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Rocks may not be an obvious source of inspiration for many writers, but Rock Thoughts — a US-based creative writing project — believes that the application of a little paint to otherwise bland stones could help inspire a new generation of wordsmiths. There are a number of ways to become involved in the project, set up by mother of three Karla Valenti. The first is to take a rock and paint it to look like a monster. This rock is then assigned a code by Rock Thoughts, and placed in a public place for a child to find. When it is discovered, the child is then encouraged to write a short piece of creative writing, using the rock monster as a focal point for their plot, to be submitted, along with any photos, for display on the Rock Thoughts website. The rock is then re-hidden and the process is repeated. Alternatively, for those who can’t wait to discover a stone of their own, there are a number of rocks available for “adoption” on the Rock Thoughts website, which are featured as a source of inspiration for any visitors. The site also hosts a communal story creation project, which invites visitors to the site to create a rock story collaboratively. The real focus of Rock Thoughts is, in Karla’s own words, is “to empower children through creativity” and to “use their creativity to connect with others”. This simple, innovative idea has every chance of succeeding on both fronts! (Related: A combination of books and cookies to keep kids sweet — ‘Monster supplies’ store hides creative writing workshop.)