Write Where You Are Episode 1

Why make a video series? It’s not the most obvious thing to do when you’re someone who dislikes having their photo taken. But when Covid-19 started and the country went into lockdown, like many others, I wanted to do something to help. So I made a few writing challenge videos, primarily for my Patron of Reading school, I put together story prompt postcards and creative writing activities. My ever-lovely husband found a video editing package and starting teaching himself to use it. Also, as festivals and awards ceremonies moved online, I found I was filming a lot of interviews and readings and I wondered if I could get better at it.

Then Literature Wales put out a call for authors to submit ideas for online projects and I immediately thought of something that could get people writing even if they were stuck indoors. I came up with Write Where You Are, a series of videos and activity sheets, finding story ideas around the house. I sent in a proposal to Literature Wales and was thrilled when I got funding.

Becoming ambitious, I commissioned artwork from Jackie Evans for the opening titles, and roped in some other authors to do guest slots in the videos.  With the help of my husband I learned the ropes on the video-editing and we all became very excited as the series took shape.

Here is episode 1. I’m on my own, today, in the kitchen, although there is a surprise guest appearance from another member of the household.

And here is the downloadable challenge sheet for episode 1 with lots more ideas for stories:

Write Where You Are Challenge Sheet 1

If you do any of the challenges and you’d like to share your work, please do send it to me. You can find my email address on the contacts page

 

 

 

 

8 thoughts on “Write Where You Are Episode 1

  1. Love it! How interesting that kitchens often feature in your books. Do you like to write in the kitchen?

    1. I do like to take my laptop into the kitchen and work at the breakfast bar for a change of scene sometimes. I was surprised how often kitchens feature in all my books – I hadn’t realised I was doing it until I stopped to look. My current work in progress has a scene in a kitchen, too!

      1. Whilst I have only featured a kitchen very briefly once on the way through! I will have to try harder to get a kitchen scene 🙂

        1. If I can squeeze one into a pirate ship, you can definitely get a kitchen onto your smugglers’ boat!

  2. Really enjoyed the video. It was really fun to have a different way to get ideas for stories. Can’t wait for the next episode to try out another new way to help write a story.

  3. This is a great way to get ideas for writing stories. Will use it with my children.

    1. Thanks, Ruth. I love using the kitchen story bowl idea. It’s even more fun doing it as a group and mixing up everyone’s ideas.

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