Novel Kicks

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Musical Days

Published July 11, 2025 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.

Today’s prompt: Musical Days

Your character, who is usually someone who keeps to themselves, hates music and loves quiet, finds that when they wake up, they are singing. Everyone around them is singing and there is a full orchestral backing too.

Write about the day as your character tries to find out what has occurred? Who do they meet along the way?

Have fun!

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Writing Room: Show, Don’t Tell

Published June 25, 2025 | By Laura

Welcome to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.

Today, the exercise is going to be focusing on showing, not telling. With your writing, you want to try and be as sensory as you can to pull the reader into your story.

The scene: your character is drunk and they’ve just arrived back at what they think is their home. Write a passage about what happens without once saying they are drunk.

What are they feeling?

What can they hear?

What can they touch?

What can they see?

What are they tasting?

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Have fun.

How did you find that exercise?

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Three’s A Crowd

Published June 20, 2025 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.

Today’s prompt: Three’s a Crowd

You have the chance to spend a day with three people of your choice. However, it’s all at the same time and not everyone gets on.

Write about the day.

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Book Club: The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

Published June 2, 2025 | By Laura

Hello June, it’s lovely to see you.

I am very excited about the pick for this month’s book club. It’s The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh and is the first novel in the DC Morgan Mysteries.

I am such a fan of thrillers and of this author. I hope you join me below in the book discussion. I have posted a question to kick things off.

Anyone can take part in the Novel Kicks book club and at any point in the month. Don’t worry if you’ve not read it yet, our book club runs all month.

So, what’s the book about?

On New Year’s Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests.

His lakeside holiday homes are a success, and he’s generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbours. This will be the party to end all parties.

But not everyone is there to celebrate. By midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

On New Year’s Day, DC Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects.

The tiny community is her home, so the suspects are her neighbours, friends and family – and Ffion has her own secrets to protect.

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Jumping Into Your Favourite World

Published April 25, 2025 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.

Today’s prompt: Jumping into your favourite world.

Pick your favourite fictional world. It can be from any medium – books, films, video games, even a music video.

You find yourself waking up in this world. Put yourself into the shoes of one of the characters. Write a scene from your point of view. How would you react to the world?

For example, if your choice is Bridget Jones’ Diary and you found Mark Darcy at your door closely followed by Daniel Cleaver, forget how Bridget reacted and that scene as you know it. Put yourself and your reactions and emotions into that scene.

Have fun.

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Writing Room: Talking Whilst Doing

Published April 23, 2025 | By Laura

Hello Wednesday and I’d like to welcome everyone back to another Novel Kicks Writing Room.

For today’s task, I thought it would be fun to concentrate on writing dialogue.

Many of us will hold conversations whilst doing something else and your character will be no different.

Spend a few minutes listing some activities. Then pick an activity from that list and write a piece using mostly dialogue. Make sure to incorporate the activity into the piece.

Here are some examples of activities should you need them –

Driving a car.

Washing up.

Walking around a supermarket.

Painting a wall.

Moving house.

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Writing Room: Starting Lines And Genres

Published April 9, 2025 | By Laura

Hello Wednesday.

You made it. You’re halfway through the week. It’s time for another Novel Kicks Writing room writing exercise.

Today, I thought it would be good to take the following starting line and then write in different styles.

The starting line is as follows: ‘the last thing I broke was.’

Now pick a genre:

Crime/psychological thriller

Romance

Dystopian

Historical

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Writing Room: Choose Your Own Adventure Story

Published April 2, 2025 | By Laura

Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.

Today, I thought we’d have a go at doing an interactive story where you can choose your own adventure.

Here is a link to writing.com to give you an idea of what you’re aiming for in terms of mechanics. Have a go at one or two of the stories. It can be very enjoyable. I loved the choose your own adventures as a child.

Next, find a story of your own. I found an idea by googling ‘interactive story generator AI’.

Once you’ve picked a story, write story threads for at least two characters with two endings.

This is a task that may take a while but it’s an interesting way to create a plot.

I hope you have fun.

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: A Story From Lyrics

Published March 21, 2025 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.

Today’s prompt – A story from lyrics.

Today’s inspiration is going to come from a song.

Head to your favourite playlist or an available playlist on wherever you stream your music. Hit shuffle. Then write a story inspired by whatever song plays.

If you don’t use streaming and are more about vinyl and CD’s, just pick a random one and hit shuffle/place the needle in a random spot.

Continue reading →

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Immersed

Published March 14, 2025 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.

Today’s prompt: Immersed.

Your character falls and suddenly finds themselves in a video game. This world they find themselves in has its dangers. They have allies and enemies.

Think Dreamlight Valley, Animal Crossing or Hogwarts Legacy – that kind of game.

Write an adventure in a world you create.

Continue reading →