In less than a week’s time I’m be sharing one of my stories in Redcliffe Caves as part of Bristol Festival of Literature. It’s an exciting thought, not least because of the beautiful and unusual venue.

It made me think about how you can alter or enhance the mood of a tale, simply by setting it underground. Think about your cave – is it thick with darkness or does sunlight eke in? Is it dry or riddled with dripping water? What embeds the walls and what lurks in the shadows? What are the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere? Use these details to imbue your story with menace, mystery or magic.

If you write something prompted by this idea, I’d love to know. Just send an email to Judy(at)socket creative.com. With your permission, I’d love to publish it on SkyLightRain.com.