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30 new writing prompts

By Rhian Bowley on in blog, words, writing

a shop window of typewriters, one is orange

This year for Nanowrimo, instead of trying for the 50k wordcount I’m challenging myself to write flash fiction every day. I’ve compiled 30 writing prompts to work from, which can work as a jumping-off point for inspiring any writing session, not just a piece of flash.

Use these prompts however you are inspired to. Maybe they are first lines, maybe they inspire an idea you’d never guess came from this. The only rule is – write something!

Who else can I still be (Sunday Scribblings)
The time for coincidences was over
Lapwing, n: from Old English ‘leap’ and ‘wink,; a crested Old World plover noted for slow, irregular flapping wings and a shrill, wailing cry 101 Writing Prompts for Fantasy & Science Fiction Writers vol. 2
The night the snails disappeared
Your character is an executioner who must execute the queen. Pick one (or more): the executioner has been bribed; the queen is not the real queen; the executioner is not the real executioner. 101 Writing Prompts for Fantasy & Science Fiction Writers vol. 2
One colour has been removed from the world. Which colour, and what difference does it’s absence make?
Combine the character traits of two of your friends, and describe that person
After the rain stopped (A Writer’s Book of Days)
Why has someone stolen your shoes?
He opened the refrigerator, and frowned.
Ancient cultures used makeup for more than just beauty. They wore eye-shadow to ward off blindness, eyeliner to ward off evil, and lipstick to protect against poison. Describe your character applying makeup that gives them special abilities: protective, strengthening, clairvoyant, etc 101 Writing Prompts for Fantasy & Science Fiction Writers vol. 2
In a small town, all the distances are wrong
It doesn’t matter why they fell in love. The point is, she was never supposed to be there.
Describe what never happens on Saturdays.
On the edge of what felt safe (A Writer’s Book of Days)
The god of apples is asleep on your couch.
Fracas, n: a noisy quarrel, brawl
Combine the character traits of two people who annoy you, and describe that person
Describe a food memory – what did you eat? (The five minute writer)
Your character has never visited the sea-side. What do they think it is like there?
Take a single street name – real or imaginary – and compile a list of the different people who live there. (The five minute writer)
Combine the character traits of one person you love and one person you hate, and describe that person
Who’s seat did you steal?
Two men have just kidnapped a twelve-year old for ransom. Little do these abductors know about their victim’s secret ability (101 Writing Prompts for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers, vol 1)
Write about what matters. Use a colour in every sentence.
She ran away to Wales. When she came back…
It’s better to write about God’s hat than God.
A town where everyone hates cats.
Slippery
Your character gets into a carriage headed out of a village. In their satchel is a very special package. What is it, how did they get it, where are they going, and do they make it alive? (101 Writing Prompts for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers, vol 1)

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Brighton Fringe and Broadway Baby (and me)

By Rhian Bowley on in blog, reviews, words, writing, yonder

History of Ireland's cast wear colourful ballgowns in the Rose of Tralee beauty pageant

History of Ireland’s cast in the Rose of Tralee beauty pageant

I’ve joined Brighton’s Broadway Baby review team, which means we’re only four days into Brighton Fringe and I already have a favourite venue & place to stand at the bar.

Brighton Fringe is:

Brighton Fringe is the largest open-access arts festival in England. It is an international festival that is at the same time rooted in the community. It embraces every art form and every form of artistic expression, and supports both new and established performers in trying out new work and taking risks.

and Broadway Baby is a:

performing arts hub containing thousands of listings, reviews and articles about everything on stage in the UK.

So far I’ve reviewed Poets v Mcs (Brighton v Sheffield) and the History of Ireland–and both were a delight. They made me laugh at things I didn’t expect, they inspired me about what writing (in all formats) can do, and they both made me dance.

I’ve got at least six more shows to see, including Shakespeare, sci-fi and more spoken word shows. If you’re in town I’d recommend Dead Happy, You’re In A Bad Way and Witch-Hunt as the three shows to check out. Happy fringing!

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Review: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

By Rhian Bowley on in blog, books, reviews, words, writing

What I’m reading

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

by Hank Green

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review

I beginning-loved this book. But it beginning-tricked me.

I went from addicted, ‘just one more page’ reading sessions to thinking ‘who is this person and do I really care.’ I wanted moar robots but got pages upon pages about internet fame instead.

A third of the way through I forgot the main characters name, even though she’s called April May. Maybe that’s why I forgot it? Was it my brain rebelling? Her name put me off in the same way I abandoned (500) Days of Summer halfway through, despite everyone saying I’d love it. Too artificial-cutesy-whimsical. I can enjoy cutesy, but it needs to earn its place.

I think I was supposed to forgive April May some of her failings because she was ‘Quirky,’ but really I needed her to be strong enough a character for me to forgive her quirkiness.

I don’t think it’s a bad book, and when I checked the blurb it did say it’s a book about

“how the social internet is changing fame and radicalisation; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration can follow a life in the public eye.”

I enjoyed some of the riffs about marketing, and I liked that the characters were older than most YA casts (post-college, first job, still uncertain about money & love). But the pacing was patchy, the theme over-wrought, and getting to the end was a slog. I understand why other people like it, but I was relieved to move on to my next read and I won’t be back for the sequel.

Setting

The New York of action movies, all bustling sidewalks and apartments too tiny to sneeze in. A city so full of wonder and activity that when a giant robot appears on a street one night, no one cares. Apart from April May…

Favourite character

Miranda, the scientist. I recognised my own science-y friends in how enthusiastic & unstoppably-inspired she gets. My BFF’s eyes light up when she talks about genes & she loses track of time, the same way Miranda gets excited about the strange, giant figures in NY.

What can I learn as a writer?

There are lots of writing books and classes who warn novelists not to mislead the reader about what kind of book they are getting.

Holly Lisle talks about Promises in her writing classes, Les Edgerton’s Hooked is a book all about controlling what you’re signalling with your first chapter, and my writing lecturer swore by Nancy Kress’ Beginnings, Middles and Ends.

I’m not saying Hank Green personally wanted to trick me, but a couple of tweaks to the start of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing could have re-framed my expectations in time for me to like it more.

File with

Not Transformers 😉

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Etsy does Bookish: Literary Gifts for your Fantastic Gang

By Rhian Bowley on in blog, books, troves, words, writing, yonder

james and the giant peach cushion pillow roald dahl

The creativity of bookish folk is magical.

The imagination used to fall down rabbit holes, explore fantasy kingdoms, and pledge ourselves to our fae ~~overlords~~ boyfriends must switch on something sparkly in the brain.

How else do people find enough wi-fi in those witchy attics, roof-top mirror worlds and spooky forests to set up ~~Goblin Market~~ Etsy shops?

Does imagination come first, or does reading fiction turn us into dreamers, makers, conjurors?

I pulled on my selkie-armour and finest spell-helmet to go foraging for the shiniest and brightest baubles, and this is what I found:

1. A Darker Shade of Magic Candle

‘I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.’

Let Lila do the swashbuckling while you live lying down, reading, burning this Red London candle to conjure Kell’s city instead.
The Polished Parlour is a treasure-trove of bookish goodies, with this one smelling of lilac, firewood and mulled wine. They stock White and Grey London candles too, but why take the risk?
As travars!
The Red London Candle: Inspired by V.E. Schwab’s a Darker Shade of Magic Series

2. Raven Boys Aglionby Pin

Drop in on the Raven Boys on your way back from London. It may seem far but there’s a lay-line for that, right?

Pin on this beauty to show your love for Noah/Adam/Ronan/Gansey, just be careful what you say around those trees. They can hear you…

Aglionby Pin from ArtofIVDP (a shop crammed with fandom delights)

3. Little Women Tee

I’m mournful now. Being #TeamNoah has that effect. Time to indulge myself with some Little Women merchandise. I’m straying from the fantasy stable here, but Jo is definitely made of magic.

I want seven of these so I can wear one every day of the week. One wouldn’t be enough to soak up my tears. There’s a reason Joey put this book in the freezer…

Little Women tshirt from Mighty Circus. (They also do a Care Bears tee I’m dying for!)

4. Sarai Funko (Strange The Dreamer)

Back to true fantasy with this beauty from Fandomly Selected. I love her, the hair is the exact cinnamon red I imagined while reading.

Does not come with a handle at the back which you turn to eject one hundred moths, but you can’t have everything*.

Sarai Funko from Fandomly Selected

5. Everything Everything Print

*You can, however, have this pretty-pretty Everything Everything print as a gift. How cool would this look in a bookish boudoir, or next to your bedroom window?

It’s made from antique paper, which is a tender touch that matches the spirit of the book. This is another one which makes me cry, so I’d have to frame it fast to catch my tears on the glass.

Everything Everything Print from Book Cover Art.

6. Handmaid’s Tale Tee

Time to stop crying & take action. March on the menfolk – no, away from the menfolk!- in this zinger of a red tee. Not the best colour to blend into the snow, granted, but you’re clever enough to overcome that.

Praise Be tee from Ninety5 prints

7. Howl Pin

There’s an age where you’re supposed to stop believing in magic. Or, so some people think.

I remember being a kid, as my friends gave up on spells and broomsticks, thinking, ‘But what if I stop believing and right then something magical happens and I miss it?’

The risk was never worth it. I’m now officially Grown Up and can report no ill-affects from continuing to believe that fairies could be lurking under hedges and that, given the right pair of wings, I might fly.

This Calcifer pin from Howl’s Moving Castle is the perfect small accessory to signal to others that you know about magic and other worlds, while blending in with the muggles. NayukiDraws has the cutest gang of Ghibli characters around, alongside other anime, video game artwork and keyrings.

8. James and the Giant Peach Pillow

Cushions for book-lovers make the best gifts, because after a long afternoon’s reading they’ll need a good nap. This Roald Dahl pillow is my favourite because it’s so cheery, but it’s a hard choice with so many in the Storiarts shop to choose from. The same seller stocks literary scarves, gloves and bags, ranging from Shakespeare to Strange The Dreamer, so I’m sure I’ll be back next time I need a gift for a book loving pal.

Keep an eye on my bookish etsy treasure-trove list as I update it through the year – and let me know if you find new shops for me to add! Why not check out my list of crafty geek presents next?

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