Midweek writing prompt – distillation

Kurdish protest, Trafalgar Square cr Judy DarleyHere’s an idea – use any hectic scene (I took this photo in London when I walked into Trafalgar Square and discovered a protest underway), as your starting point, and distill it down to the length of a haiku.

A haiku is just three lines long: five syllables, seven syllables then five. It’s a wonderful way of to challenge yourself and ensure your writing gets right to the point. I think you’ll find that it can really enhance the power of your words.

I believe a haiku makes you draw back, then hone in.

If you write something prompted by this image and idea, I’d love to know. Just send an email to Judy(at)socket creative.com. You could end up published on SkyLightRain.com!

Book review – Unchained by Bristol Women Writers

Unchained coverNamed for the fact that books were once so precious they were chained to prevent theft, the Unchained anthology celebrates libraries and everything they contain, from the people who visit them, to the myths that lurk behind the scenes, to the tomes themselves.

The book marks Bristol Central Library’s 400th anniversary, and presents tales and poems stemming from within its ancient walls, as well as a variety of libraries as diverse as a prison’s book room, a library on wheels, a chateau’s “stash of rare books”, and a sitting room in a stately home. The variety of voices captured on these pages is just as broad, but each one reveals a shared love of books that holds the collection together.

This love is equally evident in the foreword from Tania Hershman, who says of her own visits to Bristol’s Central Library “when I walk in through the doors I breathe out. This is where I am home.” Continue reading