Brainstoryum: Short Stories and Writing Prompts

Your weekend is not weird enough without Brainstoryum! Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a funny and dark Alice in Wonderland-style journey into the imagination. Brainstorming and writing short stories has never been such a wild adventure until you’ve tried using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Listeners’ words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas – and a fascinating exploration of creative writing craft. This show includes 3 new laugh-out-loud game results, which (of course) lead to a new, haunting dark fantasy story.The show also includes microfiction and poems from: Nick Vracar, Alessandro Bozzo, Mostly Paul (Quantum Fairy on Bsky), and Dale Tudge (Dale Tudge Humor! on Bsky).Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Bookof Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com.

Your weekend is not weird enough without Brainstoryum! Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author,Anna Tizard, in a funny and dark Alice in Wonderland-style journey into the imagination. Brainstorming and writing short stories has never been such a wild adventureuntil you’ve tried using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Listeners’ words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas – and a fascinatingexploration of creative writing craft. This show includes 3 new laugh-out-loud game results, which (of course) lead to a dark fantasy tale full of mystery… and shadows.Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Bookof Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com.

Your weekend is not weird enough without Brainstoryum! Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into creative writing and short stories using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse.Listeners’ words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas – and a fascinating exploration of writing craft. This show includes 3 new laugh-out-loud game results, which (of course) lead to a dark and mysterious tale from the depths of the ocean. Find the Spotlight Indie Podcast interview no. 1 (my author journey, methods and tips): Author Chat & Roll for Insight with Anna TizardFor interview no. 2 (troubleshooting questions all about writing short stories): There's No Such Thing as a Stupid Question: Short Story WritingSubscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list andreceive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com.

Your weekend is not weird enough without Brainstoryum! Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into creative writing and short stories using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse.To watch the Spotlight Indie interview go to: Author Chat & Roll for Insight with Anna TizardSubscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list andreceive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com.INTRO: Hello imaginative people. I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 86 of Brainstoryum. Well, I have some exciting news. I have been interviewed by the Spotlight Indie podcast! And the video is out now on Youtube. It’s all happened a lot faster than I thought it would, otherwise Iwould have mentioned it for sure in the previous episode: these Spotlight Indie folk don’t hang about!In the interview I talk about my writing journey, what drove me to begin a podcast, my challenges, and we even play a couple of rounds of live Exquisite Corpse. The game results are of course laughably ridiculous—at first! Then the hosts, Frasier Armitage and H.L. Tinsley come up with some great ideas on the spot. And of course this means—I reveal the socks of destiny. This is the first time they have ever been seen anywhere on the internet, and Frasier, as a long-time listener to the show expressed some surprise at what they look like. So tune in and enjoy the curious, the chats and the creative mayhem.

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the imagination with tips, techniques and tools you can use to write suspensefulcreature fiction. Anna uses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas. The results are imagination-bending and a real workout for your creative writing.It’s the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material notpublished anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 85 of Brainstoryum.I have a bumper show for you today (as I’m recording the introduction last this time). The ExCos turn out even crazier than usual today, so expect some laughs, yet despite this, I find myself setting what might well be called a ludicrous writing prompt challenge, which turns out pretty well, I reckon. So while this will be a slightly longer episode than usual, please do listen on, and join me in this bizarre journey into writing craft – and hopefully a glimpse into a little bitof my slowly building collection...

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’s imagination – at once profound, surprising, funny, and extraordinary. Anna usesthe surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas by mixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results are imagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing. Listen to brand new short stories and scenes as Anna drafts them (she uses the “pause” button to compose them) and learn from tips, techniques and tools she shares along theway: practical ideas that you can use to write suspenseful fiction, especially fantasy.It’s the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum! Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 84 of Brainstoryum.I mentioned last time how, lately, circumstances have left me a bit isolated, and I haven’t been able to get out as much as I’d like, and it’s not that long before the four walls start to feel a frustrating. It prompted me to think about a phrase Iused to use more, among friends, to describe a book or short story that is so well written it makes you feel nourished. I’d say it was “word food”, because as an author, maybe it is true to some degree that you are what you read (or have read, and have valued reading). It’s not quite as direct as “you are what you eat” because that’s more physical, to do with literal nutrition affecting how well your cells regenerate and all the millions of bodily processes that go on; but you get the idea. Some stories and poems make us feel nourished; and they’re likely good for our writing, as we naturally absorb the rhythms and sounds and general deliciousness of quality literature. But oneexperience reminded me, unexpectedly of this “word food” idea and how I should probably extend it to “experience food” (if that’s not too ridiculous) because all life is experience, everything that happens to us affects how we feel; some events may even change us, the way we think; what we expect. And if we find ourselves stuck indoors with the “four walls of the apocalypse” as we nicknamed them during the COVID lockdowns, it will help not just our writing but our overall mental health if we find ways to stimulate our imaginations, or just – seek out interesting facts on blogs or in podcasts, if nothing else. What happened – and this is quite a boring problem,low-stress – is I lost...

The ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!This is the third and final episode delving into tips and techniques on fight scene writing, with reference to Marie Brennan's outstanding book, Writing Fight Scenes.Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’s imagination – at once profound, surprising, funny, and extraordinary. Anna usesthe surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas by mixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results are imagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing.Listen to brand new short stories and scenes as Anna drafts them (she uses the “pause” button to compose them) and learn from tips, techniques and tools she shares along theway: practical ideas that you can use to write suspenseful fiction, especially fantasy.Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’s imagination – at once profound, surprising, funny, and extraordinary. Anna usesthe surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas by mixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results are imagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing.Listen to brand new short stories and scenes as Anna drafts them (she uses the “pause” button to compose them) and learn from tips, techniques and tools she shares along theway: practical ideas that you can use to write suspenseful fiction, especially fantasy.It’s the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.Hello imaginative people. I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 82 of Brainstoryum.In the last show there were so many useful, incredibly practical pieces of advice offered by fellow writers who have more experience than I do in writing fight scenes: from testing out moves physically, considering the feasible skill levels of your characters (or their lack of skill) before diving in, using shorter sentences to create a sense of speed and pace, to ensuring that you hone in on the emotional and psychological experience of your protagonist as the fight unfolds. It’s a lot to think about, I find; a lot to take in. I’m wary of trying to take in too much at once, because these things take time and practice to really absorb, and it’s quite easy, I think, to intimidate ourselves out of a writing exercise by thinking too much about technique.Now, I want to continue with this deep-dive and learn more about how to write fight scenes, although I think it’s important to keep the balance between spending time thinking critically – consciously and conscientiously – about these things, and following the white rabbit of inspiration. Because there comes a moment when you pick up the pen, or touch your fingers to the keyboard, and to capture the wonder that we experience in reading great stories, as writers, certainly in the first draft, I think it’s worth giving in to the subconscious mind, and letting yourself be led down a pathway whose twists and turns you can’t yet see. So let’s turn our attention for a little while to technique, then it will be time to begin an unplanned, spontaneous adventure into the imagination, which I think is vital nourishment to our creativity.

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’s imagination – at once profound, surprising, funny, and extraordinary. Anna usesthe surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas by mixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results are imagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing.Today's episode showcases experienced authors' hot tips and hot takes on how to write fight scenes, followed by 3 new story brainstorms, and a brand new short story - which, naturally, includes a fight scene!Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material notpublished anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com. 

Joinaward-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’simagination – at once profound, surprising, funny, and extraordinary. Anna usesthe surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas bymixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results areimagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing.Listen to brandnew short stories and scenes as Anna drafts them (she uses the “pause” buttonto compose them) and learn from tips, techniques and tools she shares along theway: practical ideas that you can use to write suspenseful fiction, especiallyfantasy.It’s theultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (orcreative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe forfree to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin yourjourney into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material notpublished anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 80 of Brainstoryum.As I mentioned last time, today I’m going to talk a bit about a series I absolutely love that has monstrous themes at its heart: Ransom Riggs’ Peculiar Children series, which begins with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. They made that one into a movie; didn’t like it, haven’t watched it since, but my goodness, I don’t know how many times I have read the book – or the whole series, because I just love it. As an author, I have to ask, why? What is it that I love so much? And can I pin-point these story elements, themes or types of things going on, to transform them into something that’s uniquely my own, in my writing? This is a great exercise for any writer for honing in on the real stuff that excites you. The better you know yourself as a reader, and why you enjoy what you enjoy, the more you can tap into the same kind of magic in your writing. And that sort of excitement is infectious: if you’re excited about what you’re writing, this will come across in the style – let alone your fundamental choices about what you write about.Now, while the Peculiar Children series is mainly built around monsters, the threat of these monsters who have tentacles coming out of their mouths and basically eat your soul (pretty way out there stuff), Riggs casts the philosophical net a bit wider. The peculiar children who have various oddities and strange powers are effectively outcasts from ordinary life, and are wrongly considered a threat to others. They have to live apart from the real world, in time loops. So there’s this lingering question of “What is a monster? Are some people labelled monsters unfairly?” And the protagonist, whose life is painfully banal, or so he feels, gets to experience this incredible acceptance and belonging in the peculiar group when he finally meets them, who become less peculiar to him once there’s acceptance and understanding on both sides. A thought-provoking element of the story; I appreciate a bit of chin-stroking, when it’s cleverly incorporated into the story itself and the protagonist’s emotional experience.But grey areas aside, the real, undeniable monsters inthe story...

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’s imagination – at once profound, surprising, funny, and extraordinary. Anna uses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas by mixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results are imagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing.Listen to brand new short stories and scenes as Anna drafts them (she uses the “pause” button to compose them) and learn from tips, techniques and tools she shares along the way: practical ideas that you can use to write suspenseful fiction, especially fantasy.It’s the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 79 of Brainstoryum. I hope you’ve had an excellent Easter by the time you listen to this: I recorded this just before Easter, which, let’s face it, is a difficult time for chocoholics. Every time I’ve been into our local supermarket in the last two months just to buy ordinary groceries, I have been faced with walls of tantalising boxes containing that unspeakably amazing stuff wrapped in glistening purple foil. I usually take my husband with me, not just to do the heavy carrying, but to help me through this… difficult time!And when the egg I really wanted was selling out, so I couldn’t leave buying it to the absolute last minute – I really like chocolate buttons – I bought it the weekend before Easter, asked Duncan to hide it… but he wasn’t quick enough, so I caved and I ate the buttons that came with the egg. It was only a small packet. And the way I see it, it’s the egg part that’s for Easter, right? So that’s okay, isn’t it?But I digress! Moving swiftly on, I have to tell you about some changes I’m making to the show. Nothing massive, but I would love your feedback anyway. Now, over time, I’ve got into the habit of feeling compelled to draft a short story or scene based on pretty much every single Exquisite Corpse result that comes up. This is quite an intense challenge – I think I’ve just been like, “I’ve got to prove that it can be done! Even with the really crazy ones.” And if you’re a regular listener, you’ll know I love surprises in fiction. I love to be surprised, and I love to write in surprises to my stories. And this is a great way to find those surprises – to go looking under every rock. So that might be why I got a little bit obsessive over this, trying to write every story– and it's also why the show’s become just that little bit longer than I’d like, and I haven’t been able to bring it down closer to half an hour.And while this has been going on...

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’s imagination – at once profound, surprising, funny, and extraordinary. Anna uses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas by mixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results are imagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing.Listen to brand new short stories and scenes as Anna drafts them (she uses the “pause” button to compose them) and learn from tips, techniques and tools she shares along the way: practical ideas that you can use to write suspenseful fiction, especially fantasy.It’s the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.INTRO:Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 78 of Brainstoryum. It’s finally a really gorgeous summery day in the UK. I hope you’re getting a bit of sunshine wherever you are, if that’s feasible, but if not, don’t worry because the same sun is shining down on us from whatever part of the world you’re in. It might be just be covered by clouds for now, but it’s still there, the way that ideas can sometimes hide behind other thoughts, or other necessities of your day. They’re still there. That creative potential awaits just beyond the reach of your senses; or, it might be time for that inspiration to shine is here.I thought I’d share some writing news with you this time, because I almost never do that (why do I never do that?), but instead of saying, “Here’s some writing news”, I want to say, “And now for some dragon-related news” (because how often in life do you get to say that sentence?): I’ve been drafting a short story based on an Exquisite Corpse from the last show and which I nearly – well, not nearly… I felt like dismantling the words and putting them back into the socks of destiny, I was so stumped when the sentence was first formed. Sacrilege! (I hear you cry.)But I never actually do that, because each time I even think about doing it, I know how haunted I would be by those unexplored possibilities… (What if it turned out to be the most amazing story in the history of stories?) And then, even if it might not turn out to be the best story in the world –the power of randomness steps in, or the power of imagination, or something – something magical – “proves” to me that putting the words back into the socks would have been a big mistake.The Exquisite Corpse in question was “The duplicate pet dragon struck a bargain with the porcelain dinosaur” which, being kind of inexplicable (it still hurts my brain just to re-read that sentence – hence my original temptation to just give up), but after enough pondering, it turned into: “The owner of the duplicate pet dragon store struck a bargain with the porcelain dinosaur” (which I took to mean another breed of the same general species of dragon, with pale skin). And so, after a bit of scene drafting which I shared in the episode (number 77, if you haven’t heard it), I rolled up my sleeves and got writing, because the idea began to expand. Set in a world only slightly different to ours, Tam, a long-time owner of a pet store which sells genetically modified dragons, perfectly legally and above board (they’re all the rage these days), meets the mysterious Bill, who likes to keep to the shadows; likes to keep the lighting low in his shop – which is really Tam’s shop; it’s a “duplicate”, or a second shop in the beginning of a chain for her. A new business venture. But Bill reveals himself to be part-dragon; the result of some terrible, cruel experimentation; and his sister, who is a full-blown dragon, except for her flightless wings, is still trapped in the lab where they were both made...

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the writer’s imagination – at once, profound and hilarious, existential and quite silly. Annauses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas by mixing listener’s word suggestions into weird sentences. The results are imagination-bending, and a real workout for your creative writing.Listen to brand new short stories and scenes as Anna drafts them (she uses the “pause” button to compose them) and learn from tips, techniques and tools she shares along the way: practical ideas that you can use to write suspenseful fiction, especially fantasy.It’s the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material notpublished anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com. INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 77 of Brainstoryum. When I look backover the some of these more recent shows where I’ve been exploring my new theme of weird creatures, I recognise an underlying theme cropping up, as it’s come up in my writing before, just in different form: loss of control. I’ve often thought that the hardest stresses to bear in life are usually the ones that seem to render you helpless. Whether that’s illness, bereavement, or other practical limitations which a life situation presents you with, like not being able to earn enough: these make us feel out of control. And we might wonder then, if we ever had any control, if the feeling of control we usually think we haveis just an illusion. (Please get help, by the way, if you’re suffering from any of these things – don’t suffer alone.) Writing fiction is not therapy per se, although it can help you face your demons a little better. It’s why I wrote TheEmpty Danger, my first book in my series, because in March 2020 I realised was facing the same fears that most people around the world were facing at the same, and while it was terrifying and made me helpless, I also saw an opportunity to explore this potentially unifying force. Could there be something positive in there, somewhere, if I searched hard enough? I hunted with my pen, and The Empty Danger is the result. But I digress. I think what I’m getting to is the idea that the element of lack of control is something we can explore through suspenseful creature fiction, perhaps fantasy that helps us imagine confronting monsters; and maybe this is why the plot structure is so satisfying, when the protagonist goes from being terrified and threatened by the unknown; gradually piecing together scraps of information about the monster, so that it becomes less unknown by degrees; and then, they have a go at fighting it, and even killing it. We get that vicarious joy and relief at being able to destroy something that has stressed us out.But as I’ve been reading about writing monsters, I’ve realised that a lot of this kind of stuff is very much applicable to longer stories – novellas, novels – where you have the space in which to take a protagonist through that journey, of coming to understand and in some way, hopefully, overcome a monster. Turn a feeling of lack of control into a sense of having some control. And I’m sure that I will be writing longer pieces that use these plot devices, because I love them – there’s something in there that I just love. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still use the practice ground of short stories, in fact, you can still fit some of these elements in a shorter piece, it's just that they can’t all be realised to their fullest extent. You can show a glimpse of some of these plot elements rather than necessarily have them play out completely, and dabble in different aspects. And I already know from experience...

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the imagination with tips, techniques and tools you can use to write suspenseful creature fiction. Anna uses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas. The results are imagination-bending and a real workout for your creative writing.It’s the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to annatizard.com.INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 76 of Brainstoryum.Last time, I went quite in-depth in the introduction about a theory I came across as to why, psychologically and culturally, we might in these times find monster fiction a bit more satisfying. Sometimes I think about my own personal psychological reasons as to why I like monster fiction or want to write monster fiction, and I will probably talk about that in another show, but there’s a time to get deep about these things, and there’s a time to just appreciate things for what they are on the surface, and right now, with the sun out for the first time in ages, and I’m not quite in the zone for deep psychological digging, and in fact, that reminds me that creature fiction is not all about darkness. The darkness in fiction, unless it’s the grisliest type of horror, is surely there to help illuminate, to show up the light more brightly. I know when I read a story, I want to find the protagonist not just relatable, but to find in him or her something hopeful, a light that stands out against the darkness.And in a more general way, on a more light-hearted note, I think I just like variety in fiction. The theme of weird creatures (not just monsters, but weird creatures) is so appetising to me because it’s like a challenge: what new weird things can I create? How can I find unique ideas for stories that genuinely surprise me (and I’ve said it many times, I refuse to publish anything that doesn’t surprise me at least twice).Well, the game of ExCo is a great start, and I’ve had some amazing words coming in, filling up the Socks of Destiny – thank you, people. Keep them coming!But on thinking about the psychology of writing, why we write what we write: there’s a time for reflection on that, certainly, and that’s a very useful tool. But equally, there is a time to play. And in fact, there is no better way, as a writer, to hunt down the themes that are to become ‘your’ themes, the underlying ideologies or attitudes to life that emerge in the undertones of your fiction – than to set aside all the thinking, the reflection, and just write. Open your mind to new crafting techniques, suggestions, writing prompts, books about how to write, like this one I’ve reading about Writing Monsters. Learn all you can; but ultimately, the practice is the learning; and the discovery is in the doing.So let’s do it.

Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into the imagination with tips, techniques and tools you can use to write suspenseful creature fiction for the zeitgeist (including a juicy theory on what that means today). Anna uses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas.Ignite your imagination with the ultimate writing promptchallenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 75 of Brainstoryum. I’m ready to learn more about writing suspenseful creature fiction – are you? (You can of course, just listen for fun and entertainment; you do not need to be a writer to enjoy the craziness and imagination-yoga of this show.)But before we get into all that, last time I promised to share with you a juicy theory I found in the wilds of the world wide web on why confronting monsters in fiction is a more pertinent theme than ever. Because fantasy isn’t just escape, it’s experiences that we want to have within the safe haven of our imagination, and that can be cathartic for things that are troubling us in reality.Now, this article I came across, in fact it was apodcast, I was just reading the transcription, on a website called...

Whether you like horror or not, fantasy is all about confrontation with the strange and the impossible.Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in an exploration of creature themes, with tips, tricks and tools you can use to develop your writing in new, exciting ways. Naturally, there’s plenty of experimentation with ideas, as Anna uses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas while applying new-found learning around the topic of writing monsters.A fascinating exploration of writing craft. Ignite yourimagination with these short story ideas for the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum!Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list andreceive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includesexclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com.Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 74 of Brainstoryum.Now, in my last collection of short stories, the theme of Portals and Immortals (which became the title), seemed to emerge of its own accord, intuitively, as I began to recognise these ideas cropping up in my otherwise very different stories. And so it was almost in retrospect – or certainly after I’d got most of the first drafts written – that I made that firm decision to go with that theme. And really it influenced my final decisions on which stories to include in that collection, and not much else.But this time, I want to do more. Now that I’m trying to build towards a new collection (it’s high time I put another one together), I feel like I want to be more proactive.I have observed a theme emerging. But I feel like I have lots to learn, and I’d like to use this show to share some of my learning process along the way; and that’s good, because part of the pleasure and the excitement of being an author is to learn; you’re always learning. And as this is a story brainstorming show, and my listeners send me words which then turn into writing prompts… Why not share more of my thoughts and my learning through my process of writing and experimenting with stories?The theme that I’m already slightly obsessed with, and if you glance back at some of the latest story brainstorms, you’ll notice it’s there: isweird creatures.Sometimes monsters but not always. Creatures can include ghosts, dragons, creatures from fairytales, mythology, we’ve had a few kelpies on the show; and characters who aren’t completely human.I’m not a horror writer; sometimes I dip into horror themes or get a bit scary; but if you’ve listened to the last show, the Trope Special, you’ll already understand that authors potentially borrow story elements from all different genres. I don’t like gore. If I’m reading a book with a bit of gore in it I might grit my teeth and get through it IF I’m particularly enjoying that book for its story and characters. So ifyouare not a horror reader (or a horror writer), or even if you don’t feel that drawn to the idea of monsters, I firmly believe there will be plenty going on in this show to entice and stir your imagination.

Can tropes – story ideas which have been churned around and repeated for centuries, if not millennia – actually improve your stories and make them more original? Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in an exploration of story tropes, with tips, tricks and tools you can use to develop your writing in new, exciting ways. Naturally, there’s plenty of experimentation with ideas, as Anna uses the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse to generate short story ideas before testing out different tropes and seeing what happens next. A fascinating exploration of writing craft. Ignite your imagination with these short story ideas for the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Your weekend is not weird enough (or creative enough) without Brainstoryum! Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com. INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 73 of Brainstoryum. Now, in the last couple of weeks, it seems I’ve become a little bit obsessed with tropes – or re-obsessed with tropes, as this is an aspect of my writing journey that I’ve explored before, but I just haven’t yet shared it on Brainstoryum. (Or experimented with them on here – as this podcast isn’t just about sharing my writing process and story ideas, it’s also my imaginative playground for experimenting and, well, learning.) It’s funny, because every introduction I’ve come across, either in a book or a podcast or a blog on tropes, begins by acknowledging that a lot of writers think tropes are a dirty word and that they seem to represent the exact opposite of what we are gunning for as creative writers of fiction. We want new ideas, and as authors we want to be original and to stand out from the crowd, not churn out the same old storylines that have been written or filmed a thousand times before. And yes, at first glance, for me as a writer who especially loves the unexpected, who complains about struggling to find stories that satisfy this desire for something “with a special different something” in it, tropes do seem like the very antithesis of what I’m interested in. But that’s where my younger writing self was wrong. Tropes are part of the language of story. They embody concepts, themes and situations or character types which we as readers and audiences expect to read or watch, though sometimes only instinctively, without realising it. A lot of these expectations are bound up in certain genres, for example, in fantasy, common tropes include the "journey" and the "quest". Part of the reason why we as fantasy lovers read fantasy is to experience the vicarious excitement of the protagonist going on a journey into the unknown, having to face strange and dangerous obstacles, possibly creatures, and having a sense of a purpose or mission; it’s all part of the escape that fantasy promises for us. So how do we as writers fulfill these expectations (or even “needs”, you might say) of our audience, while producing something that feels fresh and original, and not cliched? The key to wielding the power of tropes is through unusual and unexpected combinations: switching and splicing tropes from across different genres has become a very popular, and this is what a lot of the big blockbuster movies manage to do. I could wax lyrical on this for a while, but the point of this podcast is to share with you the process of my experimental methods of generating story ideas, and what better way is there to really explore an idea than to actually test it out. So today’s show is going to involve a bit more experimentation, and as I’m brainstorming a story, I’m going to identify the tropes that are appearing, and also try drawing in different tropes to see what new directions these suggest. It’s my hope that this will not only be entertaining, but it may help you make up your mind what you think about tropes, how you might use them, and whether you might apply the same kind of experimental thinking in your own writing when you’re approaching a new story idea. Sparked off by this show, I have just created a free resource on this topic online, so keep listening to find out more, because I think this will be a very handy tool, especially if you are new to messing around with tropes; because of course, all creativity begins with rolling up your sleeves and messing around; a playful attitude is what inspiration responds to.

Your weekend is not weird enough without Brainstoryum! Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into creative writing and short stories using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Listeners’ words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas – and a fascinating exploration of writing craft. This show includes 3 new story ideas plus plenty of “how to” tips on writing craft. Ignite your imagination with these short stories and ideas for the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com. INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 72 of Brainstoryum. Now January can be a difficult month – we may be expected to express enthusiasm which we might not feel. I’m hoping that I can provide some well-earned escapism today in the form of adventures into the imagination; but first, also because it’s a difficult month, I want to talk a little bit about doubt. Doubt is one of those things that never quite goes away. That niggling feeling that what you’re writing might not be good enough; that no-one will want to read it. But doubt and I have spent many years in each other’s company, and this much I can share from long-term experience: Doubt doesn’t have to be your enemy.

Your weekend is not weird enough without Brainstoryum! Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into short story writing using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Listeners’ words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas – and a fascinating exploration of writing craft. This new year show includes stories around circuses, gargoyles, hunters and a mysterious stone. Ignite your imagination with these stories and ideas for the ultimate writing prompt challenge. Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard’s private email list and get vol 1 in The Book of Exquisite Corpse plus exclusive material not published anywhere else! All at www.annatizard.com. INTRO: Happy new year to you, imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 71 of Brainstoryum. It’s 2025. It really is. Actually, it’s the first of January as I record this and in the UK it is ridiculously windy. Anyway: happy new year to you; I hope you’ve had a wonderful and restful break over Christmas. Have you made any new year’s resolutions? Have I? I tend to avoid making heavy-going decisions in the middle of winter when my natural inclination is to hide under a duvet with a torch and a good book. But it’s a difficult idea to resist, because it seems to positive, plus everything seems to scream at you, “new year, new you”, when really, your personal new year is your birthday; although I’d say springtime is the natural new year, if anything. If the trees and the plants can be bothered to wake up and do something, well, maybe I can make the same effort. I’d say, don’t make resolutions because the adverts say you should (or if other people say you should); do it if it helps you gain clarity on what you’d like to achieve. For my part, it’s difficult to set goals beyond my regular goal of producing this show. I don’t talk about it much, but...

*This episode is available as a mini ebook! Go to www.annatizard.com/brainstoryum for details* Your weekend is not weird enough without Brainstoryum! Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into short story writing using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Listeners’ words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas – and a fascinating exploration of writing craft. In this slightly longer show, Anna delves into storytelling techniques to hook your reader from the very first line, plus how to get un-stuck when you’re writing a new story. Ignite your imagination with these stories and ideas for the ultimate writing prompt challenge. INTRO: Hello imaginative people! I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 70 of Brainstoryum. It’s actually the winter solstice today, as this releases, which means that no matter how cold and icy and horrible it might get in the coming weeks and months, from now on we are moving towards the light. Inching towards the light. Keep that knowledge with you – no matter how grey and miserable it gets, you know we’re heading in the right direction. (Those not living in the northern hemisphere will be like, “What the problem?” Well, we’re all jealous of you, that’s the problem!)   Now today’s show is indeed the Christmas special! And I’ve been wondering how I can make this Christmassy without being cheesy or chintzy. Spooky toyshops? Rebel elves? Or can I just throw in a sprinkling of snow? Hopefully we won’t get any “picturesque executioners”, that unbelievable word combination that came up in the last show – although I found a way, a non-horror way, to develop that one. (Thank goodness.) But, as ever, how can I plan? How can I anticipate? The game of Exquisite Corpse is my doorway into the unknown and the strange magic of the imagination, making connections, hunting stories in the most unlikely places. Stepping out on this path, all I can do is hold up my mental torch and see where it takes me by being attentive to the whispers of my subconscious mind; although, I could be holding a Christmassy lantern instead of a torch, that casts a holly and berry pattern on the ground… Of course, the shadows may always lengthen and twist into something else. (This is probably as far as this metaphor will stretch, so I’ll stop there!) But will there be Christmas cheer, or Christmas chills, in the stories that emerge today? Who knows? Because the building blocks of these stories will come from your words, your suggestions, and the whims and wild winds of randomness that blow from the Socks of Destiny...