New series: Monday Prompts

a gift to paid subscribers

Hi everyone!

I just got back from teaching at a writing retreat in North Carolina, where every morning, I gave my students three or four writing prompts to choose from. I love creating prompts that would get me in the mood to write. (Most prompts that I’ve received in my life or found on the Internet don’t inspire me.)

On the last night, one of my students suggested that I send out prompts in my Substack. Up to now, in each post, I have included a prompt that’s relevant to the subject matter (not my best prompt work!), but I’m going to stop doing that, at least temporarily. Instead, every Monday for the next month, I’m going to send out a couple of really juicy prompts and make them available to paid subscribers.

When I started my Substack in the fall of 2021 and didn’t know what I was doing, I pay-walled every post. Once it sank in that pay-walling every post is obnoxious, I stopped. But because I’m endlessly grateful to the readers who support my work, I’m going to keep looking for ways to show my appreciation.

Today’s prompts (I have written “prompts” so many times in this post, the word is starting to lose meaning) are behind the paywall. If you’re not a paid subscriber, I hope you’ll consider upgrading, but I want you to know how deeply I feel your support, whether it’s financial or not. I am just so happy that you want to read what I write.

Thank you.