In his book The Novel Project, Graeme Simsion mentions the questionnaires we can find and fill out to get to know our characters – but he doesn’t use them. He says, “There are real people I’ve known for years whose star sign and preferred drink I wouldn’t be able to tell you. If a character […]
After what has been a long dry summer in my part of the world, and a seemingly short warm autumn, we have been inundated with a deluge of rain as if Winter wanted us to sit up and take notice of her arrival. It has certainly made me think about the changing seasons, both physically […]
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change has famously stated that “most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply”. “When we listen with the intent to understand others, rather than with the intent to reply,” Covey […]
These creative prompts are designed to gently ease our way back into writing (or any other art form) as we step into a new year. They can be used whether you wish to reflect on your own life, that of an ancestor or that of a fictional character. Use them as short warm-up exercises, integrate […]
I recently returned from a trip to visit my son in Melbourne and my mum in Tasmania. While in Melbourne, I spent time in the suburb where my son is currently living, and which is also where my great-grandmother was born. What I didn’t know until Mum and I dug a little deeper was […]
In putting together a set of Christmas-themed prompts, I acknowledge that not everybody celebrates this festive season, for a range of reasons. While I have attempted to acknowledge this in some prompts, please feel free to adapt them further, or simply choose the ones that are helpful as you develop the characters in your […]