Writing prompts by Judy Darley, co-judge of Clevedon LitFest Flash Fiction Award
As a writer, I’m constantly on the lookout anything that might lead to a story idea. From an overheard snippet of conversation to a glimpse of something that ignitesmy curiosity, the world is teeming with imaginative possibilities.
Flash fiction allows you to dip your toe into writing river. At less than 500 words in the Clevedon LitFest Flash Fiction Award, this compact form asks you to create a condensed story in little more than a handful of paragraphs.
The prompts here are sightings that have intrigued me in recent times.
Writing prompt – Real estate
Exploring my new home town, I strode uphill to an area of ‘mini’ Gothic mansions valued at £1m+. The property that caught my eye, however, was a gorgeous treehouse with a seaview.
Now horse chestnut leaves are flourishing that may obscure the view, and some prickly conkers could soon invade this cosy home, but in my heart I still covet this space.
Is there a type of home that fills your inner (or outer) child with wistfulness or glee? A caravan, cave or haunted house perhaps? Can you turn this yearning into a tale?
Writing prompt – Bubbles
At a nearby sculpture woodland called Ty Sculpture Trail, one of the highlights is a natural phenomenon rather than human-made artwork. At the Bubbling Pond, silvery bubbles rise from the depths to cast circular ripples. It's a gloriously tranquil setting.
The trail makers claim no one knows what causes the bubbles, and suggest it could be a dragon snoozing in an underwater cave.
What myth or bubble-blowing science could you attribute the bubbles to? Can you create a character who shares this idea as a tale within a tale, and give them a someone to tell it to?
What might the consequences be?
Writing prompt – Afoot
Trees are magnificent natural sculptors. This particular specimen resembles a rooted foot contemplating a Shakespeare-esque or Tolkien-worthy march through the woods in North Somerset.
Or perhaps I've accidentally taken a photo of Roald Dahl's BFG without his slippers on, and he really needs to trim his toenails.
Whatever the truth, something’s afoot…
Can you let your imagination run free and turn this into a tale?
Writing prompt – Gulls
Living on the coast means the weather is often unsettled – some days are calm and sunny, while others storm from dawn to dusk and beyond. While smaller birds like sparrows take shelter in coastal bushes, these gulls are riding the rioting wind and look like they're loving every moment.
Add in a human with a bag full of birdseed, and the mayhem increases.
Can you imagine yourself as a gull, a sparrow, the person with food, or a bystander?
Why not use this cast to create tumultuous tale?
Writing prompt – Comma
I encountered this gorgeous butterfly sunbathing beside the Blind Yeo River.
It seems like an unimpressive patch of mud, and yet this butterfly, known endearingly as a Comma, found exactly what it needed here.
In punctuation, commas offer a pause and a moment to simply breathe, which makes this sighting particularly apt.
I love how its wings look storm-torn or artfully picot-edged, depending on your viewpoint.
I looked up the species on the Butterfly Conservation website, where it states "Polygonia c-album, the comma, is a food generalist butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae."
The Comma butterfly population declined terribly during 20th century, but is now thriving throughout southern Britain and is being seen further north as well.
Its adaptability, both in what it feeds on and how and where it lives, must have contributed to its survival story. What can we learn from this? Can you harness this as a fluttering off point for a hopeful story or other creative work?
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to spotting my first semi-colon butterfly or ellipsis butterfly...
Writing prompt – Tide
The small coastal town where I live sits on the edge of one of Earth's greatest tidal ranges. It re-sculpts views and terrains, providing the perfect habitat for wading birds one day and fish the next.
Last week, I strolled towards the path to a rocky beach and discovered it had been swallowed by the sea... Yet I know that in the next few days it will shrug off its driftwood and seaweed to reappear as though it was never hidden.
Can you write a story inspired by this variance? How do these dramatic changes impact your characters?
Writing prompt – Private
On the UK's coastal path between Clevedon and Portishead, North Somerset, there are lovely woodlands, but not all of these are open to everyone. This one is privately owned, yet I've never seen anyone enjoying this area.
I found myself feeling annoyed they were keeping it to themselves – surely trees and greenery are for all of us?
But then I thought about how I would feel if that rule applied to my own tiny garden. Imagine looking out of your bedroom window to see a family picnicking on your lawn below? The smaller the space, the weirder and more intense that would be.
How could you persuade them to leave? Something about this is so absurd it hovers between comedy and horror.
Can you turn this into a story or other creative work?