Writing challenge inspired by ‘Cloud of Unknowing’ by Robyn Penn

This is the last competition from the current series using prompts from David Krut Projects, our partner in Cape Town, who kindly allow us to use their inspiring venue.

Even if you don’t join us for the next Creative Writing Course in July, it’s worth exploring their gallery in Montebello. It doesn’t only hold exhibitions and showcase works  by various established local and international artists, they also have a  specialist bookstore with a wide range of art and design books that would delight any book lover.

This work, Cloud of Unknowing by Robyn Penn, will serve as our prompt to this month’s competition:

Here’s what we want you to do. One morning you wake up to see this on the horizon. What happens next? No more than 150 words.

The deadline is midnight on Sunday 3 July. Please paste your entry into the body of an email and send to trish@allaboutwritingcourses.com.

Finding inspiration

If you’re searching for inspiration for the new competition, here’s a useful writing tip for the month.

Big ideas are, of course, essential: the big arc of your story, an understanding of the big motivations that drive your story… But often (and here’s the tip), little ideas, the smallest details, inspire the biggest ideas.

So in your brainstorming (even if you only have one person to bounce things off or, indeed, are bouncing your ideas off yourself), think small. What words would this character use? What would be their first memory? What little thing would they most like doing during a lazy afternoon?

The more we understand the smallest elements of our characters, or story, the better we’re likely to be able to make the big creative decisions. The smallest details provide important clues to the deepest motivations…