Write into the Week: January 27, 2025
Elle LaMarca | February 20, 2025 |
“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
–Fred Rogers
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 Friday write-in, and meet our community of writers.
- Our courses that start this week, and that will soon come off “early bird” discount.
Happy writing this week!
—Elle, Community Manager
Writing Prompt
Write about an ending, a beginning—or both. Or: write about a beginning that never really began, or an ending that came too soon or too late.
Reading Recommendations:
Poetry:
- “Cold Valley” by Cedar Sigo. A haunting, atmospheric poem that lingers like a half-remembered dream, evoking loneliness, longing, and the quiet beauty of winter’s desolation.
Fiction:
- “Ghosts and Empties” by Lauren Goff. This evocative story follows a mother on her evening walk as she reflects on the history of her neighborhood, the hidden lives of those around her, and the storm of emotions she carries inside. Though brief, it delivers a powerful punch—especially for anyone who has ever felt consumed by their own feelings.
Nonfiction:
- How to Sit: A Memoir in Stories and Essays by Tyrese Coleman. Coleman’s genre-blurring memoir, told through a mix of stories and essays, challenges the very idea of categorization in memory-based writing. What even is truth? Fiction and nonfiction bleed together without labels, creating a seamless, immersive reading experience. Shifts in point of view add texture and depth, making space for multiple perspectives. At its heart, this is a story of girlhood, womanhood, motherhood, and grief—one that twists and turns in unexpected ways.
Listening Recommendations:
- From The Marginalian: “JFK on Poetry, Power, and the Artist’s Role in Society: His Eulogy for Robert Frost, One of the Greatest Speeches of All Time.” JFK’s beautiful eulogy for poet Robert Frost, at Amherst College in 1963.
- From the We Can Do Hard Things Podcast: “Debunking #Goals: Changing the Way We Set Goals.” In this episode, the hosts discuss the concept of setting goals and whether having rigid expectations for our future can be detrimental.
Publishing Opportunities:
- West Branch Magazine. Seeking submissions for Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Translation, and Reviews. Submissions are open now until April 1, 2025. Free to submit.
- The Dorset Prize from Tupelo Press. Seeking full-length poetry manuscripts (48-88 pages). The contest is open to anyone writing in the English language, regardless of residence. Submissions are due by January 31, 2025. Prize is $3,000.
Residency & Retreat Opportunities:
- The Writing in Color Fellowship from Lighthouse Writers Workshop – Application Deadline: February 10, 2025 – The Writing In Color Fellowship for Emerging Writers is awarded annually to a writer of color who demonstrates a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their craft, and a dedication to community service. This fellowship provides financial support for writers who would benefit from a year of involvement at Lighthouse but would not be able to do so without financial support. The goal is to support emerging writers of color who have limited access to traditional literary opportunities.
- The Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency – Application Deadline: March 15th, 2025 – The Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency is a unique opportunity for a writer or pair of writers seeking a lengthy spell of unparalleled solitude for work and personal refreshment. The residency is open to poets and writers of all kinds, advanced in their careers or just setting out. Publication credits are not mandatory. In exchange for an hour a day of routine caretaking, the resident receives use of a remote, small but comfortable house in the Rogue River backcountry of southwestern Oregon and the support of an at least $3,500 stipend.
Friday: Free Group Writing Session
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.
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, click here, and we’ll send you a Zoom link the morning of the call. You can also always add yourself to or remove yourself from the “Friday Write-Ins” list at the bottom of this newsletter.
