Creative writing coffee break: houses

Use a memory of a house where you've lived as a building block for a new piece of writing in this week's 15-minute exercise

Set your timer for five minutes and list all the houses you have lived in – or those that have a special association for you.

When the buzzer goes, pick one of them. Set the timer for five minutes. Free write about this house – don’t censor what you write or stop to edit. Keep your pen moving!

For your last five minutes, look at the raw material you have created. Use it to write the beginning of a short story or poem.