Story Starter: Shop Window & New Year Resolutions


What might your New Year Resolution be?

This blogpost is in anticipation of New Year Resolutions!

Many of you will be setting yourselves the New Year Resolution simply to write more, or to write a short story that’s just right for The People’s Friend. Maybe you’ll even decide to tackle a serial for us….

Whatever, I hope you find this picture as inspirational as I do. What first caught my eye was the banjo – and I’m desperately trying to think who I could buy it for! I like the creative tag that the shop owner has attached to each item. Great marketing! But look at the exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay. No hasty knock-off this. But whose was it? Where’s it come from?

But the whole window – in fact the whole shop – is full of fascinating treasures, any one of which might be what sets your wee creative wheels spinning. How about that old portable typewriter? Remember when it as just the latest thing, the newest tech? How times change.

There are dolls – pristine looking, not hugged and cossetted and played with, I don’t think. Thimbles, formed as a collection. That tray with the brass plate on it – a gift perhaps?

On the other hand, maybe what catches your eye is the proud green plates on the car reflected in the window, signifying a new driver who’s recently passed their test.

Maybe you picture the person like me with their nose pressed against the glass. Anyway, there’s lots here to keep you thinking….

As usual I’m hoping to see 2000 or 3000-word stories, or perhaps a short serial idea!

And if you’re a new writer wondering how this works, I’ll do my usual and include a couple of links here and here to past posts where I explained it, and to our guidelines, too.

Right, I’m off to write my own New Year Resolutions now.

Happy New Year, all!

Shirley Blair

Fiction Ed Shirley’s been with the “Friend” since 2007 and calls it her dream job because she gets to read fiction all day every day. Hobbies? Well, that would be reading! She also enjoys writing fiction when she has time, long walks, travel, and watching Scandi thrillers on TV.