Use this photo to inspire at least 200 words – imagine you are the person who collected these stamps, or think about the person looking in the store window wanting to buy one…

Store window

As I head to bed in Istanbul tonight, I can see the bright city lights over the Golden Horn. It makes me wonder about all the people who are sitting in their homes across the water, perhaps writing or reading, watching TV, arguing, cooking, reading… Take a moment to imagine a window. Put at least two characters inside that window and then imagine that you can hear what they’re talking about. Write down the conversation.

I know, I know, I know, life is busy. It’s so busy that it’s hard to find time to write, but as I was reminded in a recent workshop with the marvellous Leona Theis it really does only take ten minutes to sit down and write. Now, you’re not going to write an entire book in ten minutes, in fact, you may not even write something you ever want to read again in those ten minutes, but you can (I can) definitely get something on the page in that time.

So, take ten minutes and use the following word to write WITHOUT stopping.

HOLIDAY