The Box of Delights or 'All the World's a Prompt'

'What on earth shall I write about today?' is a question that's on the lips of every writer at one time or another. For lots of us, it isn't the actual writing that's the problem. Once we know what we're going to write about, we're off. It's finding something to write about in the first place.

That's why I created my secret weapon that I use for my class and my workshops - the Box of Delights.

My Box of Delights is a brown suede covered box, 18cm deep, with an oval lid, roughly 26cm by 19cm. It's the sort of box that would be used for a very large and very expensive box of chocolates.

To make mine extra special, I tie it up with a really swish shocking pink ribbon and finish it off with a big bow, so that it looks like a very classy gift - which is what it is really. For every time I take it out and use it with a group, I'm giving those writers the gift of imagination.

As with any present, anticipation is half the fun, so I wait as long as possible before I unwrap the box and reveal its contents.

I take out the box, place it on the table and tell the group I've brought them something special. Of course, everyone is intrigued and wants to know what's in it, but they don't get to find out straight away. First, I pass round the unopened box and let people feel how heavy it is, shake it, stroke the suede.

Then when everybody has had a chance to touch it, I ask for a volunteer to unwrap the ribbon, and another to take off the lid. By this time, everyone is really keen to know what's inside.

Next someone takes out the items one by one, tells the group what they are, and passes them round for everyone to see and handle. The handling bit is important. I find that people often react differently to objects if they can actually take them in their hands and hold them.

So what sort of thing does the Box of Delight contain? The great thing is that it can be different every time. Here's what's in it today:

* a peacock feather
* a relaxation tape
* key ring with an enamel camel
* a cross stitch bookmark decorated with flowers
* a red felt heart (Christmas tree decoration)
* a postcard with a picture of a young woman and the caption 'Ideas Above Our Station'
* a flyer for a mobile DIY service
* a wooden box with a wriggling toy insect inside
* an orange retractable tape measure (inch tape)
* a string of gold beads
* a little BBC book called 'Finish This...End of Story'
* a miniature framed picture
* a stopwatch
* a wooden turtle ornament
* a tiny medal on a ribbon
* a brochure for the Scotland Street School museum in Glasgow
* the Collins Gem book of Musical Instruments
* a red glass slipper Christmas tree decoration
* a sachet of Jasmine flavoured green tea
* a pottery brighly-painted mask (made by my son at primary school)
* a tub of tuning slide grease for trombones
* a padlock
* a tape measure
* a card advertising Salsa Fusion classes
* a golf ball
* a tiny toy army tank
* a ring pouch containing a guardian angel lapel pin
* a train timetable (Huddersfield-Wakefield-London)
* a miniature toy gun
* a photograph of a couple dancing the tango in a cobbled street
* a fridge magnet of an Irish gypsy caravan
* a fighter plane key ring
* a tiny treasure chest with 'Keep Out' written on the top

Once the contents have been revealed, each person chooses one or more items to write about there and then for an agreed time, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes. Then everybody reads out loud what they've written.

So where did I find all this stuff? Mostly, I just used items I had lying around the house. My 13-year old son has outgrown his toys, so I raided his drawer for some of the key rings and little novelties. Others were things that came through the door, like the DIY flyer, or odds and ends I had on my fridge door or in my handbag. It didn't cost me a penny.

The great thing about using the Box of Delights is that everybody responds to it differently. People don't always choose the things you think they will go for, like the pretty peacock feather or the glass slipper. They sometimes go for the most unlikely items.

The first time I used the Box, I was amazed that my students' choices included the train timetable, the trombone slide grease, and the green tea bag! But they managed to write some very entertaining stories as a result.

The Box of Delights proved really popular with my class. The ritual of opening the beautiful ribbon-tied box and unwrapping the contents turned a simple writing exercise into a special occasion. Some class members discussed the experience in their writing diaries or when they were reviewing their progress as writers, and said how much they'd enjoyed it.

It's something that you can easily make for yourself, using a brightly coloured hat box or even an old shoe box decorated with coloured card and stickers - making it can be part of the fun.

Or if you don't want to collect objects, you could compile a list instead. One of my students said she would prefer to make a list for her own use, as she felt she would have quite a limited range of things to choose from in her own home.

You and a fellow writer could even make up a box or a list and swap with each other, which would provide you with the element of surprise and open up your imaginative horizons.

Let me know if you decide to make your own Box of Delights and how you get on with it. Or tell me about any interesting objects you or your students have written about.

Meanwhile, whether you're writing or not, I hope your day brings you some lovely surprises.