Coffee break exercise: Ladders
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.
Recent Updates
How to write horror fiction: the secrets to scaring your readers
Learn how to scare your readers with our top tips on writing horror fiction from author Rachel Burge ...
Coffee break exercise: Poem
Use a poem as a prompt to create a new piece of writing in this week's workout ...
How I wrote a novel in seven weeks
Stacey Halls tells us how she wrote her debut novel The Familiars in a seven-week sabbatical from work ...
Coffee break exercise: Songs
Let an old song suggest a new story in this week's creative writing exercise ...
Other Articles
Treating your writing mum this Mother's Day
You surely celebrate your mother every day, but splash out and make her feel special this mother's day with ...
Back to basics: ‘A’ and ‘An’ rule
When should you use ‘an’? Perfect your grammar with our quick primer on the A and AN rules. ...
Coffee break exercise: Films
Take inspiration from your favourite movies for this week's creative writing exercise ...
Read more, write better! Writing Magazine bonus content, March 2019
Background reading, exclusive audio extracts and more to complement your latest Writing Magazine ...