365 Days of writing, 2026 – 55

Day 55 – Writing exercise

You make a surprise visit home after a five-year absence…

…

I was not one of the popular kids at school. I kept to myself, I put my head down, studied hard, and towards the end, balanced school with chores on the farm and a part-time job at the local hardware store.

There were no special friends, not the sort my sister had, what they called the sisterhood, who hung out together, went to parties, had boyfriends and the angst that went with it.

The boys at my school, to me, were horrible, a mixture of tough and tumble, to borderline bullies. It didn’t help that their fathers were mostly self-made men who had to fight for everything.

It was almost an ethos.

I went away with the intention of getting a university degree and stayed with my grandmother, on my mother’s side, a gentle soul who could be both acerbic and sweet at the same time. She taught me a few valuable lessons in living your life in your own way, which she had learned over many years.

I think she had more enemies than friends, but one thing she did have was respect. Having a vast fortune helped.

After nursing her through the most recent heart attack, forsaking studies to ensure she was looked after, I decided I would return home. It had been nearly five years, and I had changed considerably.

She insisted that I could not stay away forever, and she was probably right. My parents were getting older, and my two brothers were less inclined to work on the farm but preferred to waste their time with the rest of the lazy offspring.

It kept the sheriff and his deputies busy, and made entertaining emails from my sister, whose reports were more likely the local paper’s crime watch column.

So, having not achieved any of my planned objectives, it seemed the best I could hope for was to go home, ingratiate myself with my father and pretend I wanted to inherit the farm as any eldest son and heir should.

I had been on planes before, only larger. We lived in a small town in the middle of ranch territory, and some days it used to feel like we’re were back in the frontier days, cattle as far as the eye could see, rolling hills and backdrop mountains, grass in summer and snow in winter.

It was the beginning of winter, and snow was coming. Out on the range, there would be a cold wind, one that cut through everything and chilled you to the bone.

I was sure the moment I got home, there would be no time to speak of many things, just change, get your horse and join the others and round up the cattle for the oncoming winter.

Running a ranch never stopped.

The question to consider as we were hurtling through the sky was, did I want to take the reins of running the place or do something else, somewhere else? After all, I was not the only one who left after graduating high school, and like me, also chose to go to college or university, just in case.

Of what, I wasn’t sure, but as time progressed, being on the land had become a precarious life, and not the romantic, wealth-generating life it once was. We were not among the wealthier ranchers; whatever fortune we had slowly frittered away keeping the ranch going. We weren’t poor, but it could only last so long before the inevitable.

This would be the second time, and Daisy had painted a rather grim picture. My first visit had been hostile, the question of responsibility being thrown around, and I’d refused to accept it. I said I needed to see the outside world first, and neither of my parents, brothers, nor sister could understand why I would want to.

What was there elsewhere that wasn’t in God’s own country?

After five years, I was inclined to agree with them.

But I was never quite sure what the others of my generation and situation thought. In the beginning, we all met up at a Cafe to discuss the differences. We all intended to go home during the holidays. Some did, others did not.

Over time, some found partners, some of whom knew only of city life, and were taken back to meet the family with predictable results. Others found jobs and made a new life, turning their backs on tradition and family. Very few returned other than to visit, with very mixed results.

Daisy was across it all, the unofficial custodian of the high school alumni, responsible for reunions and other events involving past students. She knew where everyone was, or at least those who wanted to be found. That list, she said, was getting smaller.

The way she painted it this time, I was going home to a ghost town, with the tumble weeds being blown up Main Street, passing from one prairie to the next.

My only thought as I slumped into the seat, just a fraction too small for the frame I’d acquired from my father’s side, was whether or not I believed I had failed. I didn’t care what anyone else thought.

Not then.

…

I remembered to get my cell phone out of my carry-on bag and rearranged it around the other bags, some carelessly tossed in. I had booked the aisle seat, making it easier to get in and out. The window seat was a smaller space with no manoeuvrability.

It would be taken, and the longer they took to board told me it would be an entitled frequent flyer. Been there and seen that a few times.

Then, as the flow trickled out and the hostesses started moving through the cabin, closing overhead bin doors, I was beginning to hope that there wasn’t anyone. The fact that the plane was fully booked suggested that the passenger was a no-show.

Or…

It was a crazy girl overloaded with bags and presents profusely apologising for being late, and, yes, she was sitting next to me.

Damn.

I stepped out of the seat to make it easier for her to get in, and watched her check her boarding pass and then the seat numbers, which to me was ridiculous. There was only one seat left.

Then she stopped right in front of me. About a foot shorter, a lopsided grin, and I immediately went back six years to the first moment I ran into the human whirlwind, Josephine Debois.

“Josephine?”

She stopped, the grin going to surprise, then back again to that very expression she had the first time she saw me.

“Andy Ripponsburg. If I live and breathe!”

The hostess had just seen the Captain glancing out the door that kept the passengers out, and wasn’t out of curiosity. The door closed, and we were about to leave.

“Best keep the reunion until you’re seated and we’re underway.”

She opened the overhead bin, and everything disappeared into whatever spare space there was. The girl hustled into her seat and buckled her seatbelt up. I got into my seat, and the inspection was done.

Just as I fastened the seatbelt, the plane jolted suddenly, and then it was pushing back from the gate.

Josephine was getting settled. I had so many thoughts running through my head that it almost hurt. Where did I begin? Josephine, the girl who had stolen my heart and then smashed into a million pieces. Perhaps it was that more than anything else that persuaded me to leave home and vow never to return.

What a shock to learn she had also come to the big city, my big city.

We ran through the safety procedures, the tractor disengaged, and the engines started up, settling into a steady roar. A minute later, we were heading to the top of the runway.

Two hours and twenty-five minutes.

I didn’t know whether to be nice, stand offish, angry, or just put on my headphones and totally ignore her. And damn her, she had set my heart racing just by seeing her. She had that effect. She always had that effect, and probably always would.

Now settled, she stared out the window. Perhaps she had finally remembered what had happened and how it destroyed us. I had thought she was like me, not part of the groups that made life hell for everyone who wasn’t.

Until she and her friends played their prank, and left me embarrassed and humiliated, just the result the mean girls wanted.

I would never, ever forget it.

I intended to ignore her, closing mt eyes and relaxing. Not that being next to her was knowing she was there was going to make it easy.

And…

In those first few seconds as the plane left the ground, followed by the clunk of the retracting wheels, she had put her hand in mine and held it very tightly for reassurance, her expression one of total fear.

She let go when the plane levelled out.

I glanced sideways, and she was looking at me, a look I was very familiar with, and one I mistook for something else.

“I’m sorry. Very, very, very sorry for what happened. I didn’t know what they were doing until it was too late. I rang your sister, but it was too late. For everything.”

“Does it matter now? What happened happened, and I should have expected it. I was a gullible fool back then, but then what boy that age wrapped up in his first romantic relationship isn’t?”

I’d said as much to Daisy at the time. She tried to tell me that it wasn’t all as it seemed, but I was too angry and too heartbroken to listen.

“Perhaps it doesn’t matter, as you say. It’s nice to see you again, Andy. Perhaps we will run into each other back home. I would prefer to be friends, if that’s possible.”

I didn’t answer. Right then, I was still too wrapped up in the hurt it caused, and it dismayed me that it could so easily return, after all the effort of putting it behind me.

…

Ordinarily, when stuck next to someone you wish you weren’t, the flight took ten times longer. This one didn’t. She did not force any conversation, and thus we probably spoke briefly on three occasions.

I buried myself in a paperback book I’d picked up at the airport, and she just pretended to sleep.

After landing, she gathered together her belongings and left the plane. I preferred to wait until the hoards had fought their way off, everyone always in a hurry, and then took my time. I was the last passenger to leave the plane. By that time, the pilot had come out of the cockpit, and I thanked him for the smooth flight.

Daisy would be waiting for me, or at least I hoped she was, as I crossed the tarmac and switched my cell phone from aeroplane mode. As I reached the door into the terminal, there were two beeps, two messages. One from a co-worker wishing me a pleasant break, the other from Daisy saying she was inside, waiting.

When I scanned those who were waiting. I saw Josephine leaving with her mother, not looking back, and then Daisy, sitting in the departure lounge, reading a magazine. I travelled light and would not have to wait for the baggage to be unloaded.

She stood as I came up to her and gave me a hug. It was not the sort of hug you would get after a four-year absence.

“I saw Jo. Did you know…”

“Yes. I was sitting next to her.”

“Wow. That must have been some conversation.”

“Actually, it wasn’t. We probably exchanged a dozen sentences, and that was it. There was nothing to discuss.”

She gave me a look that told me that I had been a thorough bastard, and not for the first time.

“She told me what happened, Andy, and it wasn’t entirely her fault. You know what those girls were like. She just wanted to fit in, and they took advantage of it.”

“It’s done, and there’s no going back, Daisy. She will have moved on, as have I.”

Perhaps it was the way I said it, and I realised it would have been better to remain silent, but I didn’t.

“So, you still have feelings for her.”

“No.”

“Liar.”

…

It was an hour’s drive to the ranch, time enough to give me the Daisy version of everything that was happening. It was more direct than her weekly letters, at first, and then infrequent emails. Quite simply put, our father had lost any faith he had in his two younger sons, in taking over the management of the ranch, or in being reliable enough to be self-motivated in doing their chores. They would only do the jobs asked of them, but both shied away from accepting any responsibility.

Our father needed to know that someone was going to continue the legacy the family had built up over the last hundred years, and knowing there wasn’t going to be anyone meant he had to seek other solutions. He had finally accepted that he could not continue, so she said I needed to be prepared to accept that there will be hard choices to be made.

One of those included selling out. A reasonable offer had been made, and he was thinking about it.

I had never given a moment’s thought to the fact that there might not be a ranch to come home to one day, or that one day could be as soon as tomorrow.

It was a sobering thought.

The fact that he was getting older, the years of strenuous work, coupled with the stress of management, had all but broken him; he had to hire a manager and several extra staff, and in doing so, it had made the business side of things almost unviable.

Then there was the situation with our mother, who was not getting any younger either, and had suffered several falls that required hospitalisation, and then weeks of bed rest.

Daisy had chosen not to tell me about it in any of her communications in the past, but that, she said, was their decision. They had managed without me, meaning my presence would not make a difference, and I was expecting that I would be met with the same hostility as I had the last time I came home.

Or maybe it would be just indifference.

As we drove through the front gate, I asked, “Do they even know I’m coming home?”

I had told her, and thought she would pass it on. Now, judging from the expression on her face, I don’t think she had. My arrival was going to be like a hand grenade going off in a confined space.

…

Mother was sitting in a rocking chair on the front veranda when the truck pulled up at the bottom of the steps. I had seen her as we drove up, and she had aged visibly since I last saw her. She stood up and took a cane in her hand to steady herself.

I got out and stood by the door, looking up. The surprise, or perhaps shock, was clear. She had not known I was coming.

Perhaps it was better this way.

She waited until I walked up the stairs and then hugged me. Longer than I expected.

“It is good to see you, Andrew. I have been hoping you would come back, even if it was for a week or two. We all miss you terribly.”

It might not have been the consensus of opinions in that house, but for her, it was sincere and heartfelt.

She tepped back and looked me up and down.

“You are your father’s son, as I knew you would be. Your room has not changed, as much as those useless brothers of yours have tried. We could have arranged a proper homecoming if your sister had told us you were coming.”

“It’s better this way. It saves Dad from being angry for days in advance, and he can just explode when he sees me.”

I could imagine the look on his face, and Daisy was right not to tell them.

“Your father will be pleased to see you, Andrew. He has come to terms with your decision to leave, but like me, I know he wishes you would eventually return before it’s too late. If your sister hasn’t already told you, it might already be too late. We have received an offer, one that is too good to refuse. Matters for another time. Let’s go in, and I’ll get Martha to make some tea. I’m sure she will have some scones somewhere, and I’ll bet you have not been able to find any as good as hers, anywhere.”

“I have not.”

“Oh, and by the way, the offer was made by Josephine’s father, you know, the young lady you were involved with at school. Such a nice girl. They are coming here tonight to discuss the deal. Now you’re here, you might be interested.”

…

Another excerpt from ‘Betrayal’; a work in progress

…

My next destination in the quest was the hotel we believed Anne Merriweather had stayed at.

I was, in a sense, flying blind because we had no concrete evidence she had been there, and the message she had left behind didn’t quite name the hotel or where Vladimir was going to take her.

Mindful of the fact that someone might have been following me, I checked to see if the person I’d assumed had followed me to Elizabeth’s apartment was still in place, but I couldn’t see him. Next, I made a mental note of seven different candidates and committed them to memory.

Then I set off to the hotel, hailing a taxi. There was the possibility the cab driver was one of them, but perhaps I was slightly more paranoid than I should be. I’d been watching the queue, and there were two others before me.

The journey took about an hour, during which time I kept an eye out the back to see if anyone had been following us. If anyone was, I couldn’t see them.

I had the cab drop me off a block from the hotel and then spent the next hour doing a complete circuit of the block the hotel was on, checking the front and rear entrances, the cameras in place, and the siting of the driveway into the underground carpark. There was a camera over the entrance, and one we hadn’t checked for footage. I sent a text message to Fritz to look into it.

The hotel lobby was large and busy, which was exactly what you’d want if you wanted to come and go without standing out. It would be different later at night, but I could see her arriving about mid-afternoon, and anonymous among the type of clientele the hotel attracted.

I spent an hour sitting in various positions in the lobby simply observing. I had already ascertained where the elevator lobby for the rooms was, and the elevator down to the car park. Fortunately, it was not ‘guarded’ but there was a steady stream of concierge staff coming and going to the lower levels, and, just from time to time, guests.

Then, when there was a commotion at the front door, what seemed to be a collision of guests and free-wheeling bags, I saw one of the seven potential taggers sitting by the front door. Waiting for me to leave? Or were they wondering why I was spending so much time there?

Taking advantage of that confusion, I picked my moment to head for the elevators that went down to the car park, pressed the down button, and waited.

The was no car on the ground level, so I had to wait, watching, like several others, the guests untangling themselves at the entrance, and an eye on my potential surveillance, still absorbed in the confusion.

The doors to the left car opened, and a concierge stepped out, gave me a quick look, then headed back to his desk. I stepped into the car, pressed the first level down, the level I expected cars to arrive on, and waited what seemed like a long time for the doors to close.

As they did, I was expecting to see a hand poke through the gap, a latecomer. Nothing happened, and I put it down to a television moment.

There were three basement levels, and for a moment, I let my imagination run wild and considered the possibility that there were more levels. Of course, there was no indication on the control panel that there were any other floors, and I’d yet to see anything like it in reality.

With a shake of my head to return to reality, the car arrived, the doors opened, and I stepped out.

A car pulled up, and the driver stepped out, went around to the rear of his car, and pulled out a case. I half expected him to throw me the keys, but the instant glance he gave me told him was not the concierge, and instead brushed past me like I wasn’t there.

He bashed the up button several times impatiently and cursed when the doors didn’t open immediately. Not a happy man.

Another car drove past on its way down to a lower level.

I looked up and saw the CCTV camera, pointing towards the entrance, visible in the distance. A gate that lifted up was just about back in position and then made a clunk when it finally closed. The footage from the camera would not prove much, even if it had been working, because it didn’t cover the life lobby, only in the direction of the car entrance.

The doors to the other elevator car opened, and a man in a suit stepped out.

“Can I help you, sir? You seem lost.”

Security, or something else. “It seems that way. I went to the elevator lobby, got in, and it went down rather than up. I must have been in the wrong place.”

“Lost it is, then, sir.” I could hear the contempt for Americans in his tone. “If you will accompany me, please.”

He put out a hand ready to guide me back into the elevator. I was only too happy to oblige him. There had been a sign near the button panel that said the basement levels were only to be accessed by the guests.

Once inside, he turned a key and pressed the lobby button. The doors closed, and we went up. He stood, facing the door, not speaking. A few seconds later, he was ushering me out to the lobby.

“Now, sir, if you are a guest…”

“Actually, I’m looking for one. She called me and said she would be staying in this hotel and to come down and visit her. I was trying to get to the sixth floor.”

“Good. Let’s go over the the desk and see what we can do for you.”

I followed him over to the reception desk, where he signalled one of the clerks, a young woman who looked and acted very efficiently, and told her of my request, but then remained to oversee the proceeding.

“Name of guest, sir?”

“Merriweather, Anne. I’m her brother, Alexander.” I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out my passport to prove that I was who I said I was. She glanced cursorily at it.

She typed the name into the computer, and then we waited a few seconds while it considered what to output. Then, she said, “That lady is not in the hotel, sir.”

Time to put on my best-confused look. “But she said she would be staying here for the week. I made a special trip to come here to see her.”

Another puzzled look from the clerk, then, “When did she call you?”

An interesting question to ask, and it set off a warning bell in my head. I couldn’t say today, it would have to be the day she was supposedly taken.

“Last Saturday, about four in the afternoon.”

Another look at the screen, then, “It appears she checked out Sunday morning. I’m afraid you have made a trip in vain.”

Indeed, I had. “Was she staying with anyone?”

I just managed to see the warning pass from the suited man to the clerk. I thought he had shown an interest when I mentioned the name, and now I had confirmation. He knew something about her disappearance. The trouble was, he wasn’t going to volunteer any information because he was more than just hotel security.

“No.”

“Odd,” I muttered. “I thought she told me she was staying with a man named Vladimir something or other. I’m not too good at pronouncing those Russian names. Are you sure?”

She didn’t look back at the screen. “Yes.”

“OK, now one thing I do know about staying in hotels is that you are required to ask guests with foreign passports their next destination, just in case they need to be found. Did she say where she was going next?” It was a long shot, but I thought I’d ask.

“Moscow. As I understand it, she lives in Moscow. That was the only address she gave us.”

I smiled. “Thank you. I know where that is. I probably should have gone there first.”

She didn’t answer; she didn’t have to, her expression did that perfectly.

The suited man spoke again, looking at the clerk. “Thank you.” He swivelled back to me. “I’m sorry we can’t help you.”

“No. You have more than you can know.”

“What was your name again, sir, just in case you still cannot find her?”

“Alexander Merriweather. Her brother. And if she is still missing, I will be posting a very large reward. At the moment, you can best contact me via the American Embassy.”

Money is always a great motivator, and that thoughtful expression on his face suggested he gave a moment’s thought to it.

I left him with that offer and left. If anything, the people who were holding her would know she had a brother, that her brother was looking for her, and equally that brother had money.

…

365 Days of writing, 2026 – 54

Day 54 – Anger and confusion as inspiration

…

When Anger & Confusion Become Creative Fuel

How the messier emotions in our lives can spark our most powerful ideas

“The best art comes from a place of discomfort.” – Anonymous

We’re taught to chase calm, to “think clearly” before we write, paint, design, or launch a new project. Yet some of the most unforgettable works—whether a novel that reshaped a generation, a song that still makes us shiver, or a startup that turned an industry upside‑down—were born from moments of angry frustration or gut‑wrenching confusion.

If you’ve ever felt a surge of irritation while stuck in traffic, or a bewildering swirl of thoughts after a heated argument, you already have a well‑spring of raw material waiting to be transformed. The trick isn’t to suppress those feelings, but to channel them.

Below, we’ll explore why anger and confusion are surprisingly fertile creative soil, look at real‑world examples, and walk through practical steps you can use right now to turn those messy emotions into compelling content, products, or art.

1. Why the “Negative” Emotions Matter

Emotion	What It Does to Your Brain	How It Helps Creativity
Anger	Triggers the amygdala, spikes adrenaline, and heightens focus on perceived threats.	Sharpens problem‑solving, fuels urgency, and pushes you to “break the rules” to resolve the tension.
Confusion	Activates the prefrontal cortex as you search for meaning and coherence.	Forces you to ask why and how, encouraging divergent thinking and novel connections.

Energy Surge – Both anger and confusion release physiological energy (adrenaline, cortisol). When redirected, that energy can become the stamina needed for long writing sessions or intense brainstorming.
Narrative Drive – Stories thrive on conflict. Anger supplies a clear antagonist (the source of frustration), while confusion supplies the mystery that keeps the audience hooked.
Authenticity – Audiences can sense when a piece is born from genuine feeling. Raw, unfiltered emotion builds trust and resonance.

2. Legends Who Turned Rage & Uncertainty Into Masterpieces

Creator	Emotion	Resulting Work	Why It Worked
Vincent Van Gogh	Deep melancholy & inner turmoil (bordering on confusion)	Starry Night	The turbulent sky mirrors his mental state, turning personal chaos into universal beauty.
Kanye West	Public outrage & indignation after award show snubs	“Yeezus” (2013)	Aggressive beats and confrontational lyrics harnessed his anger, producing one of his most daring albums.
Malala Yousafzai	Fear and outrage at oppression	I Am Malala (memoir)	The anger at injustice fueled a powerful narrative that inspired global activism.
James Dyson	Frustration with underperforming vacuum cleaners	Dyson Cyclone technology	Anger at the status quo drove relentless prototyping, resulting in a market‑disrupting product.

These stories underscore a simple truth: the more personal the friction, the more universal the impact—when you translate your private storm into public art, you give others permission to feel seen.

3. From Internal Turmoil to Tangible Output – A Step‑by‑Step Workflow

TL;DR: Capture, Clarify, Convert, Polish.

Step 1 – Capture the Spark

Immediate journal: Keep a small notebook or note‑app on hand. As soon as you feel a flash of anger or a wave of confusion, jot down:
- What triggered it? (e.g., “Stuck in endless Zoom meetings.”)
- Physical sensations (e.g., “Heart pounding, jaw clenched.”)
- One‑sentence “headline” that captures the feeling (“Enough is enough: the meeting apocalypse”).
Voice memo: If you’re on the go, record a 30‑second rant. Hearing your own tone later can reveal nuances you missed in writing.

Step 2 – Clarify the Core Question

Anger often hides a demand (“I want this to change”).
Confusion hides a gap (“I don’t understand why this happened”).
Translate each entry into a concrete question:
- “How can remote work be more humane?”
- “Why do we default to endless meetings, and what alternatives exist?”

Step 3 – Brainstorm Solutions/Angles

Set a timer (10–15 minutes) and list all possible responses—no judgment.
Use “yes, and…” improvisation technique to build on each idea.
Highlight any that feel contrarian or provocative; anger loves a good rebellion.

Step 4 – Create a First Draft

Structure: Problem (the anger/confusion) → Exploration (your research/brainstorm) → Resolution (your insight or call‑to‑action).
Write in a voice that mirrors the original emotion: short, punchy sentences for anger; meandering, question‑filled prose for confusion.

Step 5 – Cool‑Down & Polish

Take a short break (5–10 minutes) to let the adrenaline subside.
Revise for clarity: Replace raw outbursts with purposeful language while preserving intensity.
Add humanising details (an anecdote, a metaphor) to help readers connect.

4. Practical Tips for Different Creative Mediums

Medium	Harnessing Anger	Harnessing Confusion
Writing (blog, fiction, copy)	Use strong verbs (“shatter”, “explode”) and short paragraphs to replicate urgency.	Embrace open‑ended questions and fragmented sentences that mimic mental looping.
Visual Art / Design	Bold, contrasting colors (red, black) and jagged lines convey tension.	Layered textures, ambiguous shapes, or “visual riddles” invite viewers to decode the piece.
Music / Audio	Aggressive tempos, distorted instruments, lyrical repetitions (“I’m done, I’m done”).	Dissonant chords, irregular time signatures, spoken‑word interludes that ask “what’s next?”
Product Development	Identify the pain point that fuels the anger; prototype a solution that eliminates that pain.	Map out the confusion journey (user flow gaps) and redesign for clarity, turning uncertainty into elegance.
Marketing	Campaigns that call out a common frustration (“Stop waiting for support”) often go viral.	Story‑driven ads that pose a mystery (“What happens when…?”) encourage engagement and shares.

5. Avoiding the Pitfalls

Risk	Warning Sign	Mitigation
Burnout	You keep feeding on anger without rest.	Schedule “emotion detox” days (no work, just leisure).
Over‑Negativity	The final piece sounds purely bitter, alienating the audience.	Balance with hope or solution; end on a constructive note.
Unclear Messaging	Confusion remains unresolved for the reader.	Ensure the conclusion clearly answers the core question you posed.
Echo Chamber	You only share with people who agree with your rage.	Seek diverse feedback; a calm third‑party can spot blind spots.

6. A Mini‑Exercise to Try Right Now

Pick a recent moment of anger or confusion (e.g., the last time a software glitch ruined your workflow).
Write a 150‑word micro‑story that starts with a vivid line of that feeling.
- Angry example: “The screen froze, and my deadline sprint turned into a marathon of curses.”
- Confused example: “Why does the ‘Save’ button disappear right when I need it most?”
Identify the underlying demand or question.
Add a single, unexpected twist that resolves the tension in a fresh way.
Read it aloud—does the emotion still feel punchy? If not, sharpen the language.

Do this daily for a week and watch how quickly raw moments become polished ideas.

7. Closing Thoughts: Embrace the Storm

Creativity isn’t a serene garden; it’s a storm‑tossed sea where the fiercest winds generate the biggest waves. Anger and confusion are not obstacles to be sidestepped; they are compasses pointing toward the stories, solutions, and art that matter most.

When you feel that heat rising or your thoughts spiralling, ask yourself:

What is this feeling demanding of me?
What truth lies hidden beneath the confusion?

Then, grab your notebook, your sketchpad, or your laptop, and turn that turbulence into triumph.

Ready to test the theory? Share a snippet of your angry‑or‑confused‑inspired work in the comments below. Let’s turn the collective noise into a chorus of brilliant ideas.

What I learned about writing – Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Perhaps not in the beginning, but as time passed, yes.

In my younger years, as an awkward child who didn’t fare well in school, with the sort of boys who treated the weaker kids with aggression, and at home, where we were victims of domestic violence, it became necessary to immerse myself in another world than the one that I lived in.

That’s when I began to invent different lives, mostly generated from reading books morning, noon and night and spending any spare time in the school library, anywhere other than in the schoolyard.

Those books fuelled my imagination. I could be anyone else other than who I was, go anywhere, and do anything. The Secret Seven, The Famous Five, Biggles, Billy Bunter, all those characters that today would never get a fair chance.

Soon, those imaginings became scribbles, and the first story I wrote was one of a spy landing on a distant beach in another country and executing a mission which, when I look back, was rather strange, but it kept me busy.

Then a thousand or so books later, fuelled by Alistair MacLean, Hammond Innes, James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Steve Berry, David Baldacci, and countless others, I improved my writing skills, the story became more focused and less childish, and I decided thrillers were the go.

And when romance didn’t seem to work out all that well, I decided to write myself into one, imagining how it would be. For that, I devoured a few Mills and Boons, but when it came time to write a similar story, it got halfway, then veered into thriller territory.

I think, in that first effort, I was not the hero, but the forever-tired, always battling to stay alive and discovering the love of his life, found ways they could not be together. A bit like real life at times.

In my latest effort, I used to read stories for my grandchildren, and then foolishly one night told her I would write a better fair tale. After 11 years, much toiling and excuses for not having it done, I have finished it. 3 volumes, 1,000 plus pages, it is an epic.

Did I always want to be a writer?

Maybe I did and just didn’t realise it back when I was too young to know.

365 Days of writing, 2026 – 54

Day 54 – Anger and confusion as inspiration

…

When Anger & Confusion Become Creative Fuel

How the messier emotions in our lives can spark our most powerful ideas

“The best art comes from a place of discomfort.” – Anonymous

1. Why the “Negative” Emotions Matter

Emotion	What It Does to Your Brain	How It Helps Creativity
Anger	Triggers the amygdala, spikes adrenaline, and heightens focus on perceived threats.	Sharpens problem‑solving, fuels urgency, and pushes you to “break the rules” to resolve the tension.
Confusion	Activates the prefrontal cortex as you search for meaning and coherence.	Forces you to ask why and how, encouraging divergent thinking and novel connections.

Energy Surge – Both anger and confusion release physiological energy (adrenaline, cortisol). When redirected, that energy can become the stamina needed for long writing sessions or intense brainstorming.
Narrative Drive – Stories thrive on conflict. Anger supplies a clear antagonist (the source of frustration), while confusion supplies the mystery that keeps the audience hooked.
Authenticity – Audiences can sense when a piece is born from genuine feeling. Raw, unfiltered emotion builds trust and resonance.

2. Legends Who Turned Rage & Uncertainty Into Masterpieces

Creator	Emotion	Resulting Work	Why It Worked
Vincent Van Gogh	Deep melancholy & inner turmoil (bordering on confusion)	Starry Night	The turbulent sky mirrors his mental state, turning personal chaos into universal beauty.
Kanye West	Public outrage & indignation after award show snubs	“Yeezus” (2013)	Aggressive beats and confrontational lyrics harnessed his anger, producing one of his most daring albums.
Malala Yousafzai	Fear and outrage at oppression	I Am Malala (memoir)	The anger at injustice fueled a powerful narrative that inspired global activism.
James Dyson	Frustration with underperforming vacuum cleaners	Dyson Cyclone technology	Anger at the status quo drove relentless prototyping, resulting in a market‑disrupting product.

3. From Internal Turmoil to Tangible Output – A Step‑by‑Step Workflow

TL;DR: Capture, Clarify, Convert, Polish.

Step 1 – Capture the Spark

Immediate journal: Keep a small notebook or note‑app on hand. As soon as you feel a flash of anger or a wave of confusion, jot down:
- What triggered it? (e.g., “Stuck in endless Zoom meetings.”)
- Physical sensations (e.g., “Heart pounding, jaw clenched.”)
- One‑sentence “headline” that captures the feeling (“Enough is enough: the meeting apocalypse”).
Voice memo: If you’re on the go, record a 30‑second rant. Hearing your own tone later can reveal nuances you missed in writing.

Step 2 – Clarify the Core Question

Anger often hides a demand (“I want this to change”).
Confusion hides a gap (“I don’t understand why this happened”).
Translate each entry into a concrete question:
- “How can remote work be more humane?”
- “Why do we default to endless meetings, and what alternatives exist?”

Step 3 – Brainstorm Solutions/Angles

Set a timer (10–15 minutes) and list all possible responses—no judgment.
Use “yes, and…” improvisation technique to build on each idea.
Highlight any that feel contrarian or provocative; anger loves a good rebellion.

Step 4 – Create a First Draft

Structure: Problem (the anger/confusion) → Exploration (your research/brainstorm) → Resolution (your insight or call‑to‑action).
Write in a voice that mirrors the original emotion: short, punchy sentences for anger; meandering, question‑filled prose for confusion.

Step 5 – Cool‑Down & Polish

Take a short break (5–10 minutes) to let the adrenaline subside.
Revise for clarity: Replace raw outbursts with purposeful language while preserving intensity.
Add humanising details (an anecdote, a metaphor) to help readers connect.

4. Practical Tips for Different Creative Mediums

Medium	Harnessing Anger	Harnessing Confusion
Writing (blog, fiction, copy)	Use strong verbs (“shatter”, “explode”) and short paragraphs to replicate urgency.	Embrace open‑ended questions and fragmented sentences that mimic mental looping.
Visual Art / Design	Bold, contrasting colors (red, black) and jagged lines convey tension.	Layered textures, ambiguous shapes, or “visual riddles” invite viewers to decode the piece.
Music / Audio	Aggressive tempos, distorted instruments, lyrical repetitions (“I’m done, I’m done”).	Dissonant chords, irregular time signatures, spoken‑word interludes that ask “what’s next?”
Product Development	Identify the pain point that fuels the anger; prototype a solution that eliminates that pain.	Map out the confusion journey (user flow gaps) and redesign for clarity, turning uncertainty into elegance.
Marketing	Campaigns that call out a common frustration (“Stop waiting for support”) often go viral.	Story‑driven ads that pose a mystery (“What happens when…?”) encourage engagement and shares.

5. Avoiding the Pitfalls

Risk	Warning Sign	Mitigation
Burnout	You keep feeding on anger without rest.	Schedule “emotion detox” days (no work, just leisure).
Over‑Negativity	The final piece sounds purely bitter, alienating the audience.	Balance with hope or solution; end on a constructive note.
Unclear Messaging	Confusion remains unresolved for the reader.	Ensure the conclusion clearly answers the core question you posed.
Echo Chamber	You only share with people who agree with your rage.	Seek diverse feedback; a calm third‑party can spot blind spots.

6. A Mini‑Exercise to Try Right Now

Pick a recent moment of anger or confusion (e.g., the last time a software glitch ruined your workflow).
Write a 150‑word micro‑story that starts with a vivid line of that feeling.
- Angry example: “The screen froze, and my deadline sprint turned into a marathon of curses.”
- Confused example: “Why does the ‘Save’ button disappear right when I need it most?”
Identify the underlying demand or question.
Add a single, unexpected twist that resolves the tension in a fresh way.
Read it aloud—does the emotion still feel punchy? If not, sharpen the language.

Do this daily for a week and watch how quickly raw moments become polished ideas.

7. Closing Thoughts: Embrace the Storm

When you feel that heat rising or your thoughts spiralling, ask yourself:

What is this feeling demanding of me?
What truth lies hidden beneath the confusion?

Then, grab your notebook, your sketchpad, or your laptop, and turn that turbulence into triumph.

Ready to test the theory? Share a snippet of your angry‑or‑confused‑inspired work in the comments below. Let’s turn the collective noise into a chorus of brilliant ideas.

365 Days of writing, 2026 – 53/53

Days 52 and 53 – Writing exercise

You wake up in a room, a note on the mirror, a whole new identity, and a card with my new name on it.

…

I went to bed Thursday night after a few drinks at the Fox and Hounds with a half dozen or so lads who were having a Stag night for James Aloysius Corbey, the groom-to-be on Saturday.

That’s the first thing I remembered when I woke up the next morning, slightly hungover and vague. About where I was, and who I was.

Because I woke up in a place I didn’t sleep. The walls of the room were wallpapered, not painted; the roof was ornate plasterwork, not plain; and the main light was a chandelier, not a round plastic light found at IKEA.

As for the curtains, well, by that time I was beginning to think something was terribly wrong, like the Stag party boys had moved me to another hotel as a practical joke.

A quick glance sideways almost gave me a sign of relief, they had not planted a dead body, or worse, one of the three girls that turned up halfway into the session and ‘performed’ for the Stag.

I hoped his wife would never be found out. Perhaps that was why they chose to be at least 50 miles away from his town.

A sheet of paper on the bedside table told me I was in Morden, wherever that was. Scrawled hurriedly was a note, “pack up your old life and put it in the suitcase, you are no longer that person”.

I shrugged.

It was a condition of joining the service that you left your old life behind. It wouldn’t be that hard; my old life wasn’t a life; I had just been going through the motions.

I hadn’t quite considered the ramifications of the change, but now that it was a reality, it wasn’t that hard.

Out of curiosity, I looked out the window. It overlooked the lane outside the hotel. It looked almost like an anonymous suburban house.

I went to the closet, and my clothes were hanging up, the suitcase was on the rack, and yesterday’s clothes were in a laundry bag. I quickly attended to cleaning the room of any evidence I’d been there.

Then I went into the bathroom, and everything was laid out, like I would have. The only thing out of place was a handwritten note tacked to the mirror.

Written in spidery but neat cursive script, the calligraphy of a woman rather than a man. It was neat and just readable.

Jack,

That is your name now, Jack Williamson. The rest of your details are in an envelope in the drawer beside the bed. Memorise them and destroy the paperwork in the usual manner.

Your mission is to find Eloise Margarethe Anderson.

Your new cell phone has an untraceable email with the details of her disappearance. There is a backpack under the bed with everything you will need.

You will be contacted in due course, but if you have information or require research assistance, there is a number to call. It will not be answered; it is for text messages only.

Good luck.

Unsigned, which was no surprise.

There was a slight aroma of a familiar scent, the sort a woman would use, and I tried to remember who she was.

Tried. The weight of the previous evening still hung over my head. Thinking wasn’t easy, so I went and stood under the cold water for a few minutes to wash the cobwebs away.

I should have expected this.

Having graduated, if it could be called that, from training, the sort that taught you skills that most people would never need, and watching a large percentage of the other candidates wash out one by one, I made it to the last ten.

We were told we would learn whether we succeeded or failed within the week, and that we should go home and wait. That had been five weeks ago, and I was sure I had failed.

Apparently, I had not failed.

Or this was a final test. A final final test.

It bothered me that I could be transported from one place to another and know absolutely nothing about it. According to one of the instructors, if that happened, you were as good as dead.

Had it happened in a real-life situation, I would be.

So, after half an hour, dressed and compus mentus, just the thought of what had happened scared me. We had been told to be on our guard the whole time, and I had not.

I pulled out the backpack, retrieved the file, discovered Jack Williamson was not the greatest of characters, and that the missing girl was no one of consequence, just someone’s daughter who went to London for a friend’s party and was never seen again. She was reported missing. The police kept the file open for a month but found nothing substantive. The evidence pointed to the fact that she had purposely left the party. They tracked her to Waterloo Station, where she was met by a young man, and they disappeared into the underground.

They did not get on a train, underground or overground, and did not leave the station, at least as far as CCTV could see. Conclusion: she did not want to be found. The meeting at Waterloo was planned, and the man was known to her. There were photos of her and the man, both identified. There was a copy of the police file, and it showed they’d gone the extra mile.

Why?

Something didn’t add up.

I guess that was why it had become my first, and quite possibly last, mission.

….

The hotel was a few minutes from Morden underground station and then to Waterloo. I didn’t waste time thinking about the how or the why of getting there; I figured that it was their way of saying that whatever you had before was gone, this is how it’s going to be, a different place, a different name, a different case.

There was no one at the hotel to ask, and even if there had been, I was sure any questions would be met with blank expressions and no information forthcoming. It was probably a safe house.

Going out the front door, having seen up one from my room to the foyer, and after dropping the room key in the box provided for self-checkout, I saw an elderly couple going in as I went out.

“Good morning for a walk,” the lady said.

“Sounds like a good idea,” I said, holding the door open for them, then heading off.

It was a short walk to the station, then a short wait for the Northern Line train. I had enough time to read up on Waterloo Station, its entrances and exits, and some interesting station plans.

There was an interview with the girl’s father; her mother had left a few years earlier, abandoning them both for a work colleague. The ex-wife did not paint the husband in a good light, subject to bouts of unemployment, heavy drinking, and domestic violence. An interesting question, why leave a young girl in his care?

The neighbours didn’t see him much, not since his wife left, and said that he had changed. The girl had been taken into child care, but he had managed to get her released into his custody on probation. Nothing had happened until she disappeared.

If things were all right at home, why would she just up and leave? He would not have let her go to the party if he didn’t trust her.

There was a document listing social media profiles found by the IT specialist assigned to the case, for the girl, her friends, particularly the one she went to the party with, and several email accounts for the father, mother and the two girls.

There was another, for the man she went to meet at Waterloo station. The last message he received and the last message she sent told Jim which train she was on and the estimated arrival time. After that, both phones went dead and hadn’t been reactivated.

I had photos of the two the last time they were picked up by CCTV, at the end of the Northern line arrival platform at Waterloo.

It was my starting point

…

Standing at the end of the platform, I looked up and saw the camera that had recorded their presence. Behind me was the dark tunnel, and while they could have escaped that way, it was unlikely. The CCTV would have been monitored, and they would not have got far.

I sat down at the very end, the last seat, and looked at the photograph. Nothing special. It was just one blurry shot taken from the continuous feed.

I sent a message to the email on the phone, “Can I see any CCTV footage relevant to the two at the end of the platform?” And waited.

In an idle moment, I loaded the Times crossword and started filling it in.

Five minutes, a reply, “Yes.” There was an attachment, and I opened it. Three minutes, walking to the end, talking, sitting, exactly where I was sitting, then getting up and retracing their steps, just as a train arrived and a lot of people got off. That was where the CCTV lost track of them.

But…

Why were they sitting here?

Out of curiosity, I felt under the seat, expecting to find old chewing gum, but instead found two cell phones tucked under the metal fold, held in place by double-sided tape.

I made sure that anyone watching the current CCTV would not realise what I was doing. I was going to assume they’d either thrown them on the tracks to be smashed or tossed them in a rubbish bin.

Not leave them to be retrieved. And if they did leave them, expecting to retrieve them, why hadn’t they come back?

They would be dead now, and I would have to recharge them. It didn’t explain how they disappeared.

But on the way up to the main overland concourse, I checked all the CCTV locations against those labelled on the plan. Three were missing, or at the very least, I couldn’t find them.

Three that would make it easy for them to leave without being noticed. Having lost them at the station, they checked the CCTV footage outside it, but there were gaps.

I sent another email asking for CCTV coverage at any location for the exit near the three missing cameras. This time it took 15 minutes. There was a reply, but no sign of them, and there was a black hold.

10 more minutes, I received another message and a file. The file showed, a half hour later, what might have been the girl and man getting into a taxi. Different clothes, hats hiding their faces, the man with a backpack. Nothing conclusive, just a feeling. There was a taxi registration and where it could be found.

I found a three-star hotel and checked in. On the way from the station, I found a shop selling chargers for the two cell phones, and my first job was to charge them.

…

By the time the two phones were charged, I had the cab’s location and the driver’s number; the driver was an owner who went home at the end of his shift. He would be there first thing in the morning, and so would I.

As Detective Inspector Strange, or so it said on the warrant card, with a rather interesting photo of my face. Someone had assumed it might need one.

The phones were password-protected, but then entering the notebook computer solved that small problem. I’d expected a treasure trove of data, and was immediately disappointed except…

On the man’s phone, photos showed the locations of the CCTV cameras that issued the alerts and a set of images charting a course around the dark spots.

Those photos were from a month ago, so was this disappearance planned? And planned meticulously. There were no other messages, and the call histories on both phones had been erased except for her last call and one from his phone.

I sent it to my invisible assistant, and it came back with a surprise. The number belonged to the cab driver who picked them up. I went back to the CCTV footage and realised the taxi had been waiting for them to appear as they came out of the exit, not hailed by the man.

This was too easy. How had the police failed to see what I was seeing? Back to the police file, it seemed once they lost track of them in the station, they had only done a cursory check shortly after they disappeared, thinking they’d head straight for the exits. They hadn’t. They had found a place to change, away from prying eyes.

With a few hours to wait for the taxi driver to come off shift, I put my head down to get some rest.

I was woken several hours later by the vibration of the cell phone warning me of an incoming message.

It showed the taxi’s track from the time it picked up the two, including the stops it made afterwards. It was an address in Guildford, Surrey, about 40 miles away.

A car had been ordered and would be out front of the hotel in an hour. I was to proceed with caution in establishing whether the two were in the house and to report back.

Once again, while washing the cobwebs away, I had to think that this was too easy, that there was something I was missing. The police would have gone through the same processes I had.

I took my time getting there, then parked some distance from the house. It was exposed, and they would see me coming, especially if someone was watching from the upstairs windows. If I had to make an assessment, it would be ideal. More importantly, in an emergency, they could get away quickly without being seen from the front of the house.

It wasn’t a random selection. A lot of thought had gone into this disappearance.

So, given the circumstances, I decided to drive to the front of the house and walk straight to the front door, with purpose, giving the impression I had a purpose to be there.

When I got out of the car, a curtain moved in a window from the house over the road, and I thought I saw movement in the upstairs window. No hesitation, I headed towards the front door, waited for a few seconds while I pretended to check my phone, then knocked, not forcefully, but loud enough for them to hear.

Nothing. No movement, no sounds behind the door.

Don’t knock again too soon and sound impatient. I waited, then knocked again. The same tempo. Not in a hurry.

This time, there were sounds from behind the door, then, with a flourish, it opened.

“Hello, Jack. Come on in.”

I tried not to look surprised. How did these people know I would be turning up on their doorstep? Unless…

The girl and the man were sitting in two chairs opposite someone I instantly recognised.

One of my instructors. The one who had supervised my final test. The one who gave no inkling as to what he was thinking, or believed in giving feedback.

“You’ll be pleased to know that eight out of ten candidates fail this test. It proved to us that you can find people who don’t want to be found. The thing is, we were not sure if the measures we put in place to protect these people were sufficient, and they are not.

But, more to the point, we now want you to find Eloise’s mother, Margarethe. The files will be sent to your phone imminently. In the meantime, a hotel has been booked for you at Heathrow, and you are booked on a flight to Vienna. ” He stood. “Well done. Now, off you go. Progress reports as per protocol.”

I got to sit down for all of five minutes.

Vienna! Wiener Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel. If there was time.

…

What I learned about writing – Never be afraid to ask for or give advice

It’s part of the reason why I have a writing blog.

In the first instance, I aim to highlight the issues I have in every aspect of writing, from constructing a sentence to describing a scene to conversing between characters, while not losing the plot.

But it cuts a lot deeper than just the writing; there’s all that other tacky stuff, like marketing. The self-published author also has to be a consummate ad man, right out of the fifties and sixties, with all the slick means of selling what some might call the unsellable.

I have managed to hit every pot home and brick wall; there is.

Perhaps the best part is showcasing my writing, whether it is an episode of a long book, a short story, or parts of a novella.

But what is most satisfying is the comments, where nearly everyone is positive about my work, and sometimes they even buy a book.

I confess I’m not going to become an international best-selling author overnight, in a week, a month or even a year. But it is still a thrill when a book registers in the same column.

Conversely, I have several other authors’ websites and blogs that I read, and I make time every week to read other authors’ work, offer my opinion, and give a review, that rare thing that all authors need as part of their marketing strategy.