Clan Destine Press Blog

A bit late on the uptick this week, a thousand pardons. Always our goal is to provide piping hot prompts to inspire you on Monday, then one to wind up the week on Thursday over at our daughter publication, Improbable Press. We're here at last and jump in Aussie crime writers, the prompt water is fine with: Last week the a red herring writing prompt led to some gorgeous story starts, including: ~ Bill Stone is built like an undernourished ferret. His associate, Gaz Herring (known as Red to his mates and the police) is built like an over-nourished four...

In lo, these unusual times, have you ever found yourself wondering how Australian and New Zealand crime writers focus their finely-tuned brains enough to pen their heart-pumping prose? Wonder no longer! How Do You Work From Home When You Write Crime (The Answers Involve a Pig)? [New South Wales] is not in total lock-down yet, so my tip would be walk your dog while you still can! Naturally, keep a safe distance from people when you do this. I find it energises me and giving my dogs a cuddle is very soothing. If you don’t have a dog, maybe run...

I did not expect such delight with each of these writing prompts no I did not. Every time one is published the person who put them up (me, that would be me, Atlin), feels like she wrapped a Christmas present for herself. The best part is I don't know what's in it the moment it's wrapped, because I don't know what you'll write for each prompt.   Last week I opened 'my' present to find: The creature draws close, its silhouette blocking out the sun and though I’m expecting the worst, when the first claw touches my skin, to my...

by Natalie Conyer How soon before you’re allowed to give up on a book?I’m reading Hilary Mantel’s latest, The Mirror and the Light. It’s the third in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy and I loved the first two so much I pre-ordered this one, probably before she finished writing it.But. At nearly a thousand pages, it’s a big read. And it’s detailed. Oh, so detailed. It’s got a cast of thousands, many of whom have titles different from their names. So I keep having to go back to the five-page list of characters to check. And do I really need to...

Just so you know, we'll be here. Every single week. With a prompt. If you need it. We'll be publishing writing prompts each week to inspire a bit of writing. We hope that voices raise themselves in the comments and all of us get to be delighted by tiny tales, delicious wee stories inspired from that week's prompts. And so… From last week's Is anyone there? "The x-ray, it’s of me…I think I’m changing inside. I think I’m about to…bloom? I’m not afraid." * "I feel like I have been wandering empty corridors for weeks now. Everything looks the same....