Writing Prompt Story Starter: Cakes


story starter

This week’s story starter is this rather delicious selection of cakes.

Although, after six months of working from home, I should probably be steering clear of anything cake or biscuit-shaped!

Fiction team’s Abbie was out and about for a country walk recently, and happened on the Wee Bear Café, next to Loch of Lintrathen.

It’s an experience she’d highly recommend! She sent this pic to the Fiction team’s WhatsApp group – everything looks so tempting!

Cakes. Pastries. Puddings.

Pudding Lane — the Great Fire of London started here, 354 years ago this week.

From September 2-6, 1666, fire raged across the city, destroying 13,200 homes, 87 churches, and St Paul’s Cathedral.

It’s estimated that of 80,000 Londoners, 70,000 were made homeless by the fire. On this day in 1666, the fire would have been at its height. Suspicions that it had been begun deliberately were rife . . .

Would we feature stories set around this time period? Yes, is the answer — in the Weekly, we’re happy to feature stories and serials from around Tudor times onwards.

And we can go back slightly further in time in the Specials. We have an excellent thriller set in the late 13th Century waiting for you in this year’s Christmas Special!

Still time for Christmas stories

Home baking. Chefs. Working in a kitchen.

Meeting up for coffee and cake. Cake-a-ways, and Afternoon Tea in a box . . . new ways to work safely around current restrictions.

Gluten-free and vegan cakes. Christmas cakes. There’s still a week or so to get any last-minute Christmas stories in.

Tea rooms. I visited Bettys Tea Room in York on holiday a couple of years ago for a lovely, traditional afternoon tea.

While Abbie was in the Wee Bear, she noticed quite a number of people in cycling gear, as the café is close to lovely walks and trails.

I’m pretty sure there’s someone in the Features team who is also partial to some cake and likes cycling!

Good luck with your writing this week.


Click here to take a look through our Story Starter collection. You may find something else to inspire a “Friend” story!

Lucy Crichton

Fiction Editor Lucy is always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, she enjoys working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of 'Friend' fiction!