This week’s creative prompt is Veil. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for our creative work.

Definitions

veil — a thing that serves to cover, conceal, or disguise

Veil can be used as a noun or a verb.

Related

covering, cover, screen, shield, curtain, layer, film, mantle, cloak, mask, blanket, shroud, canopy, cloud, blur, haze, mist

surround, swathe, enfold, cover, cover-up, conceal, hide, secrete, camouflage, disguise, mask, screen, shield, cloak, blanket, shroud, enwrap, canopy, overlay; obscure, shade, shadow, eclipse, cloud, blot out, block out, blank out, obliterate, overshadow, enshroud, mantle, becloud, obnubilate.

antonyms unveil, expose, uncover

Veil refers to covering or concealing something, however, the uncovering or revealing aspect is our focus this week.

Let the prompt ‘veil’ inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:

• writing fiction
• journaling
• art journaling
• songwriting
• photography
• painting
• composing
• blog posts
• art therapy
• anything that could use a little nudge to begin

Let’s expand the word a little further…

Writing prompt

A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word veil to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

Now, just once every year, at the thin time, the veil is withdrawn.

Writing Prompt Expanded

It’s Halloween or Samhain. All Souls’ Day follows All Saints’ Day. We remember the dead. We celebrate the dark. The thin places are thinner. The veil between the living and the dead is all but non-existent.

Here is your opportunity to write something scary. Although, I would like to add that I don’t think the dead, spirits or what may or may not be on the other side of a thin place are inherently evil or frightening. However, we don’t want my opinions to get in the way of scary fiction.

• Where is the veil that is being removed?
• Why is this specific place a thing place?
• How is the veil withdrawn?
• What is revealed beyond the veil?

The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. Once you have created the setting, the challenge is to build the anticipation. Draw your reader into the situation, get the hairs on their neck to stand on end, and then reveal what lies beyond.

Enjoy and may your words appear on the page as you remove the veil.

Quick fiction writing

Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.

• Character: the oldest lady you could possibly imagine
• Place: boat
• Item: lace

Journal prompt

Religions, philosophies, and everyone on the street has an opinion on what lies beyond the veil of life. I’m not a fan of the popular version of Halloween, it commercialises and trivialises a serious aspect of life. I find the pagan Samhain, and the Christian Saints’ and Souls’ days much more enlightening. They represent and symbolise the thin times when the separation of life and death is more easily crossed. Of course, pumpkins, bats, and skeletons are symbols too!

Three ideas for your journal

• use a piece of fabric or even paper to hide, or veil, something in your journal
• use a piece of lace as a stencil in your art journal
• write about what ancestors or saints you would like to know more of at this thin time
  

Theory of General Creativity

I now have ‘veil’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week.

• capture the dark places with your camera
• if a creative project is stuck, use veil as a metaphor; cover and then remove
• perhaps your waiting is too busy, your music too cluttered, veil different parts
  

Let ‘veil’ inspire your music, photography, and painting this week.

Finally…

As always, these creative prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose, or any creative project or idea.

As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below, or tag me #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

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