesn’t matter. Whatever the title brings to mind, write it down. When you timed session is over, read through what you’ve wrote – maybe there’s the start of a new work in progress there, or the bones of an article just needing some meat on it!

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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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Make a list of what defines Spring for you. Is it a season that you enjoy? Write about your feelings of this colourful season in an essay entitled "On Spring".

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

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How does your character react in a given situation?
Write a scene where he/she comes home to find that someone has broken into the house. What disturbs your character the most? What is their first reaction? Is there a particular item of value (monetary or sentimental) that they check if missing before any others? What steps will they take to ensure it doesn’t happen again?

Remember that in a scene situation, you need to give the details to the reader so that the reader can feel the emotions of your character and see the scene as if they were standing there.

Start with the title "My Worst Nightmare" at the top of your page, set your timer for 20 minutes, and then start writing. Keep the writing going until your timer goes off. Fiction, non-fiction, personal memory – it doesn’t matter. Whatever the title brings to mind, write it down. When you timed session is over, read through what you’ve wrote – maybe there’s the start of a new work in progress there, or the bones of an article just needing some meat on it!

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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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What would you expect to find at the end of your rainbow? Define your "pot of gold".