Writing Practice 2024

A month of writing prompts to start your year off right.

Hello readers, happy Feral Week for those who celebrate, and happy almost-new-year to all. This is a time when many of us take stock of our past year and consider what we want to bring in to the new one. We think about what we want to leave behind. We imagine what we’ll adopt, and how we’ll change.

If you would like to adopt a more regular writing practice, next month is for you.

You’re reading this now, and so you’re a reader, and probably someone interested in politics and feminism. Maybe you’re a writer, too, or someone who would like to write more. Maybe you’d like to find a stronger voice or perspective; maybe you love to write, but don’t make enough time for it, or don’t make enough time for the kind of writing that is just for you and not for work.

In my off-of-this-newsletter life, I teach writing courses. Those typically involve bringing a small group of people somewhere very lovely and hosting daily writing workshops that involve reading, reflecting, skill-building, receiving writing prompts, and then putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboards). Most people who come to these workshops are not professional writers, but people seeking to establish more consistency with their writing, or hoping to make writing a more integrated part of their lives. The only way to do it is to do it – the only way to be a writer is to write.

But for many of us, writing every day is hard. So I thought it might be fun to do a repeat of something I offered newsletter readers last year: for the first month of the new year, I will send around the kinds of prompts I offer in my in-person writing workshops for those newsletter readers who are looking to cultivate a daily writing practice. Every day in January, I’ll send out a newsletter with the title “Writing Practice” and a short prompt. Most of these prompts will encourage self-reflection; others imagination; others a look outside of yourself. Most of them will come along with links to pieces of writing that are related to the prompt and that I think are interesting and may be good sources of reflection and creative inspiration (creative output absolutely requires creative input). Hopefully you’ll like some of these readings and prompts. You’ll probably hate some of them. But the idea is to give each of you somewhere to start.

Each week will build on the next. We will start by digging into the self: Our roots, where we’re from, what we carry. In the second week, we’ll dig into pleasure, creative force, and desire. In week three, the prompts will be about power, fire, ambition, and emotion. Week four, the last full week of Writing Practice, will be about connection, empathy, freedom, flow, and love. And the final few days of the month will be about our connections with the world beyond what we can see and touch, our imaginations, and writing as a craft.

Whatever you write is for you. Write in a journal or on a scrap of paper or in a Word doc or on your phone or just in your own brain. When I hold these workshops in person, I meet with participants for feedback and edits. I unfortunately can’t do that with newsletter readers (I do have a day job) but I hope writing a little bit for yourself will feel fruitful.

So if you’re someone who wants to cultivate a writing ritual in the new year, these daily Writing Practice emails are for you. If you’re someone who doesn’t want to write but does want to take a few minutes of your day to read and reflect, these daily Writing Practice emails are for you, too. If you’re someone who just wants to read some good writing, you’ll enjoy the Writing Practice emails as well.

And if you’re someone who thinks this all sounds silly, the daily Writing Practice emails will be labeled as such for easy deletion. Newsletters about feminism, politics, and world affairs will continue as usual.

The daily Writing Practice prompts will go to paid subscribers all month long; free subscribers will get one per week. If you can’t afford a paid subscription but would like to participate, just let me know and we’ll work it out.

Feel free, of course, to forward this to anyone who might be interested. And regular newsletters will continue as usual.

Happy New Year, and happy writing.

xx Jill