1. The Long View Prompt (Joanna Penn–inspired)
Focus: Sustainability, calling, and creative legacy
Imagine your writing life five years from now. Write a letter from that future version of yourself to your present self. What did you keep? What did you let go of? What surprised you about the journey?
Optional reflection:
Which parts of writing still feel rooted in curiosity rather than pressure?
2. The Working Writer Prompt (Craig Martelle–inspired)
Focus: Clarity, systems, and action
Write a one-page “operator’s manual” for yourself as a writer. Include:
- When you write best
- What derails you most
- What a successful week actually looks like (not an ideal one)
Optional follow-up:
What’s one system you could simplify rather than optimize?
3. The Gentle Persistence Prompt (Colleen M. Story–inspired)
Focus: Mindset, encouragement, inner narratives
Write a scene where your doubt and your creative hope are two characters having a conversation. Let them talk honestly. Let neither one “win.”
Optional reflection:
What does staying with the story—without forcing it—look like right now?
4. The Spark & Curiosity Prompt (Elisabeth Wheatley–inspired)
Focus: Playfulness, research, delight, voice
Find one odd or fascinating historical (or real-world) fact. Write a short, humorous monologue from the perspective of someone who was there—but never appeared in the history books.
Optional challenge:
Say something true in a clever, surprising way.
5. The Permission Prompt (Becca Syme–inspired)
Focus: Personal wiring, release from comparison
Write about a writing “rule” you’ve tried to follow that never quite worked for you. Then rewrite it as a permission—something you’re allowed to do differently.
Optional reflection:
What changes when you stop correcting your process and start honoring it?