Brainstoryum: Writing Prompts and Short Stories

Enjoy a new discussion on creative writing techniques with insightful ideas to inspire your writing – whether you're writing short stories or novels. Today’s show explores story tropes drawn from superhero tales, which we can twist and use for our own stories even if they have nothing to do with superheroes! Then it’s time for some new writing prompts using the surrealist word game of Exquisit...

Dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores creative writing techniques and profound, psychology-based ideas to inspire your writing! There are also lots of ideas for short stories in particular, as the quickest and easiest way to get your writing published. Today’s show explores the use of first person narrative, with examples from Anna Tizard’s upcoming collection of short stori...

Dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores creative writing techniques and profound, psychology-based ideas to inspire your writing! Today’s show explores the use of intimate third person narrative, and how to wind in a mixture of mystery, distance and closeness to enrich your storytelling. After some deep insights, have fun with some fresh rounds of Exquisite Corpse word play fo...

Dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores creative writing techniques and profound ideas from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, to inspire your writing and your creative life! Today is all about daring to be different and going beyond readers’ expectations. After some deep-thinking insights, have fun with some fresh rounds of Exquisite Corpse word play for some seriously weird s...

Braced with a cup of tea and a pen It is time once again To enter Wonderland. Dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores creative writing techniques and profound ideas from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, to inspire your writing and your creative life! Today I ask, what is Alice in Wonderland really about? Can it even show us how to be happy? After some deep insights, have fun...

Dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores creative writing techniques and profound ideas from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, to inspire your writing and your creative life! Today is all about the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, the pinnacle of nonsense and mayhem in Wonderland. After some deep-thinking insights, have fun with some fresh rounds of Exquisite Corpse word play for some s...

Dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores creative writing tips and profound ideas from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, to inspire your writing and your creative life! Today we meet with the Cheshire Cat whose message is about finding our way; for there never was anyone who stepped into Wonderland who wasn’t lost. After some deep-thinking insights stick around for some fresh r...

Award-winning dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores more creative writing tips and profound ideas from the weird world of Alice in Wonderland. It's time to hear from the Caterpillar. As this strange blue creature perches on the mushroom, staring at us through a cloud of smoke, what writing tips and ideas can we possibly glean from him? Brace yourself for some deep explor...

Unable to see the Cheshire cat logo? Click here and feast your eyes on this! Award-winning dreampunk and literary fantasy author, Anna Tizard, explores creative writing tips and story ideas from the weird world of Alice in Wonderland. Randomness is a strong theme in Alice; being in a strange place, a foreign country where you don’t know the rules, or where rules can be broken. A bit like the lands...

Episode 27: Why write short stories? What are the benefits to you as an author (new or experienced), especially if all you want to do is write a novel? Submission info: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction: https://fandsf.moksha.io/publication/fsf/guidelines Join fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard in another round of writing prompt games using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Cor...

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard explores story ideas found in the most unexpected places: this time, the world of eerie fonts! With writing tips, plotting ideas and weird journeys in the imagination using the ultimate writing prompt game: Exquisite Corpse. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks o...

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard writes stories and novels inspired by the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. To submit an original short story, poem or sketch to Sean McGillis's cat-themed anthology, email ⁠smcgillis248@att.net⁠ by 1st May 2023. (N.B. This is passed-on information rather than an endorsement of a publications or offer; as always, check terms and conditions where...

Enjoy new journeys into the imagination with fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! Listen, join in, fall about laughing – and open up your imagination to a whole new world of story ideas using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse.

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard writes stories and novels inspired by the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! Listen, join in, fall about laughing – and open up your imagination to a whole new world of story ideas.

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard writes stories and novels inspired by the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! In episode 22, discover thieves, portals and a Surrealist cafe full of weird possibilities. Listen, join in, fall about laughing –...

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard writes stories and novels inspired by the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! Episode 21 showcases the first Exquisite Corpse story games of 2023. Listen, join in, fall about laughing – and open up your imagi...

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard writes stories and novels inspired by the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! Listen, join in, fall about laughing – and open up your imagination to a whole new world of story ideas. Episode 20 is the Christm...

Is your life zany enough? Surely not! Spark your imagination (and laugh your socks off) as fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard creates stories using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! Creative writing prompts have never been this unique -...

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard writes stories and novels inspired by the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! Listen, join in, fall about laughing – and open up your imagination to a whole new world of story ideas. Episode 18 includes a sho...

Fantasy and dreampunk author Anna Tizard writes stories and novels inspired by the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse.  Send words to annatizard.com/play and hear what happens when your entries are mixed with other people’s and pulled out of… The Socks of Destiny! Listen, join in, fall about laughing – and open up your imagination to a whole new world of story ideas. The new format begi...

It’s the Completely Bonkers Halloween Episode! Enjoy 3 spooky, mysterious and downright weird stories written by listeners, who’ve all been inspired by Exquisite Corpse game results on this very show! Are you sitting comfortably? We have:  “The Deceased Griffin” by Margaret Homersham (inspired by the Exquisite Corpse: “The deceased griffin dug deep into the sackcloth pockets of the great vica...

Today’s special feature is about a new anthology:  Midwinter Magic & Mayhem edited by Frances Evelyn. Enjoy a dip into these winter-themed tales and find out what inspired the authors, as well as tips on inspiration – before we indulge in some fresh rounds of Exquisite Corpse in the end section of the show! NOTE: The e-book of Midwinter Magic & Mayhem will be available to subscribers...

Today’s show presents a mix of new story ideas based on Exquisite Corpses, suggested by listeners; storytelling from an evolutionary psychology perspective; a new book release announcement; more Exquisite Corpse game play; and a Halloween Challenge for you! Halloween Challenge: Can you write a 400-2K word story based on one of these, or on an adjective-noun combo in any one of them (e.g. “humungou...

Episode 13 includes a journey into space! Sit back, relax and enjoy a short story by regular listener, M.L. White, who was inspired by the Exquisite Corpse: “The pious wizard drifted across the universe with the eloquent courier.” Next, a discussion about the tricky balance of description versus action, particularly in world-building fantasy; and how an experience in an oral storytelling workshop...

As ever, Anna Tizard is your reliably zany inspiration mystic, here to talk about creative writing, brainstorming story ideas and how to take your imagination into new, unchartered territory – even when time, energy and space (or lack of it) seem to be set against us. Today, the show looks at frustration with time constraints and low energy, when even 20 mins seems too much. Plus: do we need a “sa...