Warming up and working out

The weather has been interesting for the last few weeks. Some really cold and icy days followed by some wet and wild ones. Perfect weather to be inside and cozy doing bookish things and I have fully embraced that. Much tea has been consumed with support from quite a lot of chocolate. Work has continued on character development and I’ve been researching some of the key places I’ll draw upon as inspiration within the setting. As the characters begin to take shape they have sparked some ideas for the plot too. I’m actually really enjoying the process of letting it all swirl around my head and ‘brew’ as I work.

I have found that some days I need a little bit of a transition from my work day into my creative flow and have been playing with writing sprints. These are similar to flask fiction in that I give myself either a time or a word goal but they don’t need to be complete narratives. I did these in module 1 of my course and they are helpful way to warm up my creativity. I start with a word or an image and then just write. I thought I would share a couple with you to give you the idea.

Candles

Some candles burn hot, fierce flames determined to tunnel to the bottom of the glass. With a singular focus, they smoke and baze magnificently. Others flicker gently. They glow softly and dance to their own rhythm. Burning slowly and steadily they cast a warm inviting light that draws you close, encircles you and shows the flame to its full advantage.

There is undoubtedly a time to burn and blaze. Just as there is a time to glow and flicker. The problem arises when one becomes so determined that their flame must burn brighter than all others. That its light is the only light. You cannot leave these candles unattended lest they set fire to everything. 

The Captain

A message had arrived. The British Artic Survey Ship, Sir David Attenborough, would dock today. In the crisp polar landscape, she would be visible for miles. 

The green lights of the aurora blazed through the sky. A sign of good news perhaps? So much depended on the results the survey was gathering. There had been so many challenges to get to this point. Convincing governments to hold firm to their pledges, testing and retesting theories, and raising funds. The idea of failing now was terrifying. Watching the flashes of green ribbon over his head he sighed. How like humans to more about space than our own deep oceans…

Valhalla Calling

Songs and sagas. Myths and legends. These are the foundations on which a community is built. The shared memories of a golden age are deep in our collective memory. Written in our DNA. They bind us together.

What must it have been like for the Norse settlers who carved out a new life and a new home in Shetland?  Right at the end of the world in a wild and hostile landscape. A foothold of land in an otherwise endless horizon. Whipped by the winds and at the mercy of the changeable moods of the sea. A landscape of greys and blues and greens.

What must these sailors, farmers, and fisherfolk have thought as they built their hearths and homes? The tales of the valor, of glorious victories and, of course, the warriors now living eternally in Valhalla told by the fire during the endless dark of winter. 

I would encourage you to give this a go. Anything can be inspiration. A song lyric, something you see as you are out walking, a conversation, an interesting work, a scent… literally anything. Set a timer for 5 minutes and just write. I have given the examples above a little polish to share them here but they haven’t had a significant edit.

If you do give this a go I’d love to hear how you get on.

Photo Credit: Chris Tirinth