darren r hill

the creative minimalist

Category: Writing

Posts relating to writing, either my own fiction, poetry or prose, or the writing of others.

  • Friday Fiction Writing Prompt exploring light

    A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the topic of light. The aim to stretch your literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. Light is the topic for this prompt.

    As the light flickered on she understood; both the reason for the silence and the explanation to not being told - fiction writing prompt @darrenrhill #ffwp

    As the light flickered on she understood; both the reason for the silence and the explanation to not being told

    Writing prompt expanded

    This week’s fiction writing prompt ties into my weekly prompt word; light. If you take a look at light in the dictionary you’ll find many uses for it and many meanings. Put light into a thesaurus and the possibilities stretch further. However, in this prompt, I have focussed on the aspect that light illuminates and makes clear.

    Because we need light to see, and light is one of our senses, it plays an integral part in our lives. If we have difficulty seeing and/or are visually impaired you’ll understand the importance and the associated feelings with not seeing something.

    The prompt is deliberately open. Something or someone has been hidden, but now the light has come on, they, or it has been revealed. But what? And that’s the writing challenge. Here are some ideas, but the list is almost endless:

    • a forgotten, now returned relative
    • a partner found in a compromising situation
    • a dead body
    • a known associate now revealed as someone else
    • an item thought lost
    • a surprise party

    Those are just a few ideas, but have fun exploring and writing about your own if you want.

    As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your 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, use the hashtag #ffwp or tag me @darrenrhill. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

    Original bulb image by >Free-Photos from Pixabay

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

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  • Happy mail Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

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

    happy mail - I opened the letter and read. I had to be careful not to smudge the words, as tears of joy rolled down my cheeks a Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    I opened the letter and read. I had to be careful not to smudge the words, as tears of joy rolled down my cheeks

    Writing prompt Expanded

    Some things make us so happy that our emotions overflow. But what can make us so happy? Today’s Friday Fiction Writing Prompt is all about exploring mail that makes us so happy we cry.

    Our main character, written in the first person, is reading a letter and it is happy mail. But what words could bring tears of joy to someone’s eyes?

    • is it the news they have been waiting for?
    • the news they never dared would arrive?
    • is it a confirmation of something or a positive change in fortune?
    • in a digital age what is so important that it arrived via the post?
    • or, is this a past event being described, before the advent of email, texting and messaging?

    The choice, as always, is yours. Put pen to paper or finger to keyboard and write, that’s the only rule. 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 #ffwp. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

    Original image by Victor Vote 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.

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  • The dream Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

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

    My eyes snapped open. I was wide awake. But the dream was still vivid. Friday Fiction Writing Prompt about dreaming

    My eyes snapped open. I was wide awake. But the dream was still vivid.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    This Friday Fiction Writing Prompt is about stretching your imagination muscles. Dreams are not fully understood. More importantly for us, they don’t follow the normal physical laws of reality. It’s time to play around with some fundamental laws of nature.

    The trouble with dreams

    Dreams take place in our brains while we sleep. Sometimes we remember them, other times we don’t. We might capture fragments or feelings or sometimes be able to construct a convincing narrative from them. However, in dreams

    • things don’t always happen in order
    • places and people can become confused and mixed-up
    • emotions can be exaggerated or non-existent
    • friends and family can act out of character
    • places can be known, amalgamated or pure fantasy
    • The natural laws of gravity and nature can become warped

    In other words, dreams are creative playgrounds for writers. They go beyond the normal constraints of a simple narrative. There are no limits to what your dream can be about. Describe your dream and draw the reader into this ‘strange’ land of the subconscious. No rules, just write and enjoy.

    As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your 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 #ffwp @darrrenrhill. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

    Original bed image by Free-Photos 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.

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  • Who are you? Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

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

    There were faces all around, looking intently at me, but I recognised none of them - a Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    There were faces all around, looking intently at me, but I recognised none of them

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    A piece of advice often given to would be writers is to write about what you know. Well, this is a challenge that develops that idea. Here you’re prompted to write about what you don’t know, but for a purpose.

    So what has happened?

    • Have you just recovered, or woken up from some traumatic experience? Is your memory playing up and not recognising those around?
    • Perhaps you’re coming round in the street after a funny turn? The faces are the strangers, or paramedics come to offer aid.
    • You might be about to make a presentation or speech, and the unknown faces are the crowd eagerly awaiting your words?

    Or it could be something else. 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 #thecreativeminimalist #ffwp. 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.

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  • Payment a Black Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

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

    Yesterday, we gave thanks for all we had. But then we wanted more. Now the being before us demanded payment. A Black Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    Yesterday, we gave thanks for all we had. But then we wanted more. Now the being before us demanded payment.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    This is a special Black Friday Fiction Writing Prompt. Following Thanksgiving, the Black Friday tradition pulls the US, and many others around the world, into wanting and buying more. We give thanks and then seek out that little extra.

    This got me thinking about something dark to relate to the black. Yes, I know that the black refers to business bank account balances, but I am taking creative license here. Transactions are in the west commonly financial. But let’s step outside the ‘present your card to the machine’ routine.

    • What if this is no ordinary capitalist trade?
    • What if the being isn’t even human?
    • Has anyone been selling their soul recently?
    • What did your character desire that they would make such an offer?

    Of course, this is your writing, and perhaps you’re using a metaphor to describe the cashier. But why use the metaphor, what’s the motivation behind that? As always, no rules, just write and have fun. Use them as a starting point for a short story or something a little more grandiose. And as you write, take a look inside and think whether or not you really need that thing you desire… and is it worth the payment being demanded… cue evil laugh!

    If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments or use the tags #thecreativeminimalist #ffwp. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

    Original hooded image by PublicDomainPictures 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.

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  • What and where? – Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

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

    It should be right where I left it on the cabinet, but it’s gone Friday Fiction Writing Prompt

    It should be right where I left it on the cabinet, but it’s gone

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    This fiction writing prompt is all about exploring… well, exploring. Or more accurately, exploring a situation that begins with nothing and expands. You start with something missing, an empty space that, you believe should have something. From this start, the direction of what you write is completely up to you.

    • What should be there?
    • Where has it gone?

    This could be a case of forgetfulness or something more sinister. Did you really put it there? Is your mind playing tricks, or not working as it should be? Has someone, or something moved it for whatever reason, or taken it? Could it be that you are remembering something that had been placed there many years ago, which is now long gone?

    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 shelf image by Bongkarn Thanyakij 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