This week’s writing prompt should get you writing that story!
Peas in a pod. We – and by “we” I mean Mr Fiction Ed, of course – grew these in the summer. They were delicious, sweet and succulent. And eaten straight out of the pod. I don’t think they ever made it to the dinner plate.
Just look how many are crammed in to each pod! We ended up in gentle competition to see who could find the pod with the most in it. The average was nine, but we found some examples of ten and even one of eleven. I think that was mine. Not, ahem, that I was keeping score… But it was a fine excuse to keep picking and popping!
It’s a Story Starter, though, isn’t it? Peas in a pod. Identical twins. Non-identical twins. That’s the most literal suggestion.
But look at that one that’s flipped itself out slightly as I unzipped the pod. Standing out from the crowd. Setting itself apart. Like the tallest tree. That’s why I photographed this particular pair of pods.
What else does it make you think of. Pea soup. A pea souper. Green. Lots of green! Envy. Green at the gills. A greenhorn. Green – the environment.
You’ll have lots of bright ideas.
I can say that with total confidence because we know these work. We see the stories coming in with their lovely friendly covering letters that say, I wrote this from a Story Starter…
What are we looking for just now? Same old same old….The stories we use most of, as in three thousand and two thousand words.
Young romance. We’re seeing surprisingly few of them at the moment. Stories set abroad or in unusual locations. Orkney. Ireland. When did you last read a story set there?
Not grandma stories, still the default setting for so many writers when they target The People’s Friend.
OK, you’re green for go!
Ready to write that story? Check our writing tools to help you
Shirley Blair Fiction Ed Shirley’s been with the “Friend” since 2007 and calls it her dream job because she gets to read fiction all day every day. Hobbies? Well, that would be reading! She also enjoys writing fiction when she has time, long walks, travel, and watching Scandi thrillers on TV.
