Writing prompt – yellow

Brush cr Judy Darley

On one of the sunniest mornings of the season, I saw this paintbrush on a wall.

Nothing I could see nearby had been painted yellow. It’s a shade that reminds me of butter, lemon curd, sandy beaches and the sun.

Could this brush have been used to paint summer?

Can you turn this into an intriguing tale that veers away from the saccharine sweet to explore something about childhood or growing up?

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – pasture

Staden Grange, our home in Buxton, VW Beetle car in green field. Photo by Judy Darley

I spotted this vintage VW Beetle resting in a field near Burton. I rather like the way looks like it’s been put out to pasture after a hard working life. It certainly has views worth pausing to soak up now. I can envision it trundling around on the grass admiring bumblebees nosing in buttercups and generally enjoying some relaxation.

Imagine the people who might have driven or ridden in this vehicle. You could put a sinister twist on a tale by imagining they travelled here for a picnic. What occurred that led to them abandoning their car? Bucolic scenes like this are ripe for uncanny happenings!

Whether you choose to go dreamy, comic or scary, turn this scene into a tale.

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – waft

Caterpillar_JudyDarley

Turning on to a path in my favourite urban wilderness, I almost walked directly into this levitating caterpillar. It looks like a box tree caterpillar. Intriguingly the plant it’s hanging from seems to be a box tree that’s growing through a sycamore, with the trunks winding around each other.

I thought they might dangle from threads to evade predators, but apparently the thread is their version of an escalator. It helps them ascend to fresh tasty leaves and catch the breeze to nearby plants once they’ve stripped all the box leaves (or simply made them all curl up and die) from their home.

Imagine if our chosen transportation was to emit a silky thread and catch the next waft of wind! What chance encounters might occur?

Can you explore this idea in a story? It could even turn into a #clifi tale, examining how we could escape once we’ve stripped our planet of its resources.

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – house

Bug house_Judy Darley

This pair of generously proportioned, detached bug houses boasts green areas front and back and landing space for countless inhabitants.

I’ve been reading a lot of estate agency blurbs recently and it’s beginning to affect how I view the world.

Landlords across the UK are selling up as mortgage rates diminish their profits. Tenants, myself included, are left facing the fact that the rental market appears to have imploded, making home purchase necessary, however unfeasibly expensive that may be.

Can you write a tale where a family faces notice on the home they’ve shared for years? Where will they go? How will they keep themselves safe?

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – hot air

Bristol Balloons_August 2023_Judy Darley

Every August in Bristol the chance of seeing a sky filled with hot air balloons rises. This is mainly due to the annual Balloon Fiesta, which took place last weekend, but on any day when the wind isn’t too vigorous, you’re likely to see a few passing overhead.

I snapped this photo early one Monday morning, sharing the moment with a few dog-walkers and a woman doing tai-chi. The balloons made everyone pause and smile.

What if this cheerful sight wasn’t a celebration but an exodus? What if something had occurred prompting people to leave, and the safest way to travel was via balloon?

What could have happened? Where might these people be going? What could befall the folks left behind watching from the ground? Can you write a piece in that most challenging genre, the hopeful dystopia?

To add a touch of humour, can you think of who the worst possible person would be to share a balloon basket with for a long flight?

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – viaduct

Azores cycling_Photo by Judy DarleyIncongruous pairings make great writing prompts, and this cyclist framed by a viaduct on Sao Miguel, The Azores, is the perfect match of old and new. This blend makes me think of ancient myths in modern settings, or time slip tales, while the bumpy track and lush greenery of this volcanic isle adds to the backdrop.

Who might the cyclist be? What made them choose this route so far from the mainland? Who or what might they be running from or towards? What historic travellers have passed this way before? Why not turn it into a story with adventure at its heart?

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – throne

Throne_Plymouth. Photo by Judy Darley

What a curious sight! A simple wicker and metal chair has become part of the Devon coastline, inviting weary swimmers, seabirds, and perhaps Poseidon, to take a load off.

Who could have placed it here, how and why? What were they hoping to achieve, other than some anonymous notoriety (if that’s not a total oxymoron)? How will the chair be impacted by incoming storms, and with what results?

Using this as a springing off point for a comical or poignant tale.

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – bums

Beatlebums. Photo by Judy Darley

The fourth and final of July’s Plymouth Prompts offer you the chance to enjoy the best seat in Plymouth.

In fact, there are four exceptional seats here, as part of the sculpture Beatlebums. These galvanised steel and copper patches on the lawn of Plymouth Hoe Park commemorate a moment in 1967 when Beatles John, Paul, George and Ringo sat down to enjoy a view over Plymouth Sound.

The first time I strolled past, I confess, I failed to notice the famous bum-prints. The second time, I couldn’t resist sitting where Lennon’s buttocks had been.

It brought to mind the idea of someone walking over your grave. Could this sculpture create a link between the Beatles (living and deceased) and their fans? It feels like the start of a psychedelic time slip tale.

Discover more about the Beatlebums installation here.

Plymouth Prompts: Island.

Plymouth Prompts: Survivor.

Plymouth Prompts: Figurehead.

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Writing prompt – figurehead

Victorian naval figureheads suspended from the ceiling of Plymouth museum The Box_Photo by Judy DarleyIn the third of July’s Plymouth Prompts, I’m inviting you into The Box, a beautiful museum, social space and architectural marvel in Plymouth.

An astonishing display of 14 Victorian Naval figureheads hangs suspended in the entrance  and cafe.

What vessels did these carvings grace? Who created them, and what characteristics did they imbue the sculptures with? What naval adventures did the figureheads embark on? Might they have their own personalities, revealed when no one is looking, or shown only to a privileged few?

You can find details of these historic carvings here.

Plymouth Prompts: Island.

Plymouth Prompts: Survivor.

Plymouth Prompts: Bums.

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Look out for next week’s Plymouth Prompt.

Writing prompt – survivor

National Marine Aquarium_Friday the turtle_Photo by Judy Darley

In the second of July’s Plymouth Prompts, I want to introduce you to one of the characters we met at the National Marine Aquarium, Friday the Green Turtle.

Last week I shared a creative prompt inspired by Drake’s Island, which sits in the Plymouth Sound.

Friday shares the Atlantic Tank with an assortment of sharks, rays and other species and is doing his part to enthral visitors with his cheeky antics, which include stealing food from the immense sting rays and lemon sharks.

His name inevitably makes me think of Robinson Crusoe. In fact, Bournemouth Oceanarium, which Friday is on loan from, also had a female Green Sea Turtle called Crusoe until she died in 2016.

At Bournemouth Oceanarium, Friday made headlines in 2009 after retrieving a toddler’s dummy dropped into his tank – and sucking it just as a baby would. So it seems his cheeky behaviour is nothing new.

Plymouth Marine Aquarium has introduced an enrichment programme for Friday to keep him occupied. It’s like he’s that disruptive child in a classroom who’s just too smart for their own good (or the good of their teachers/marine biologists!).

However, his naughtiness is brilliant for the Aquarium’s PR, helping visitors to see marine animals as personality-rich individuals in need of our respect and care.

Can you turn this into a story about a marine creature’s misadventures, or a climate fiction tale about how we can positively impact our seas?

Write a tale inspired by this marine mischief-maker!

Plymouth Prompts: Island.

Plymouth Prompts: Figurehead.

Plymouth Prompts: Bums.

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.

Look out for next week’s Plymouth Prompt.