Write into the Week: April 5, 2026

“People, in these kinds of times, we go to poetry.”
–Joy Harjo

Dear Writer,

I hope you’re having a good start to your week. In this newsletter:

• A writing prompt to inspire your creativity.
• Reading and listening recommendations in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
• Publishing, residency, and retreat opportunities available now.
• Join our free Monday and Friday write-ins, and meet our community of writers.

Happy writing this week!

—Elle, Curriculum Specialist & Community Manager

Writer to Writer:  The Seeker

Earlier this week, I came across this quote by one of my favorite poets, Louise Glück: 

“Anyone who writes is a seeker. You look at a blank page and you’re seeking. The role is assigned to us and never removed.”

It has stayed on my mind all week. I think I’m drawn to this idea because it reframes something many writers quietly struggle with—the feeling that we should know what we’re doing when we sit down to write. That we should already have all the answers, understand the direction of each piece, and see our ideas with clarity. Yet, at least in my experience, writing rarely works that way. I usually end up with more questions than answers.

So, what if writing isn’t about knowing at all? What if the act itself is the search, the seeking?

Each time we put words on the page, we’re not arriving with certainty; we’re arriving with questions. We’re often trying to understand something we don’t yet fully see. We try to name feelings or examine moments that haven’t quite settled into meaning. The creative process isn’t about arriving with answers—or even necessarily finding them—it’s about the search to understand.

I find something strangely comforting in this. I feel relieved in a way. It means you’re not behind if you feel unsure or confused. You’re not doing it wrong if you don’t know where a piece is going. You’re simply doing what writers do: seeking, again and again..

Writing Prompt: What are you searching for?

Option 1: Write about all that you are currently seeking. 

Option 2: Write a piece in which the narrator is searching for something, but they aren’t entirely sure what it is. Follow the movement of the search. Where does it lead? What questions arise along the way? What does the narrator notice that they might have otherwise missed?

Reading Recommendations

Poetry: 

• “Taxidermy Childhood” by Trinity Richardson via Thimble Literary Magazine. Visceral and a bit unsettling, this poem is an exploration of childhood memories, where curiosity, cruelty, and imagination seem to blur together.

Fiction:

• “Something in the Water” by Jessica Klimesh via Fractured Lit.  A peculiar pregnancy epidemic sweeps through a small community. This flash fiction piece blends quiet humor with creeping unease.

Nonfiction

• “The Joy of Reading Slowly” by Laura Spence-Ash via Ploughshares. This personal essay is a thoughtful reflection on reading, attention, and the quiet transformation that comes from slowing down.

Listening Recommendations

• From How to Write for a Living podcast – “325: The one story every writer needs to stop avoiding (with Amelia O’Loughlin)” Screenwriter Amelia O’Loughlin joins the host to talk about her journey from dance to screenwriting, how a chance encounter on South Bank led to representation, and why she’s building Table, a live event and podcast that surfaces exceptional scripts stuck in the graveyard. She shares her approach to character-led writing, why AI concerns her but the offline renaissance gives her hope, and the one story every writer needs to stop avoiding
• From The Dialogue Doctor Podcast – “Episode 322 – Creating Emotional Texture in Your Story with Beth Bliss” – In this episode, the hosts sits down with author Beth Biss to talk about the emotional texture of her work in progress. They talk about the difference between plot and growth arcs, how conflicts should resolve in the piece, the alignment vs misalignment of the character and the reader, the reader’s expectations, managing the reader’s altitude of a scene, and using triggers in a character’s emotional journey.

Publishing Opportunities:

• Luna Luna Magazine – Submission Window: Open/Rolling Luna Luna is an online poetry journal that publishes 13 poets each month. Described as a space for lush poetics, fever dreams, & the dark ecstatic, you should review their previously published work to see if your poetry is a good match. 
• Changes Press – Submission Window: April 1-15, 2026 – Changes, a new book publisher, is hosting their first ever opening reading period for manuscripts of original poetry, poetry in translations, and proposals for archival projects. Open to emerging and previously published poets! Submissions do not open until April 1st! 
• Literally Lit Magazine –  Submission Deadline: May 15, 2026. Seeking submissions of high-quality fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and essays that will leave a lasting impression on their intelligent readers. Often looking for work that touches upon the topics of femininity, womanhood, identity, empowerment, and/or pop culture. 

Residency, Retreat, & Fellowship Opportunities:

• Hedgebrook Writers in Residence – Application Deadline: April 18, 2026. Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports women-identified writers from all over the world for residencies of two to three weeks. The cottage, all meals, and the entire residency experience at Hedgebrook is free to selected writers. They accept applications for writers working in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and playwriting.
• MarthaMOCA Artist Residecy – Application Deadline: April 30, 2026. MarthaMOCA provides one-month residencies for artists of all disciplines. Residents are given use of a fully furnished private live/work space- with a studio, bathroom, & kitchen on the ground floor and a lofted bedroom and living space above. The residency comes with a $500 stipend. Residents are free to enjoy our 40 acre property; with walking paths through the woods, a tranquil pond, lap pool when in season, and garden. 

Monday and Friday: Free Group Writing Sessions

Come write with us! Community write-ins are a great way to meet other writers, and carve out space in your calendar for your writing.

Monday: Write Into the Week with Elle

Join me (Elle) for an hour of mindset support, goal setting, community, and dedicated time to write! We’ll meet on Monday at 11 AM Eastern time, at this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83999379617

Friday: Open Write-In

Join the Writers.com staff for a 90-minute writing session each Friday from 11 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern time. We will write together for the first hour. In the last, optional half hour, we’ll share our writing with one another and connect.

To add yourself, join our newsletter using the join box above, and add yourself to the “Friday Write-Ins” list at the bottom of any email. We’ll send you a Zoom link the morning of the call.

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