June 2023 Newsletter
Hi
May has been a slow month for the Hysteria Writing Competition, perhaps it’s been the weather – cold in places where it should be warm, hot in places it should be cool, and even hotter in places that are often hot. And that got me thinking about how the weather might affect us when we write.
I know that when it’s sunny I find it challenging to concentrate on my writing, mostly because there are jobs to be done in the garden, or I want to be out and about with friends or the dogs and my husband. If it’s cooler, I’m happy with my computer pounding out a few words on whatever writing project I’m working on.
What about you, do you have any writing weather preferences?
Talking of the weather, Diane Jackman’s post for May about what Magic might mean to you, also suggests that it can be a useful metaphor when, as she says “There are days when place, light, and weather combine to evoke a mysterious atmosphere.” Perhaps that might be a useful mini prompt too – considering what meteorological conditions might be to evoke a sense of unknowing to you?
I also published the first written interview with one of the reading team in May. Harking back to the Thursday Throng author interviews I used to do, it gives an opportunity to ‘meet’ a writer in their own words through their response to the questions they choose to answer. When asked the question, where would you bury the body, Abigail admits she “would look for a major construction job that involved going deep, like a bridge, a flyover, or a multi-story car park”. Read the rest of Abigail Ottley’s interview here.
Finally, I thought it might be useful to link to a few past writing prompts here and on Substack that might have a magical flavour to them to give you a few ideas to play around with. I hope you enjoy them too:
- The Other World
- Following the Star
- Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe
- Fresh start at Samhain
- Love Potion No. 9
- After Shakespeare
Remember, this year’s theme for the competition is MAGIC and I hope 2023 is a magical year for you and your writing life.
With love, light and laughter
Linda
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