Sometimes coming up with ideas for stories can be challenging, especially if you’re not practicing writing and exercising that muscle as they say!

After managing to complete my first feature screenplay back in April (I’m currently in the rewriting stage), I returned to writing prose, namely erotic paranormal horror. But I found it really difficult to write along with trying to find a job where copyrighting/compiling pitch-like cover letters took up most of my time.

Everything I was writing was very on the nose, the whole ‘show don’t tell,’ completely fell by the wayside and I hit a brick wall.

I was advised to free write by an editor friend of mine and to perhaps immerse myself in fiction other than horror to which I tried. I began writing a journal; I’m still dipping in and out of this and it’s helping. And then I completed some flash-fiction as by way of exercising my skills.

I was also told that it’s not a matter of when you publish, but making sure it’s the best you can do before publishing, as you’ll only get one chance to be a first time publisher.

So with that, I’m going to continue my journals, poetry, performance poetry and flash stories, in the hope that one day I’ll get to share them with you all!

In the meanwhile, here’s a little exercise I did inspired by @short.spooky.stories Instagram site.

I found that writing these short paragraphs were really helpful to generate ideas for bigger stories and were great fun too!

Thanks for reading and please follow me on @wickergirl666