MKeeley

@cbcreative @iamciarafinan Her flute sang out across the theatre, sweet and mellow until his violin cut in with its low dirge. She blew harder, gratified to hear her screeching high C bite into his morbid low G. ‘You’re sharp!’ He snapped. She raised her eyebrows suggestively. ‘So are you’. #WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @iamciarafinan: Write a short conversation between two characters who seemingly hate each other (but will end up together by the end of the story). Show the subtext of their growing attraction & hint at the progress from enemies/rivals to . . . something more!

Sad not to have placed in this months @cbcreative competition but loved the challenge. Updating a fairy tale with a modern issue. Fingers crossed for next month! #WriteCBC

@cbcreative @silvanhistorian Wendys gaze flits from the laundry pile to the discarded green cloak in the hallway. She hears a cry. ‘Your turn for the baby?’ The boing of the pogostick stops. Peter sighs as he stomps, Wendy waving the mortgage statement ‘Nobody else wants to grow up either Peter' #WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @silvanhistorian: Choose a fairy tale/folk tale and a contemporary issue (e.g. Red Riding Hood & Deforestation or Rumpelstiltskin & the Gender Pay Gap). Now write a mini-scene which transplants this 'modern' issue into a fantasy or historical setting.

@cbcreative @kirstylogan He frantically wiped his fingerprints off the glass, then stopped.Something in him had shifted. He daubed them back on, peppering the window with greasy splodges and long tapering smears. For the first time,her footsteps failed to turn his blood cold. Enough was enough #writeCBC

#WriteCBC task from @kirstylogan: Use one of these opening lines to start a story. Twist it as weird as you like! • She promised herself that was the last time. • From the moment I saw them, I was obsessed. • He frantically wiped his fingerprints off the glass.

@cbcreative @samuelburr ‘Waitress!’ The young woman stops picking at her canines and pivots on her heels. ‘Sir?’ ‘There are bite marks in my steak!’. She bows apologetically. ‘The kitchen will prepare another on the house’. Subtly she tucks her tail back beneath her black skirt as she leaves #WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @samuelburr: Clues come in all shapes and sizes. Tease your readers by planting a clue to a secret your character is keeping. Write a Tweet-length mini scene which shows that perhaps there’s more to this character than meets the eye.

@cbcreative @jess_emolloy The smell of pencil shavings and plasticine swirls around a kaleidoscope of tiny chairs tucked beneath low tables. I adjust my medals and march inside. If I can lead a regiment, I can lead a class of four year olds. But why does that boy have a crayon up his nose? #WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @jess_emolloy: Take a character you’re currently working on. Transport them to a place that is completely unfamiliar to them. How would they react? Write a mini-scene which shows how the setting impacts your character's actions and feelings.

@cbcreative @AllyZetterberg He had eaten 3 bites of her KitKat now and showed no remorse. This was her stop. She snatched the last finger from the train table, ate it whole and hurled the wrapper at him. As she marched away she sank her hand in her pocket, surprised to find her KitKat still there #WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @AllyZetterberg: Write a tweet-length scene centred on a miscommunication. Your characters are having a conversation in a public setting. One person in the conversation misinterprets the interaction. How does this cause tension between your characters?

@Hickesy Our well read, dogeared copies of Aveline Jones would love a new friend 👻

@cbcreative @EmilyHthinks #writeCBC History fizzled on her fingertips as she lifted the mahogany lid. The tiny box was lined with scarlet satin and infused with dust and extravagant perfume. Outside, the middle floorboard creaked, she knew he'd come. But it was hers and she would fight to the death for it

#WriteCBC task from @EmilyHthinks: Use a single object as a starting point to reveal as much information about your character as possible. Do they pick it up? Interact with it? See it from afar? What meaning do they find? What can you show us to give us a powerful sense of them.

@cbcreative @jennieg_author Strange to be back, most neighbours have died. When a kid moves to a road of bungalows its inevitable. Growing up, I had surrogate grandmas behind every door. Now skips adorn driveways; new owners, new plans. A familiar wind chime tinkles, I smile, Mrs H was my favourite#WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @jennieg_author: Your main character is walking down the street in the place where you (the writer) were born/grew up. Write a scene where you show us that place, the kind of people who live there, the feel of the setting... without explicitly telling us.

@cbcreative Jaw set, fingers poised. Concentrate, ignore the noise. Time travel, danger and an angry wombat. What middle grader wouldn't like that? Start with a plan, whatever it takes, but more of the writing and less Jaffa Cakes! #WriteCBC

#HappyNewYear to our #WritingCommunity! What's your writing goal for 2024? Perhaps you want start writing daily pages or finish your manuscript... Let us know below for #WriteCBC! You might win a course place worth £220. Find out how to take part: curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/how-to-ac…

Well this is a mini-lesson in perseverance. I entered this competition every day without success until the final day when I was awarded runner-up. Many thanks @cbcreative

@cbcreative @CorrineLeith #5ActFestiveStory Maya's face fell when she read what Lyra wanted. ‘But…but I can’t buy that!’ The elf winked ‘We’ve taken care of it'. The first flakes drifted down as she walked home. ‘Maya!’ her sister waved from the upstairs window. 'A White Christmas, just like I wanted!’

Our Act IV winning entry comes from @CorrineLeith ! Congratulations, you've won a free six-week course place. #WritingCommunity, please continue the #5ActFestiveStory by writing Act V – the resolution. Visit the blog to read the story so far: curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/5-act-fes…

@cbcreative @char_hopkins The old man softened and pointed to the gifts. ‘Perhaps you could help me deliver these to the neighbourhood? Be quick, there’s heavy snow on the way!’ The first flakes fell as Maya stepped into the dimly lit street, the sack of presents was heavy on her back #5ActFestiveStory

Our Act III winning entry comes from @char_hopkins ! Congratulations, you've won a free six-week course place. #WritingCommunity, please continue the #5ActFestiveStory by writing Act IV – the falling action. Visit the blog to read the story so far: curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/5-act-fes…

@cbcreative @KaeSilk #5ActFestiveStory Tearing her skirt on the window frame, she jumped down and gasped. Beneath the Christmas tree, the carpet was littered with the stolen paintings she’d seen on the news, gold frames twinkling. Sell them or claim the reward? The sirens made the decision for her.

@KaeSilk Please tweet your Act III response as a reply to our pinned tweet by 10am, Thurs 7 Dec (UK time). Remember to include #5ActFestiveStory. For more information on how to participate, check out this blog full of info and tips: curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/5-act-fes…

Our Act II winning entry comes from @KaeSilk! Congratulations, you've won a free six-week course place. #WritingCommunity, please continue the #5ActFestiveStory by writing Act III – the midpoint and climax. Visit the blog to read the story so far: curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/5-act-fes…

@cbcreative @greengillybean #5ActFestiveStory She righted the basket and climbed in, cheeks warmed by the flames of the burner. Moonlit and majestic, the hot air balloon rose into the darkness. Maya saw the grim silhouette below as the arrows peppered and pierced the precious silk. How had he found her?

Our Act I winning entry comes from @greengillybean! Congratulations, you've won a free six-week course place. #WritingCommunity, please continue the #5ActFestiveStory by writing Act II – give us the rising action. Visit the blog to read the story so far: curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/5-act-fes…

@cbcreative @JonnyGeller The figure in the rocking chair hypnotised him, back and forth, it turned revealing the profile of an old lady, back and forth, framed by diaphanous red hair her ice blue eyes pierced deep into Isaac’s soul #WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @JonnyGeller: You've probably written and rewritten your first sentence so many times. How about road-testing a new one today, or trying one from a later page of your WIP? Share it here, and you might surprise yourself with what you discover.

@cbcreative @lucysmallbark Like Moses parting the red sea, Sebastian sauntered confidently through the crowd nodding thanks to the bystanders who viewed his giant case with awe. Clive looked away in disgust, had no one ever seen a tuba before? He looked down at his tiny flute and sighed. #WriteCBC

#WriteCBC task from @lucysmallbark: Two characters meet in a crowded place. They are rivals. There are lots of people around, forcing them to behave. Show us the tension through their body language and mannerisms. Don’t make it too obvious that their relationship is antagonistic.