Notes from the Inkpot

Writing, teaching, creating - one ink-stained idea at a time.

The Shoe Lesson: A Simple, Powerful Creative Writing Activity

The Shoe Lesson: A Simple, Powerful Creative Writing Activity

What if one ordinary object could unlock a thousand extraordinary stories? The Shoe Lesson is one of my favourite creative writing activities - a simple, unexpected way to spark imagination, build character depth, and turn even the most reluctant writers into storytellers. Here's how a single shoe can transform your classroom or writing group.

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How to Use Picture Prompts to Inspire Powerful Creative Writing

How to Use Picture Prompts to Inspire Powerful Creative Writing

If you’ve ever felt like “describe the picture” prompts were falling flat, this is for you. In this post, I break down how I use picture prompts in the classroom to move beyond surface-level writing, and into rich, imaginative storytelling that students actually want to create.

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