Spellnotes

This post will offer some guidance to help you respond to the following Spellbinder Instagram prompt, and will be especially useful for script writers. Write a scene or a script about a modern witch or wizard. Explore this unusual character, their dreams and fears, and how they navigate the world. Delve into the stark contrast… Continue reading Witches and Wizards

This post will offer some guidance to help you respond to the following Spellbinder Instagram prompt, and will be especially useful for fiction writers. Write a fiction piece about a magical but otherwise ordinary looking object. How is it magical? How did it become that way? Who will find out about its secret powers? Will they… Continue reading Magical Matter

This post will offer some guidance to help you respond to the following Spellbinder Instagram prompt, and will be especially useful for artists. Draw or paint a creature which is a mix of unrelated things. Here are some examples: sand + frog, plant + octopus, fluff + dinosaur, peach + llama. Have fun and come… Continue reading Crazy Collage Creatures

There is a long-standing cultural study of and interest in the cross-over between visual arts, dance and magic. Critics have written a lot about how these forms can complement and inspire each other, and artists have often sought an interdisciplinary approach in order to expand the horizons of their particular form. If you are interested… Continue reading An Interdisciplinary Approach to Art

The literary arts is a very broad field which this post will attempt to navigate. This is designed to encourage you to experiment with different forms and submit work to our magazine that does not fall into the more common categories of the short story and the poem, although we love receiving these too! Poetry… Continue reading Writing Routes

If you are a writer, you will want to learn about successful works that have achieved widespread acclaim. This will inspire you and assist you with the development of your ideas. Even if you’re not a writer, it’s still fun to visit museums and appreciate the stories behind great creators. This guide will list some… Continue reading A Guide to Literary Museums

This post will share a few of my ideas for getting the most out of visual art communities and suggest some activities which may be useful in this sort of setting. If you are part of an art club, it is always enjoyable to produce something collaboratively. This works most effectively when you utilize the… Continue reading Visual Art Communities

This post should inspire you to think creatively in relation to the following prompt and is especially targeted at script writers. Create a scene where characters feel a spiritual or unidentifiable energy and interact with it. Play with how the different characters react and express their opinions and beliefs surrounding the existence and authenticity of… Continue reading Finding the Unidentifiable

Limelight Despy’s collage primarily depicts an alluring Marilyn Monroe, with her signature blonde curls, grasping a white sheet while covering her chest. Reminiscent of the famous Douglas Kirkland photoshoot in 1961, the image is both sensual and yet vulnerable. A decadent chandelier hangs in the background and a cut open lime is positioned just above… Continue reading Summer 2021 – Art

This post should inspire you to think creatively in relation to the following prompt and is especially targeted at photographers. While you are on holiday, try and explore the artistic potential of the places and views you see with the aim to produce holiday pictures that are different and unique.  Suggestions for Photographers Finding a… Continue reading Finding the Lens

This post should inspire you to think creatively in relation to the following prompt and is especially targeted at nonfiction writers. Choose a common, trivial or otherwise unremarkable memory and describe it in the most dramatic and absurd way possible, with the aim to grab the reader’s attention. Suggestions for Nonfiction Writers Modernist literature developed… Continue reading Finding the Extraordinary

Heartsong Oh, you’ve done it now, you chancer;You’ve burrowed all the way downAnd set up shop in my warm and sticky centre. Your filthy crackling laughRattles my bones awake each morning,And your honey-thick hum soothes them to sleep each heavy evening. Sinéad Mooney We published many memorable poems in our last issue, so it was… Continue reading Summer 2021 – Poetry

Writing for a particular occasion is always fun and provides a useful cultural touchpoint to get your imagination flowing. In this post, I will suggest a number of activities which groups can do near to Halloween and Valentine’s day. First we will look at the genre of horror which is apt for Halloween-inspired writing. Thinking… Continue reading Halloween and Valentine’s combo

The Mythology of Althea & Keegan “Christ,” the pelican said, pressing the tip of his wing to his forehead. “Does either of you have a vape pen?” “No!” Keegan exclaimed, looking appalled. Althea dug in her purse and handed one over. “Here you go,” she said. “Thanks.” He sparked it and inhaled deeply, coughing and… Continue reading Summer 2021 – Fiction

This post will be a fun resource combining the themes of politics and intoxication in relation to writing and artwork. First we will begin with politics… Some opening thoughts A commitment to politics requires a strong dedication to the use of words to craft engaging and informed arguments. Creative writing is a great place to… Continue reading Convictions and intoxications

Let’s begin by thinking about character… Warm up: Think about what constitutes effective character creation. Are these characters relatable? Are they consistent? Do they have recognisable qualities? Think about your favourite fictional character and consider why you like them so much. Think about the importance of names within fiction and how you might go about… Continue reading People in Plots

‘I want to tell you about something that happened to me. It’s about the ocean. And about fear.’ – The Whales by Christopher Woods. We have been thrilled to launch our new Drama section in this Summer 2021 edition of Spellbinder. Each of our published pieces has its own unique energy with strong characters, style… Continue reading Summer 2021 – Drama

Hamantaschen ‘Like today, last Hanukkah was another of my faltering attempts to mark a holiday we’d never celebrated as children, with gaps in space and memory filled in using the internet. I learned to pronounce the prayers from a YouTube video, and met up with my sister over Zoom each night to light a menorah… Continue reading Summer 2021 – Nonfiction

Read on if you are interested in activities relating to the construction of settings in fiction works or the production of travel writing as a nonfiction genre. The setting of any piece of fiction is extremely important and will make a huge difference to the type of work you end up writing. To practice the… Continue reading Spaces and Places

This post should inspire you to think creatively in relation to the following prompt and is especially targeted at fiction writers. Write a surrealist poem or flash fiction piece. To do this, you can first write your piece as you would normally do. Then, you can play with it by swapping words or part of… Continue reading Slipping into strangeness