Write Away Weekly
“Write. Find a way to keep alive and write. There is nothing else to say. If you are going to be a writer there is nothing I can say to stop you; if you’re not going to be a writer nothing I can say will help you. What you really need at the beginning is somebody to let you know that the effort is real.” —James Baldwin
What’d You Write?
Latest Prompt
One-Buttock Revision
Revise with one buttock off the bench.
What Is Write Away Weekly?
- For those who have resolved to commit or recommit to their writing…
- For those who want a fun, creative way to express themselves every week…
- For those looking to breathe new energy into their practice…
- For those who need a little push, a little prompt
Every Saturday you’ll receive an email with a writing prompt and inspiration for the week. Each email is full of examples and craft notes that are practical and insightful.
Coffee and Revisions: What the What?
Choose an old draft to revise.
Coloring Outside the Lines (of Dialogue)
Consider the narration interspersed with lines of dialogue.
Dialogue in Poetry: One Side of an Imaginary Phone Call
Try including dialogue in a poem. Make the whole poem feel like one side of an imaginary conversation.
Dialogue in Nonfiction: Is it Out of Bounds?
If there’s verbatim dialogue, is it still nonfiction?
How We Were: Relationship and Dialogue
Establish the relationship between characters through dialogue. Make patterns just to break them.
Saying and Not Saying: Kicking Off a Month of Dialogue Prompts
Dialogue can be indirect, unsaid, or imagined, and still be revelatory.
Shepherding Tigers
Write the truth. Free the tigers.
Muons and Blue-Footed Boobies
Write using cool science facts as a prompt.
God Save Donald Duck
Revisit art you once loved and write with empathy for that version of yourself.
Beg, Borrow, Steal
We want more plagiarism! So make us some more plagiarism.
Argue in Your Head (and on the page): In Celebration of Molly Brodak
A prompt inspired by a great thinker, Molly Brodak.
Just Listen
Listen. Write down what you hear.
Two Truths and a Lie
The first day of the intro fiction workshop I took with David Foster Wallace, we played Two Truths and a Lie.
The Power of Repetition, Part 2: Haves and Have No(t)s
Repetition is a spiritual practice. Just as rituals center and sustain us, we eschew novelty and reach for the eternal.
The Power of Repetition Part 1: I Remember
Anaphora, in which the start of each sentence or phrase is repeated, is our business today.