Creative Writing – Page 6 of 6

23Oct

By Jordan ThorneNo Comments

Creative Writing

Midnight Mercy

The twinkling stars became her closest companions. The moon; her confidante. And the blanket of darkness that infinitely stretched high above; her protection. For they restored her faith in the existence of solace and blessed her with silence and safety. She found that the heavy slumber chained the ugly monsters of daylight down, granting her the freedom to feel and breathe at her own pace and will. A chance given, for her internalised agony to be alleviated through shedding tears. For the merciful night too, had heard the echoes of her endless pain. And with all its power it pushed the sorrowful day away, so it could thereafter comfort her, limitlessly. Adeela Bhutta @pain_in_words_xo

25Sep

By Mercedes-Georgia MayesNo Comments

Creative Writing

Washed Away

I cannot swim, but I grew up beside the water’s edge. I fell in love by the riverside, feet dangled over the ledge. Then I flew across the ocean; an insurmountable wedge between us. And so now I float on life by the lake, waiting always to find myself awake, not by the water, wherever it may be, but by your side- indefinitely. Mercedes-Georgia Mayes

Breaking Writer’s Block: Advice From RHUL’s Creative Writers

25Sep

By Reena BakirNo Comments

Creative Writing

Breaking Writer’s Block: Advice From RHUL’s Creative Writers

We’ve all been here before: it’s the dreaded stare at a blank document. The pacing around your single-bed dorm room at 2 a.m. The fingers hovering over the keyboard. You’ve been sitting here for hours and hours, but the words just won’t come. If you’ve ever found yourself in any of these situations, congratulations – you’ve experienced the bane of every student’s existence: writer’s block. I reached out to some of the most experienced on the matter, Royal Holloway’s Writing Society, to try and crack the code behind the debilitating curse of this creative slowdown. You might be wondering: what exactly is writer’s block? Cathy Snarey, Treasurer of Writing Soc, describes it as that feeling of being up against a deadline, but there’s simply nothing valuable on your mind. ‘Yo...

29Feb

By Ezra Elver-FiddimoreNo Comments

Creative Writing

EARTH: Flash Fiction Contest Winners

In this (very) short story contest, I received so many interesting and clever submissions that took the prompt of ‘earth’ and explored it, turning our preconceptions about nature, humanity and climate change on its head to create powerful, punchy reflections on our world. I’m excited to share with you the following excellent pieces which respectively came first, second and third in this mini-competition! 1. Jellyfish Jaimi Morter I used to live in Yokohama, right on the border of the Ooka river. Cherry trees had scattered the banks and often, when I was little, I used to pluck the shiny red orbs from the low hanging branches and slip them into my pockets to take to my friends at school. I think that’s probably the happiest memory I have of my home. When I c...

13Dec

By Shloka RamachandranNo Comments

Creative Writing

Lunar Cycles

i. i was born in the capital of the country and grew used to gazes ii. madras found me shoving my hands in the pockets of my too-short shorts or so the aunties and teachers and friends’ mothers thought got pulled aside one sunny afternoon (but then most afternoons were sunny) when i was sitting by the library (the safest spot on the campus) my physics teacher asked my why i wasn’t wearing shorts under my uniformed regulation skirt and wasn’t i sending the boys the wrong idea, somehow? madras found me laughing in the face of my modern-day medusa asking her whether she thought boys staring up my skirt might already have completely the wrong idea through no encouragement of my own through no intention of mine medusa and i called an uneasy truce after that but i could feel her s...

26Feb

By Tomike AdenijiNo Comments

Creative Writing

Pen to Paper

Illuminations “It’s not like stopping for McDonalds twice in one trip would be a bad thing.” Anna rolled her eyes, turning slightly in her seat, a trace of fond exasperation gracing her features. She was unsurprised when her gaze met the back of Riya’s dark, disheveled hair. The younger woman’s forehead was pressed firmly against the glass of the passenger seat window, already having moved on from their last altercation to a cluster of lights in the outlying night. Smirking, Anna reached forward to hold a button and the window proceeded to hum to life. Riya yelped as her makeshift pillow lowered and her head jarred against the frame before she took advantage of this lack of restraint and launched her head through the gap. Anna, momentarily distracted by Riya’s hair flying t...

7Mar

By Laura DenhamNo Comments

Creative Writing, Culture & Literature, Literature

Creative Writing at Royal Holloway

This month Royal Holloway's career service offers a chance to meet three distinguished graduates and students in the writing industry. Charlotte Cole met up with them to learn about their achievements… THE AUTHOR Currently studying at Royal Holloway, Georgia Mannering published her first book Roses in November, and already has her next release of The Spotty Dotty Daffodil this spring. She speaks with The Orbital about how she achieved it all. You've just written a picture book, The Spotty Dotty Daffodil, what were your influences for this? Spotty Dotty is about social acceptance and self-confidence. I actually wrote it when I was nine (although the story was very different back then and *cough* very bad). Then I revisited it when I was teamed with Bethany Straker, a brilliant illus...