darren r hill

the creative minimalist

  • A Fiction Writing Prompt to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. She took his hand and set a mischievous grin on her face. ‘Right, let’s do this!’ Writing Prompt Expanded A decision has been made. An activity has been suggested or planned. There is attitude in the air.…

    Read more…

  • Here is my current bullet journal, junk journal and planner set-up for October 2020. A little explanation of how I am using a wall calendar, a monthly weekly Bullet journal, a daily capture bullet journal and the latest additions to my junk journal. I also mention how I am using OmniFocus as my project to-do…

    Read more…

  • An update on my Bullet Journal and Planner as we come to the end of September. It’s the second week of my new set-up and things are going okay. There are still some issues that I am working through, but I hope to sort them out as I get into October. This journal set-up is…

    Read more…

  • A Fiction Writing Prompt to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. This was it, the breakthrough, the eureka moment. Nothing would be the same. Writing Prompt Expanded This week’s Friday Fiction Writing Prompt is about capturing the joy and celebration of discovery. The discovery can be anything, although…

    Read more…

  • Read more…

  • The festival of Mabon in the revised neopagan year is all about harvest. It is the second or final harvest of the year, so time to eat, drink and be merry… once the fields are cleared. Mabon also falls around the autumnal equinox, in the northern hemisphere. The day when daylight and nighttime are equal,…

    Read more…

  • Fresh air – Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    A Fiction Writing Prompt to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    I opened the doors and stepped out on the balcony. The view was amazing, but it was the air that took my breath away

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    This week’s Friday Fiction Writing Prompt is all about comparison. It’s time to compare one thing to another.

    The prompt focuses on fresh air. Our narrator has arrived at a place where the air is different from what they are used to. This could be because they are from a smog-ridden city and they are now at the coast or out in the countryside, or the other way round. The choice, as always is yours.

    The aim is to stretch your descriptive powers by focussing on the differences between the two. Use…

    • simile
    • metaphor
    • exaggeration

    The bigger the difference between the two places, the more captivated your reader will be, and the more likely they might relate to one of your descriptions. Emphasise the difference between the narrator’s memory and their current experience.

    As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your own interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story or something a little more grandiose. If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments or tag me. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • Wax on – Wordless Wednesday

  • Scraps? Journal and Planner Vlog

    Scraps! Journal and planner vlog update

    Planner and journal vlog update. A look into my bullet journal(s) and junk journal. I seem to have run into a problem with my set-up. Instead of capturing things in my ‘daily’ journal, I have been accruing a number of scrap pieces of paper. It feels like I am being called to an all-in-one journal… but I’ve been there before 🙂

  • Not working – Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    A Fiction Writing Prompt to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    I squeezed, nothing. I pressed again, still nothing. Now, I was getting desperate Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    I squeezed, nothing. I pressed again, still nothing. Now, I was getting desperate

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    This week’s Friday Fiction Writing Prompt is about frustration. Now you might feel there is enough frustration in your life already and that’s before you sit down and try to write. However, being able to describe frustration in your writing is a good skill.

    It is said that a bad workmen blames his tool. Here, you are not a bad workman, or person. Here, it is the tool of your trade that is letting you down. You’re pressing a button, squeezing a trigger, trying to turn something on… but nothing is happening.

    The prompt allows you to describe the frustration the narrator is having. They might need to fire a gun, they might need to call a lift to escape, they might be behind on preparing that special meal for that special someone. The choice of situation is yours, but whatever you choose, your challenge is to describe the complete and utter frustration.

    Enjoy your writing, but don’t get too frustrated if that key on the computer doesn’t respond straight away.

    As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your own interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story or something a little more grandiose. If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments or tag me. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • How I create my weekly planner layout

    This week’s vlog shows how I create my weekly bullet journal layout. I use stickers, scraps of paper and plenty of glue stick. I show how I go from a blank page to a weekly layout for my current bullet journal set-up. And I chat as I go along. Please subscribe if you like the video and find it helpful and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Happy planning.

  • Loss – Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    A Fiction Writing Prompt about loss to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    The word never is often used and frequently said in haste, but its real meaning was clear to me now - Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    The word never is often used and frequently said in haste, but its real meaning was clear to me now

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    This week’s Friday Fiction Writing Prompt is about loss. We’ve looked at happiness and now it is time for a little sadness. The set-up is simple, something has been lost, something precious to your character. The thing lost is gone and it will never be with the character again. It is all about exploring the emotions that accompany absence.

    Depending on your circumstances, and what you feel safe writing about, you can ‘lose’ anything. The ability to write objectively about something that can subjectively be very emotional for us can be difficult but is a valuable skill for writers of all genres and professions. The prompt has been created in the first person, but do change if that makes it easier for you.

    The item lost can be anything. As mentioned above I want you to feel safe so be wary of your subject matter. Here are some ideas of items that can be lost.

    • a person – the most basic loss that we all face at some point
    • a love – for someone or something (or other emotion or feeling)
    • an item – something that holds sentimental value, or practical importance
    • an ability – explore the frustration that follows as you realise you can’t do something
    • a pet – a loyal companion now gone

    It’s possible that all of the above could be used simultaneously if you’re writing a disaster epic.

    As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your own interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story or something a little more grandiose. If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments or tag me. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

    Original person imageby Anemone123 from Pixabay

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest