Author: Sarah Salway
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The Quiet Enchanting on London’s Strand
Shhh… you’ll have to listen even harder at the moment to hear the artwork whispering to you outside King’s Strand campus because it disappeared yesterday. I know. I know. It’s infuriating when that happens. In fact, I thought I probably should never post this, too late again, but then I remembered that things in gardens…
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Buzzing in the Jardin du Luxembourg
Apparently the purest honey in France comes from Paris. Who knew? Well, the bees do, I guess, but they were sleeping when I visited Paris last week, so instead I followed a rather wonderful honey dance through the internet – rather like the bees do to tell their fellow bees where the best pollen is…
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An autumn walk with some outdoors creative writing prompts
Getting inspiration from nature with creative writing prompts
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So how does a ‘virtual’ writer in residence work?
Last year I was lucky enough to be invited to be one of the writers in residence at the Alde Valley Spring Festival in Suffolk. It was an amazing time. I wrote amongst bluebells, was inspired by the land, and also the art, and started a project of writing a haiku a day which carried…
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The power of a list – a creative writing exercise for gardeners
I don’t know about you but I’ve been loving the trees at the moment. I’m hungry for them – for their blossom, their growing leaves, and most of all how they stand so strong. I need that right now. But there’s something else I’ve noticed during lockdown which is how I’m watching time move through…
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Creative writing exercises for gardeners – we’re on again!
I started doing prompts for creative writing particularly designed for gardeners a little while ago but then life took over. Hmm. However, so many of you said they were useful that I’m starting again. Do feel free to share this post, to leave your work in the comments or generally use this resource as you…
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Stepping insideThe Yellowhammer’s Nest
It’s National Poetry Day today – and for this, I wanted to take at least one of our words about nature and its beauty back to where it belongs. I was dismayed recently to search for ‘Yellowhammer’ only to wade through a full page of political jargon before I got to the bird. Really? So…
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Creative Writing Wednesday – week 5. The smellograph…
this is a smellograph, the delicacy of rose surrendering to rain I went out into my garden this morning just after it had finished raining and the smells were delicious. It made me wish I could capture them in the same way I could snap, for example, the photograph this rose above with the raindrops…
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Creative writing exercise, week 4 – writing your own instructions
The late great Toni Morrison famously said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” I like this advice on many levels, but mainly because it deals with the idea that when we are writing, we are also listening to ourselves. Perhaps one…
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Creative Writing exercise, week 3 – listening for inspiration
Shhh… what do you hear? A simple writing prompt for you today – just sit out in the garden (enjoying some sunshine hopefully) and make a list of everything you can hear around you. Write down everything from the van backing in the next road to the grass in the wind. Maybe you’re lucky enough…
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Creative writing in the garden, Week 2
If last week’s prompt was all about memories, this second writing prompt is all about looking forward in time. Imagine it’s some point in the future – five years, ten years, twenty years hence. Now picture yourself in the garden. What do you think that future you think about what you are doing right now?…
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The risk of blossoming, and a little nyctinasty
I’ve been obsessed with plants that open and close recently (or more properly, nyctinasty). My new baby passion flower for example seems shy about its own beauty. Until ta-da, when I’m not looking… Ridiculously splendid! And on a writing residency in Suffolk, I even began saying good night and good morning to the plants in…