Friday writing prompt
Hello writers! I’ve missed you. If you didn’t see my last post, I paused this Substack for a few weeks while I was launching my latest book. I’m excited to be back, and to start writing with you all again. I’m going to be posting a new writing prompt every Friday, and a space for us to share what we’ve written on Mondays.
If you will allow me to share a bit vulnerably, the Finding Your Voice writing workshops are on pause indefinitely, which is sad to me. I worked really hard on them, and other folks worked hard, too, and I was really excited to continue holding them a few times a year, and even to expand into new topics, and collaboration with other writers. But getting the word out about the workshops really depended on my social media networks, and much of the work I spent, over several years, building those up was undone by the new owner of Twitter, along with the esoteric whims of the algorithm.
To make a long story short, my social media posts are getting only a fraction of the views they were getting two years ago. I created this Substack as a way to continue the Finding Your Voice community as well as build up our own numbers, but frankly, hours and hours of (unpaid) work on publicity, marketing, and hustle don’t add up to anything near the eyes on my posts I was getting in 2016-2021. So I am redirecting my energy for the moment, letting go of the hustle I’ve been in for the past several years with book promotion and workshop promotion. Maybe things will swing back around. I’m really proud of the workshops I developed, and I think they could benefit a lot of people. But in the meantime, I’m approaching this community and my art in general in a simpler way: As a space for us to just lean into community, creativity, and craft. I hope it’s a space that helps you write and connect with other writers, particularly those who share similar struggles.
Okay! The writing prompt! This week, I’d like you to write about returnings. Returning to school after a summer vacation, returning to your home town after a time away, returning to an old hobby or old love, returning to your true child-self after a long time of trying to be a fake grown-up self. However you’d like to interpret it! I love seeing how you all put your own spin on the prompt each week.
We’ll return on Monday to share what we’ve written or, as always, anything else you’re working on that you’d like to share.
Okay, writers! Let’s let go of the hustle for a little while, and return to the joy of playing with words.
In love and hope,
Jessica