Monthly Archives: April 2020

A short story – Rocked Awake

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Earthworm by Judy Darley
I’m chuffed to bits that my mini myth Rocked Awake has been published as part of Dear Damsels‘ nature theme.

In the story, a mother attempts to solve the riddle of why her baby daughter is usurped in her crib by wild flora and fauna. Nature’s clues lead her to a fresh interpretation of the changeling myth. 
Here’s a fragment from the centre of the tale:

This morning, it was an earthworm, fleshy and pale, curled into a shape like a shepherd’s crook.Sometimes it wasn’t even a creature that breathed – last week my daughter had been usurped by an acorn.

You can read my full story, and the other fabulous words published by Dear Damsels, here.

Pandemic prompt – more wine…

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More Wine by Judy DarleyThis heartfelt plea on a pavement near my home caught my eye. As the lockdown continues, the parameters of our world narrow, along with our viewpoints on essential and non-essential items.

Could this post-it note provide the prompt for a story for our peculiar times, with a focus on our shifting priorities? Alternatively, use it as part of a found poem.

If you prefer, use this prompt to jump forward to when our country is run by the kids currently being homeschooled by day-drinkers.

If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to judydarley(at)iCloud.com to let me know. With your permission, I may publish it on SkyLightRain.com.

A 75-word story – Other residents’ symptoms confine you

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Perretts Park during lockdown by Judy DarleyMy 75-word story ‘Other residents’ symptoms confine you’ is the story of the day on the excellent Paragraph Planet.

I often use writing to soothe myself, and this small piece is a response to my worries about my dad, now confined to his room in his care home due to other residents’ Coronavirus symptoms, with no way of understanding why. It’s a situation that makes me feel powerless, so all I can do is wish him memories of tree branches and leaves, and transform his four-wall cell into a forest.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I’m writing rather a lot of Coronavirus fiction at the moment.

Stories published by Paragraph Planet are live for just 24 hours. In case you missed mine, here it is:

Other residents

Pandemic prompt – tap

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Porto green tiles by Judy DarleyWe’re often reminded at the moment of the dangers of proximity and touch. The coronavirus can survive for a surprisingly long time on hard, shiny objects, which means an unwary touch could spell danger.

Imagine if the risks are not of falling ill, but falling in love. Perhaps a polished pebble passed between two strangers could result in instant friendship, or a hand wrapped around a contaminated railing* could give a careless passerby the ability to fly. Maybe a finger tapped against a tiled wall could mean hearing the thoughts of every person who trudged by in the past day or so.

There are endless possibilities. Where will your imagination lead you?

*Don’t try this anywhere but at home…

If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to judydarley(at)iCloud.com to let me know. With your permission, I may publish it on SkyLightRain.com.

Pandemic prompt – immortal

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AC is immortal by Judy DarleyThe current lockdown has necessitated exploring a local walking routes in an attempt to retain sanity. Recently I wandered alongside a housing estate with the above graffiti.

Who could Anna Campbell be? If you look closely you’ll see that the original texted stated ‘Anna C. is dead’, with the word ‘dead’ painted out, perhaps by Anna herself, or a loyal friend, and replaced with ‘immortal.’

What’s the story behind this message and the change made to it? Is it a defiant shout-out or a warning?

If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to judydarley(at)iCloud.com to let me know. With your permission, I may publish it on SkyLightRain.com.

Pandemic prompt – dismembered

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You may have spotted the #WritingPrompt I published a while back, featuring a beautiful old-fashioned rocking horse spied in a nearby playground.

Shortly after taking that photo, I strolled past and noticed that the steed had been moved onto the grass surrounding the play area. Not only had it been knocked over, but it looked a bit odd.

Dismembered horse by Judy Darley

The poor creature’s straw-filled head had been brutally torn from its shoulders.

Who might have committed such a pointless act of violence against an innocent toy? Was it someone with an equine phobia, a terrible childhood memory involving a fall from a rocking horse, or a general desire for destruction spawned by the current stresses of the pandemic? Might they have hallucinated the dinky woollen rocker into a terrifying hell-stallion?

If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to judydarley(at)iCloud.com to let me know. With your permission, I’ll publish it on SkyLightRain.com.

 

Guided visualisation – Amidst cherry trees

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Guided Meditation_Amidst Cherry Trees by Judy DarleyMy second guided visualisation has been published by Planet Mindful as part of their issue 11, aka Planet Mindful 2020 issue 3.

Planet Mindful 2020 issue 3The print magazine industry is being hit hard by the coronavirus, as in the UK most people still prefer to buy from newsstands. As a result, publishing companies across the country have cancelled freelance contracts. It’s understandable, but difficult! I’ve only recently returned to freelancing so am unlikely to benefit from government measures to keep the self-employed afloat.

On the upside, you can help by buying magazines online, and have some sunshine delivered to your door. Planet Mindful is a gorgeously positive magazine, and my guided visualisation in 2020 issue 3 will hopefully give you a few moment’s respite and serenity. It’s set in a Japanese garden and accompanied by one of my original paintings, pictured above.

‘The path guides you towards a pool shaded by cherry blossom trees. As you stroll amidst the trees, petals fall and alight on your skin.’

I’m pleased to say that writing and painting these guided visualisations is a pleasure I’m able to continue.

Pandemic prompt – cherub

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Donald Trump cherub by Judy DarleyA while back I visited The Black Country Living Museum, an open-air museum in Dudley. It includes a vintage fairground, with authentic rides and displays, including this horrifying cherub artwork.

The evidence is clear – not only has Donald Trump remained unchanged (some might say un-evolved) for more than 100 years, but even then he attempted to portray his innocence in the most overt and grotesque terms. Either that, or some 1920s artist had a satirical eye on the future.

How could you turn this into an unsettling tale?

If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to judydarley(at)iCloud.com to let me know. With your permission, I may publish it on SkyLightRain.com.