Creative writing workshop with Helena Dahlgren – lesson 10


Welcome back to Helena Dahlgren’s journey through creative writing! The author of the Soul Riders trilogy is back for the final part of her writing workshop, helping you unlock a range of secrets, tricks and tips so that you can level up your creative writing skills!


Lesson 10: Short story time!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the exercises so far! For my last lesson, I thought it would be fun to write a brand new, super-exclusive Soul Riders short story… together! I’ll go first, and then you’ll tell the rest of the story. The sky’s the limit! If you’re up for it, try to incorporate some of the things we’ve been discussing here (writing with all five senses, dialogue, etc). If you like, I would LOVE to have you send me your finished story in a DM! Thank you so much for joining me! I’ve had a lovely time. Good luck writing, and stay creative! It’s the best way to make sense of the world. 😊

EXERCISE: Finish the story about Alex and Linda that I’ve started writing. I’ve left out the title, because I want YOU to name it!

“I can’t believe it.” Alex’s voice was barely a whimper as yet another lightning bolt pierced the sky with a deafening roar. She could feel Tin-Can tensing up beneath her, all wire-taut and anxious. She wished that she could tell him that everything was going to be okay. But how could she? Just half an hour ago she’d been lying in her comfy bed, fast asleep. Now, the lightning bolts – white, yellow, and shocking pink against the velvety black sky – were making her dizzy as they catapulted against her.

The worst part? It wasn’t Alex who had put the lightning bolts in the sky.

“Believe it,” Linda said grimly behind her. “It has begun. We should have known.”

For a brief moment, the two girls sat on their horses in complete silence. And then … (CONTINUE FROM HERE!)


What a cliffhanger! We’ve had a great time working alongside the wonderful Helena Dahlgren, and we hope you’ve enjoyed picking up some of her creative writing secrets!

Maybe after this final exercise, you could try the earlier writing prompts again to see how much progress you’ve made? Come back to check out any of Helena’s 10 workshops anytime! Click here to return to lesson 9.