#100. It’s the One Hundredth Show! AAAHHHH!

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Transcription follows below:

Notes: 
​The list of categories for the second round of brainstorms is: 1) A book or magazine 2) A job or role, taken on reluctantly, 3) A pub or café, 4) A portal or means of travel, 5) A piece of treasure or magical, sought-after object, 6) A monster or creature, 7) An invention and 8) A weapon.
Link to Spotlight Indie podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@Spotlight-Indie

Hello imaginative people. I’m Anna Tizard and this is episode 100 of Brainstoryum. I can’t believe it! It’s a bit surreal. But that’s highly appropriate, I guess, since I’m a part-time surrealist, using surrealist methods to conjure up new stories and ideas…
 
Looking back over the show so far, the Exquisite Corpse games have generated 294 unique sentences which (I expect) have never been uttered before, and that have either made me laugh (hopefully made you laugh, too), or inspired me (and you), or possibly both. But if you consider that each entire sentence is a writing prompt in its own right, you also have the two describing word-noun word combinations per Exquisite Corpse, which also work on their own, so that brings the total of writing prompts generated on this show to 882. And of course, that’s not counting the new writing prompts that I’ll generate today using your words, and perhaps a collective imaginative effort.
 
I have also had the pleasure and honour of reading out countless stories and poems on the show from my wonderful listeners, so thank you so much to those who’ve sent in stories along the way: I would read out your names, but that would take a really long time. You’re all so talented, and I want to keep encouraging you as much as I can, not just with the writing prompts and the tips and techniques I sometimes bring to the show, but with some publishing opportunities which I’m going to start sharing again (I did this a little while ago, and I’m bringing it back, so keep listening).
 
To help celebrate this milestone 100th episode, I’ve received some wonderful feedback from regular listeners:
 
Alessandro Bozzo, who basically told me to start a podcast in the first place (thank you, Alex!) and often sends stories and words for the socks, said,
 
“I love your narration. It makes what I submit sound so much better haha! The story and poem requests are a great challenge. It keeps my imagination healthy. If time is short, just submit a few words for the Socks (which) helps to grow my vocabulary.”
 
He also said, “For me, the podcast is a fantastic catalyst to ignite the imagination, pulling the story ideas out of us.”
 
Mm, I like this imagery! Thank you, Alex.
 
Nick Vracar, whose name you’ll also recognise as a regular contributor of stories to the show, said,
“Brainstoryum has been a lot of fun! Part of it is the challenge of bringing sense to nonsense, but a large part is the exercise in creativity that provides a springboard into ideas that may not exist if not for specific word combinations that I wouldn’t consider otherwise.”
 
Thank you, Nick, and I’m glad the game and the brainstorms are generating that freshness and uniqueness that can be difficult to find elsewhere.
 
Mariah, another long-term listener who’s contributed stories and a lot of words for the socks, said, “I returned to writing because you inspired me and you keep inspiring me and others.”
 
That is just wonderful. I mean, that is the true purpose of Brainstoryum, so thank you Mariah (and keep going!).
 
Paul Monteith who is Quantum Fairy on Bluesky, said, “Thank you for the time and effort you put into making the podcast. I look forward to each broadcast and to a creative 2026.” (This was January when Paul wrote to me.) He also said he is developing “The Expanding Lantern Café” which is a short story you can hear on episode 99 based on the prompt, the Expansive Lantern. Changing various details and seeing where the story will take him. Do keep us updated, Paul, and thanks for your kind words.
 
Paul McMillan, bookmarksloveandlore on X, said,
“I’ve been thinking about how your prompts work like little sparks. You throw out this single idea, and somehow every writer runs in a completely different direction with it. It’s wild how the same seed grows into a dozen different stories, voices, and moods. That says a lot about the way you guide the creative process. You open a door and let us figure out what world waits on the other side. Thank you for giving writers that space and for sharing these stories on your podcast. Hearing you read them makes the whole thing feel more real and reminds us that the work matters. Your prompts don’t just inspire stories, they inspire confidence, curiosity, and a reason to sit down and write again tomorrow.”
 
Wow. I think I’m going to print this and stick it on my fridge door. There’s so much that’s personally important to me here: inspiring writers, making it feel real, and exciting. Maybe this is the kind of thing, this kind of interaction, of reading out people’s stories, that helps keep that fire going. When so many traditional channels to publishing may seem closed to us, I’m just glad I can help open that door. Thank you, Paul.
 
Now, actually, that draws me quite neatly into something I’m going to talk a little bit about, before we move on to stories and brainstorming; looking at where we are as indies or just small-time writers within the bigger picture. Step back for a moment. Lately, I’ve come across quite a few articles that report a downturn in book sales overall, in reading in general, and in deals signed with traditional publishers—well, we know that a big proportion of traditional publishing is carried, financially, by celebrity books these days, so sometimes I think it’s not even worth thinking about. But looking at these ‘doom and gloom’ figures: for one thing, I understand that any books sold directly, from author to reader—and while I’m not doing that yet, I don’t have an online shop or anything—all those direct sales, which are increasing all the time, are invisible. They’re not captured by these statistics; they can’t be. So that’s one way in which, financially and otherwise, indie author stats fall outside of that fixed, traditional-centric picture. But there’s also more, and more dynamics, to our creative lives as writers these days, and our ability to connect with others, especially online. Do these statistics reflect other forms of engagement between readers and writers; or the amount of activity going on in the general art and craft of writing? How could they? We have more mediums than ever, through social media, podcasts, videos and so on, to share our work and to support each other.
 
Likewise, it's so easy to worry about the sheer volume of people publishing books, and getting lost in that crowd, with it being so easy these days to click a few buttons to self-publish. But then, doesn’t this wealth of interest demonstrate a huge energy, a passion, for literature, that goes beyond just book sales through established, recognised bookshops? Writers are usually voracious readers, too. So much of being indie, or just ‘small’, and starting out, is about finding your part in this massive community—yes, most of it is online, but that’s part of what makes it potentially… infinite.
 
Rather than be overwhelmed by it, or threatened by the numbers, part of why the indie scene is so big and flourishing is our ability to connect in all these ways, and to learn and appreciate each other. Bolster each other up; be a part of something. We may write alone, but writing doesn’t have to be lonely anymore.
 
Maybe indie publishing—and we, as the little guys—are the ones who will ultimately save literacy, and save books, and the passion for the written and spoken word. For stories, and for wonder.
 
And, do you know what? If they say most people have not enough time, or too short an attention span, to read an entire book, well then, the time is ripe for the short story revolution.
 
Speaking of communities and writers supporting each other, you might be interested to know, I am going to be part of a discussion panel for The Spotlight Indie Big Weekend, an online event full of interviews and discussions by writers, for writers, which is running from 20th – 22nd February 2026, so coming up shortly. The panel I’m in includes fantasy and speculative fiction authors J.E. Hannaford, Alethea Lyons and Phil Parker, and we will be discussing the theme of Writing Better Beginnings. We’ll be sharing our experiences and tips and tricks on how to begin a short story or a novel well, whether there’s any real difference in our approaches to one versus the other, how to avoid common pitfalls, and so on. I’m looking forward to hearing what these other authors have to say on this topic. I find, you can never predict what you might learn from other writers. You can find the Spotlight Indie podcast on Youtube if you just type Spotlight Indie, but I will include a link in the show notes. Our panel on Writing Better Beginnings will be, funnily enough, at the beginning of the event, scheduled for 1pm UK time on Friday 20th February 2026. If you’re on EST I believe that will be 8am, but of course, you don’t have to watch it live, you can just catch up on the video after the event, at any time, and not necessarily in your pyjamas.
 
**
So in the last show I asked if you could come up with a story based on, well, various very strange word combinations that came out of the Socks of Destiny.
 
Paul Monteith tackled The Hungry Handkerchief. Trigger warning: slight grossness coming, and some very ticklish humour.

When Victorian travelers heard Your Irish Linens or Your Life, ladies of refinement and men of position clutched their handkerchiefs. A scourge throughout England, the Linen Lifters fenced the stolen mucus moppers to a scientist living in Ingolstadt, Germany.

"Do we have enough linens to create something unholy, Dr. Frandkenchief?" the Dr.'s assistant asked.

“Yes, Igor, we have ample Irish Linens to create stacks of animated handkerchiefs that will blow and wipe your runny nose for you.” The Dr. threw back his head and laughed manically. “Launder and prep the linens for the operating table.”

Thunder punched the air while lightning cut jagged lines. Igor worked quickly to run a cable from the lightning rod to the Tesla coils. Wires ran from the coils to electrodes attached to the linen squares. “We need only one strike,” Frandkerchief said.

When lightning struck the rod, the coils flashed and sparked as they converted the energy into an electrical current that zapped the squares. The handkerchiefs twitched and rustled. The electrical discharge had burned the insides of Igor's nose.

“Life, Igor,” the Dr. shouted. He raised his hands, his curled fingers gripping the air. “LIVE, you unholy apparel accessory.”

In a voice as fresh as crisp milled linen, a handkerchief said, “Feed me mucus.” Igor's irritated nose, still burning, sneezed. The chanting hungry handkerchiefs set upon him, weaseling their way into his nasal passages and worming down his throat, and they devoured Igor from the inside out.

"Most unfortunate," the Dr. said.”
 
Oh gosh, this is like a cartoon come to life, and then some! Spectacular. Thank you, Paul.
You can find Paul Monteith on Bluesky as Quantum Fairy, and I recommend you do, as soon as possible.
 
Now it is time to reach into the inanimate and as-yet unconscious apparel accessories which may, none the less, spark new life in our imaginations. Bring forth the socks of destiny.
 
**
SOCKS OF DESTINY ORGAN JINGLE
 
This part of the show is un-transpose-able! There's much giggling and rustling of paper as I pull words at random from the Socks of Destiny to create three unique sentences according to the rules of Exquisite Corpse, going: “Describing word—noun—action—describing word—noun.” Today’s resulting sentences are:
 
1. The horrific badger investigated the crime scene with the exhausted grasshopper mouse.
2. The reversed curette howled at the inquisitive headstone.
3. The chatty goblin harvested mushrooms with the mirrored ifrit.
 
**
Oh, but which word combination should I go for? In this part of the show, I roll an 8-sided dice to decide which of 8 categories I should try and use, to take the story brainstorms deeper. If I roll the dice first, then decide which word combination—that would be cheating, right?
 
OK, so I’ll say that I want to try and deep-dive into the mirrored ifrit.
 
Let’s roll the dice. 4. (By the way, you can see the full list of 8 categories I’m using in the show notes.) 4 is a portal or means of travel. Oh. That’s one aspect I was talking about, with the mirror, like Through the Looking Glass.
 
But what is a mirrored ifrit in this context? An ifrit that has stepped out of a mirror? Or slipped out, by accident? Does this ifrit generally like to travel by mirror? Is this a new thing, for it? It has wings ‘made of smoke’, apparently, but has decided it’s better, maybe safer, to travel by mirror. Why would that be? Because it’s less visible this way. It can sneak into people’s rooms, and eavesdrop, just out of sight. No need for breaking and entering, or looking for an open window—which is rarely going to happen in dead of winter, anyway. Who is it spying on, and why? Government secrets? Celebrity secrets? Secrets it can sell; or use to blackmail people. For ifrits are cunning and malevolent. Maybe this one’s getting on in years. It’s less steady on its wings, less nimble when it lands on someone’s roof: that’s why it’s learned to travel by mirror. Maybe it found a magic mirror, which links to other mirrors. All other mirrors? It could be? It might be that you slink between all of the mirrors, to get to the one you want, which can be risky, because anyone might be looking in. Best to do it at night, when most people are sleeping, and paying attention to the mirror in their bedroom. So it’s like a strange corridor full of refracted light. He creeps along, pausing each time he passes a mirror, which is like a window. On his back, he carries a sackful of secrets. He’s stealing them to sell. Long gone are his days of treasure hunting: there are other ways to get rich. Humans keep so many secrets to themselves, the type of truths that will only show up in their face when they confront a mirror. He has to catch them at exactly the right moment, sneak from the side of their vision and pinch their reflection at the very edges with his special pair of tweezers, just at the crease of their frown.
 
They’ll shriek, jump back, but he’ll be gone by the time they catch their breath, staring and staring, unable to confirm what they’ve just seen. For a day, maybe, they’ll be jumping at shadows. A week later, they’ll be calm again; the moment will have faded like a dream: their glimpse of his wicked, snarling grin. Until he finds them in a dark alley, where he will ask them for payment to keep their secret…
 
I quite like that. Any portal you can spend time in, like an in-between space…
 
Anyway. Do I try for another category, but still on the mirrored ifrit? Will it be a different idea, or might it be a way to suggest another direction for the same story, or story world?
 
Let’s try again. 7. An invention. I feel like this one comes up quite a bit. (I’ll probably have to expand the list soon, try and come up with some new stuff. Drop me a line if you have any ideas, by the way.) Erm, a mirrored ifrit as an invention.
 
This is weird because for something to be invented, there has to be a need for it. A situation where someone says, oh, if only I had a mirrored ifrit, my life would be so much easier!
 
But… what if we can think around this a different way? What if the mirrored ifrit is an unfortunate side-effect of an invention? So, someone is trying to invent something that involves mirrors, but the magic is so intense, and a bit wild, that it generates a little ‘extra’ by accident, in the form of a cunning ifrit. For they do say that every light casts a shadow. So if you have, if you perform, a bit of magic that causes a massive flash of light, and something as un-cunning as imaginable, like a truth-divining magic, or a magic that holds a light—quite literally, maybe—to the truth, then a side-effect might be you get a bit of its opposite. I’m imagining some kind of tunnel of mirrors, like when you hold one mirror up to another, and you get repeated reflections within reflections, going to infinity… Is someone trying to stretch time, or reach into the past or future?
 
It's an intriguing idea. I think the ‘way in’ is, as usual, to ask why. Create a character for this adventure by asking why do they want to reach back into the past, or forward into the future—because (and I’ve said it before), the heart of a story beats with the reason why. Develop your character’s greatest need, and greatest fear, which might of course be two sides of the same issue, but that will give you the core of a story. And I know for a fact if every one of my listeners had a go at writing a story based on this, each one would be entirely different, not just because of different styles and unique ways of thinking, but because every person’s decision about the reason ‘why’ their protagonist wants to reach through time, will be different. So never be afraid to try out one of these ideas for yourself in the worry that other people might be doing the same thing. Trust me, they’re not.
 
OK, that was pretty long and in depth, so I think I’ll stop there for the story brainstorms this time. But speaking of… the possibility of you trying out an idea like this, or any of the ideas on this episode (or any other episode, for that matter, since there are 882 prompts—or, a few more now, after today’s show): in case this helps give you that extra little ‘push’ of inspiration to give it a go, here are some submission call-outs from literary magazines:
 
Liars’ League are looking for themed stories, of 800-2,000 words. If you’re quick, there’s a deadline of 1st March for Illusion & Confusion; for a later deadline of 3rd May, the theme will be Above & Below. They offer payment of £20, but your story will also be read by a professional actor for inclusion in a podcast and video, and your work would be published online. Go to liarsleague.com then click ‘submissions’ for further details on submission guidelines and the themes.
 
Alternative Milk Magazine accept fiction up to 4,000 words, as well as nonfiction, poetry, and art. They are about to re-open for submissions from March 2026, for their fourth issue. Go to altmilkmag.com for more details.
 
The Rumpus publishes fiction up to 5,000 words as well as comics, essays, poetry, interviews, and stories for The Sunday Scaries section. They’re looking for edgy fiction with elements of surprise and emotional depth. They pay $100 for prose and comics, and $50 for poetry. For more information, go to therumpus.submittable.com.
 
Just to note, I have simply come across these opportunities in the wilds of the internet: I don’t have experience of working with these litmags, and I haven’t carried out any due diligence of my own. Whenever you submit to any mag or publisher, always do a search on Google to see what people have said about them online, and check their terms and conditions of publishing to be sure that these will suit you.
 
And if you do publish an Exquisite Corpse-inspired story or poem, I want to know about it, please, so get in touch.
**
But if you’d like to share a short piece with other listeners of this show, it could an early-stage draft or snippet, you are of course very welcome to get in touch with me at annatizard.com, go to the ‘submit’ tab under the Brainstoryum tab, and send me up to 250 words based on… Hm. I’d say either the inquisitive headstone or the mirrored ifrit. Tell me what you’d make of those. Don’t forget to share your social media handle or any website so other listeners can look you up once you’ve spellbound them with your story on Brainstoryum.
 
Until next time, go forth and be inspired!