I often walk over this bridge on my way into town, and one day glanced down to see this face smiling to itself.

What an unexpected encounter! It reminds me of films like Labyrinth, when any supposedly inanimate object might wake up and spout an opinion, invited or not.

In Norse mythology, Bifrost, the bridge to heaven, is guarded by a watchman called Heimdallr. Apparently his hearing is so keen he can listen to the grass growing on the earth, the wool growing on the sheep, which may be why he has his eyes closed and such a beatific expression on his face.

What everyday items in your story could surprise your protagonist by coming to life? What advice or warning might they offer? Are they wise, mischievous or downright evil? Will your character heed them? With what consequence?

If you create something prompted by this, please let me know by sending an email to judydarley(at)gmail.com. With your permission, I’d love to share it on SkyLightRain.com.

Tonight I’ll be reading two short tales inspired by art at the Written from Art event taking place at Carol Peace’s sculpture studio.

Actually, one is inspired by art, the other more by artists, the space they inhabit and the tantalising mess they create. As a child I loved to creep into my mum’s painting studio, inhale the aromas of chalk and dust and ink, and eye-up the glorious miscellany that cluttered that light-filled space.

This week, using the photo above (showing Carol’s studio at Paintworks) as your starting point, write a piece about an artist from the point of view of someone who hasn’t met them but is discovering them through the studio where they spend much of their time.

If you write something prompted by this idea, I’d love to know. Just send an email to Judy(at)socket creative.com. With your permission, I’d love to publish it on SkyLightRain.com.

In less than a week’s time I’m be sharing one of my stories in Redcliffe Caves as part of Bristol Festival of Literature. It’s an exciting thought, not least because of the beautiful and unusual venue.

It made me think about how you can alter or enhance the mood of a tale, simply by setting it underground. Think about your cave – is it thick with darkness or does sunlight eke in? Is it dry or riddled with dripping water? What embeds the walls and what lurks in the shadows? What are the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere? Use these details to imbue your story with menace, mystery or magic.

If you write something prompted by this idea, I’d love to know. Just send an email to Judy(at)socket creative.com. With your permission, I’d love to publish it on SkyLightRain.com.

I love this photo of my nephew and an elderly retired police horse. To me it looks like the horse is sharing an important secret, possibly about something uncovered on a criminal investigation case years before, and undivulged till now.

What might the horse be telling the boy? Will the boy believe what he’s heard? What adventures might the revelation of that secret lead to?

This Mazda MX-5 was recently parked in a smart part of Bristol, annoying locals by taking up a parking space, but charming passersby with its abundance of flowers.

This week, imagine the person who created such a floral cornucopia. Why plant it in a car? What does the car mean to them? Where do they intend to go with it? Why?

If you create something prompted by this, please let me know by sending an email to judydarley(at)gmail.com. With your permission, I’d love to share it on SkyLightRain.com.

There’s something breathlessly astonishing about bridges, the way they span dizzying gaps, link places and people. Iain Banks set an entire novel on a bridge (one of my favourite books, actually), and it makes sense when you consider the possibilities they present.

By its very nature of hanging in space, a bridge offers an element of danger, while equally providing a sense of safety, potential for escape, and, of course, outstanding views.

This week, begin to write a tale set on a bridge, and see where it takes you.

If you create something prompted by this, please let me know by sending an email to JudyDarley(at)gmail.com. With your permission, I’d love to share it on SkyLightRain.com.

I was at the beach last summer when a strange fog rolled in. One of my companions said it was the result of a cloud being born far out at sea, and forgetting to rise before travelling over the land. Curious!

As we lay there, trying to soak up the sun, we found ourselves bathed in icy water droplets instead. I think it makes an eerie shot – what other reasons, supernatural say, could there be for such an event on a hot summer’s day? What if, instead of dispersing, the fog just kept getting thicker?

If you create something prompted by this, please let me know by sending an email to Judy(at)socket creative.com. With your permission, I’d love to share it on SkyLightRain.com.