A Window to the Wild: Reflections on the Shortlisted Entries
Ten Opening Extracts That Transport Us Into the Heart of Nature’s Wonders and Complexities
From the Ocean’s Depths to the Forest’s Heart: Writers Who See the World Differently
I am thrilled to reveal the ten writers who have made it to the shortlist of the Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize - as chosen by Sarah Williams. She will be providing feedback on the three finalists in a fortnight, but I wanted to share my thoughts on this list by focusing on their opening lines.
Each of these talented individuals has captured the essence of nature in unique and thought-provoking ways. Their opening lines - vivid, evocative, and deeply reflective - offer a glimpse into worlds where the human experience is intertwined with the natural world, whether through the quiet presence of trees, the vastness of the sea, or the quiet moments of solitude in the wilderness.
Here are the ten entries that have made it to the Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize shortlist, each opening a doorway to a powerful and poignant exploration of nature.
A Tlingit Woman Comes Home
by Kelsey Breseman
The opening lines establish a vivid and immersive sense of place while immediately placing the reader in the protagonist's experience. The opening felt introspective and contemplative, capturing a mix of excitement and self-awareness as the narrator embarks on a new chapter. The setting is painted with a natural, almost poetic sensibility (‘salt sea and green things growing’). The natural imagery not only grounds the narrative but, to me, suggested themes of renewal and connection to place. There was also a clear hook. The phrase ‘my first day in seven years with an office to go to’ raised my curiosity about the narrator's past - why the gap, and what brought them to this moment?
Belonging in a Bottle
by Rebecca Fisher
This opening has a striking and unique voice, blending a playful tone with an undercurrent of emotional tension. The conversational and lightly sarcastic tone immediately drew me in. The use of direct address (‘Go ahead’) creates an intimate, almost confrontational relationship with the reader. The comparison to a magpie hoarding a ‘tin foil prize’ introduces nature in a vivid and layered way. It also suggests something precious, hinting at the value and weight we attach to emotions. I found these opening lines intriguing. They suggested themes of emotional complexity while delivering a sharp, memorable voice that set the tone for the piece and made me eager to read more.
Forest Bathing
by Flo Reynolds
These opening lines are richly descriptive, brimming with sensory detail and thematic undercurrents. The phrase ‘I feel greened’ is both evocative and unexpected. It immediately immersed me in a visceral, almost transformative experience of nature. It set the tone for a narrative that blurs the boundaries between human and natural worlds. The lack of distinction between ‘tree and shrub and undergrowth’ introduces a theme of interconnectedness, challenging the human tendency to categorize or impose order on nature. This idea is reinforced by the observation that nature's ‘scalloped edge’ resists the city's ‘orderliness.’ Finally, I felt that the writing pulsed with energy through phrases like ‘inescapable in its aliveness’ and ‘reaching up and out into the road.’ These choices really animated the natural world. I felt it as a living, breathing entity fully asserting its presence!
Hummingbird Hymn
by Kristy A. Belton
Although this is the shortest opening extract, these few sentences were all that was needed to create a sense of physical and emotional tension and blend the external and internal worlds effectively. Starting with ‘I have been walking nearly an hour’ places the reader directly into an ongoing moment, building curiosity about the narrator's journey and purpose. The specificity of ‘two jugs of water, a camping stool and my backpack’ grounds the scene in tangible realities, giving weight to the narrator's physical burden and hinting at survival or preparation for solitude. But it was that last line, which really let me know I was in capable hands. It deftly introduces an emotional and psychological dimension, implying the presence of unresolved thoughts, feelings, or experiences. This line is so powerful in its subtlety, and of course hugely intriguing.
Imprints
by Joanna Mary Wolfarth
These opening lines offer a masterful blend of physicality and metaphor. The juxtaposition of ‘It is midnight’ with ‘It is also a late summer afternoon’ creates a striking and disorienting effect, blurring the boundaries between two moments. The repetition of ‘My baby is coming’ serves as an important grounding refrain, anchoring the narrative, while allowing the reader to navigate between the physical and symbolic layers. I loved experiencing the narrator’s climb to the ruined fort and the roar of the ocean alongside the birth of her baby, which evoked a sense of struggle, primal power, and transformation. The external journey perfectly mirrors the internal process, underscoring the universality and magnitude of giving birth.
Lights Out
by Nicky Jenner
These opening lines are stunningly evocative. The ‘sea of stars’ and ‘dancing fairies over rolling dunes’ create a magical and otherworldly atmosphere, elevating the natural phenomenon into a poetic, almost mythical experience. By naming ‘Namibia's wild desert coast,’ the prose anchors the reader in a distinctive and awe-inspiring location, offering a blend of the terrestrial and celestial that feels uniquely tied to this landscape. After such a promise of a narrative that explores the interplay between the natural world, the cosmos, and the human experience, I was eager to read on!
One Red Leaf
by Vinitha Ramchandani
This opening was raw and thought-provoking. It delivers an intimate glimpse into a deeply emotional moment. The description of the curtain print anchors the reader in the physical setting and subtly introduces the motif of life and decay. The description of hospitals as ‘hulking dementors’ is a visceral and striking metaphor that conveys the soul-sucking experience of being in such a place. It also hints at the narrator’s mental and emotional exhaustion. Lastly, I felt the voice was a wonderful blend of introspection and observation, perfectly balancing detachment (‘this is her soft-snoring in bed’) with deeply felt emotions (‘sucking the joy out of your brain and body and soul’). This tension drew me right into the narrator’s inner world.
The Lessons We Learn From the Nests We Build
by Roslyn Weaver
This opening grounds the reader in a moment of quiet discovery while hinting at a deeper connection to place. The ‘brownish-green clump hanging from the tree’ immediately piqued my interest, encouraging me to follow the narrator’s gaze and thoughts. I also felt that the mention of ‘five car lanes of traffic noise’ juxtaposed with ‘the beach’ and ‘network of trails’ created a compelling contrast between urban chaos and the tranquillity of nature. There was also a subtle backstory implied by the reference to ‘moving from London to Vancouver’, which introduced a personal history, hinting at themes of transition, adaptation, and perhaps the search for a new sense of belonging. I was excited to see how this interplay between setting and story would play out.
Weathering
by Dee Crute
This opening felt both poetic and contemplative. I particularly liked the juxtaposition of the tangible (scree, cliffs, sandstone) with the abstract (time, transformation, mythology), which invited me to ponder alongside the narrator. I also found the link between geological processes and Lachesis intellectually intriguing. To me, this is what elevated this piece from an observation of nature into a meditation on impermanence, resilience, and the interconnectedness of life and the environment. Lastly, this opening invited curiosity about the narrator’s perspective and what had brought them to this reflective moment on the cliffs. There was so much potential for expansion I couldn’t wait to read on!
What Lies Beneath
by Dawn Kennedy
I found the opening lines to this piece vivid and immersive. The sensory detail of the chilly water temperature, and the contrast between the sunny day and the cold ocean, immediately established a captivating scene and a strong sense of place. Right from the start, I was situated in a specific moment. I also enjoyed the engaging metaphors and comparisons that brough texture and originality to the writing: ‘oyster-swallowing ease’, ‘Darth-Vadar soundtrack’, and ‘cathedral of blazing, orange-infused water’. Finally, there was clear emotional resonance. The narrator’s ‘addled’ brain at the surreal experience of being both ‘above a forest’ and ‘in water’ communicated a sense of wonder and disorientation and this emotional reaction invites the reader to share in the awe of the moment.
Offerings
In this section you’ll be able to hear about my offerings and events.
JOIN ME FOR my online workshop ‘Journaling, Breathwork & Nature Healing to transform your Creative Process’
We’re exploring ‘ROOTS AND RIVERS’ to help us overcome SHAME and DOUBT.
Thursday 21st November, 6pm-8pm (UK time)
As a subscriber to Wild Muse, you can receive 20% off by using the code Wild01 at checkout.
JOIN ME FOR my online workshop ‘CHAKRA YOGA: writing from the body’
Thursday 5th December, 6pm-8pm (UK time)
This month, we're focusing on the ROOT chakra and exploring the theme of 'GROUNDED SELF-ESTEEM'.
No experience of yoga is required for these sessions.
As a subscriber to Wild Muse, you can receive 20% off by using the code Wild01 at checkout.
Congratulation to everyone! There is an immense courage to write and even greater so to press publish. Being vulnerable to share your work with the world. To submit for an award, more bravery is needed, one that often comes with an anxiety over our work and what people will say, and whether I will "win".
We all have won - being here - doing the doing and exposing to feedback.
That's why I congratulate everyone who entered!
Thank you to Gabriela Blandy and Sarah Williams for giving us this opportunity and giving feedback.
As an author returning from ill health to the profession, I value the feedback more than anyting.
So thank you for this. It has been a great learning for me.
To all shortlisted authors - wow, just wow! Your openings gave me goosebumps and I beseech you - whatever the outcome of the Award - please please keep writing and sharing your hard work, insight and beauty with the world!
Wonderful to see the shortlist, and the depth and variety of experience captured so beautifully in prose! Congrats to those who made it, would love to read more... 💚🩵