Writing Practice

1.11.26

Welcome to Writing Practice. The idea is simple: I send out a prompt, often with links to related published pieces to help fuel creativity. Then you write. Free subscribers get the Sunday Writing Practice emails; paid subscribers get all of them.

Write as much or as little as you like. I would recommend not over-thinking this, and just using it as an opportunity to jot down some words. I would also recommend just writing through – don’t try to make it perfect (that’s for later).

Some of these prompts may resonate, and you’ll find yourself writing paragraph after paragraph. Others will fall flat, and you’ll roll your eyes, or come up empty and feel frustrated. This, too, is part of having a regular writing practice. On those days of frustration or blockage, try to write something down anyway – even just one sentence, even just one word. And then take heart in the reality that, if we are lucky, there is always tomorrow.

Writing Practice Day Eleven

Say hello to week two of writing practice! This week, we are assessing our creative lives: What we bring in, what we put out, whether that all feels in line with our desires.

I would encourage you in this week to start getting a little more creative. If you’ve been interpreting the prompts directly and writing as though you’re journaling, that’s great (and as intended), but also feel free to play around. Write a poem. Write from someone else’s perspective. Write yourself as a character. Have a little fun — and break some rules. Today’s prompt:

Think about a creative work that shaped your life. This could be a book, a poem, a magazine article, a movie, an opera, an album, a play, a piece of music, a painting, a photograph… anything. Write the story of connected anecdotes: You finding the work, and then snapshot moments of how the work influenced you. Show those moments with color and detail.

xx Jill