Writing maps

In the endless stream of articles and posts about curing writers’ block, there’s lots of advice about writing anything, just anything, to get your shift on. Morning pages. Free writing. Notebooks. But what about maps?

Writing maps are a lovely little resource that come in handy handbag sized packets. Each map contains a series of prompts around a theme – art galleries, cafes, cities, characters and so on – complete with suggested reading around the topic and lovely illustrations. The maps fold out into a handy yet versatile companion to your everyday writing life. (Writing maps also produce matching notebooks – my fingers are itching to buy some to go with my map stash but I have about 19 unused notebooks in my cupboard that I justifiably need to make some dent into before I buy more.)

I have short sketches, flash fiction and musings all produced from the writing maps. I like the variety of subjects, the downright nosiness of the suggestions, and the space they afford you to sit and write down what the hell comes to mind.

But there’s more! You can now buy the A3 Review, a collection of flash fiction by a variety of authors. We responded to prompts for monthly competitions and here we are, in a folded journal for your reading pleasure. “We?” I hear you say? Why yes.

I have a modest contribution in the A3 Review – my piece was a re-examination of a favourite word. The word I chose was: Diphthong. Of course.

Writing Maps offer maps, writing courses and more – you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook or sign up for their newsletter. Go on, you know you want to. And don’t forget to buy the A3 Review…