Fiction writing is intimidating. Perhaps I have spent too long pouring over reality and obsessing about truth to let imagination be my guide. But as a copywriter and scriptwriter it is important to have fun with language. We should take any opportunity to experiment and provoke new thoughts and feelings in our readers. And why feel anxious? Break it down and a story is words, sentences and paragraphs. Those are the tools of our trade.

So it was a pleasure to contribute to Ellen Crane’s marvellous Seed project on Instagram. It’s a simple concept: she assigns one image to three writers at a time and asks them to tell a story in 100 words or less. Each caption is a unique interpretation – suggestive yet revealing. If done well, it should trigger a what-happens-next wonder. I hope mine does that for you.

Want to have a go? Then email Ellen.