Get a new piece of work off the ground with this week's creative writing coffee break exercise

Set the timer for five minutes and free-write about ladders – e.g. a game of snakes and ladders, the superstition that it’s unlucky to walk under ladders or a character climbing the promotion ladder.

For the next five minutes underline any sections you particularly like. Then for the remaining time, draft a poem or short story.

If you decide to write a short story, try these top tips from Helen M Walters, who contributes the monthly Masterclass feature to Writing Magazine.