Notes from the Inkpot
Writing, teaching, creating - one ink-stained idea at a time.
The Hemlock Collection: A Witch Trial Mystery Across Centuries
Step into Crowhurst, 1628. A child’s screams in the night, whispered accusations, and a village consumed by fear. The Hemlock Collection is a digital-first creative writing mystery that blends witch trials and folklore with the modern-day disappearance of Beth Crowhurst in 2023. Through letters, grave rubbings, diary entries, and newspaper clippings, students and writers are invited to investigate both timelines and craft their own stories from the shadows left by history.
70 Paranormal Mystery Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Titles, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Paranormal mysteries mix eerie suspense with the thrill of uncovering secrets. These prompts invite teen writers to explore strange clues, shadowy figures, and unexplained events — from a glowing rotary phone ringing in an abandoned house to a cracked mirror showing a city that doesn’t exist. With 70 ideas covering titles, opening lines, characters, and picture prompts, this collection will keep imaginations racing.
70 Mystery Writing Prompts for Teens: Ideas, Openings, and Visual Starters for the English Classroom
From eerie settings to twisty plot hooks, these 70 mystery writing prompts are built to spark curiosity and sharpen storytelling. Whether you're planning a full unit or just want a way to get students writing again, you'll find character ideas, opening lines, titles, and atmospheric visuals ready to use in the classroom.
The Kindling Collection: A Writing Box of Ritual, Firelight, and Uneasy Traditions
If you’ve ever wanted to stumble across a forgotten box of secrets, piece together a decades-old mystery, or uncover what a village has tried to forget, this is the one.
The Kindling Collection invites you into the village of Ashwick, where the Longlight Festival burns brighter than reason. What starts with weathered letters and faded photos slowly begins to feel… real. You’ll find cinnamon-scented fragments, unsettling children’s drawings, volunteer lists, and sealed envelopes that beg not to be opened.
Step into something old, strange, and quietly horrifying, and let the story pull you under.