Write into the Week: June 19, 2026

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King

 

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 & Instructor

Writing Prompt: Sparks of Interest 

I believe words inspire words. So, this week, I encourage you to look for creative inspiration somewhere outside your usual places, by changing up your typical reading habits.

Read something you might not normally choose: a poem if you usually read prose, a newspaper article, a paragraph in a children’s book, a recipe for a dish from a place unfamiliar to you, an instruction manual, an old Dear Abby advice column, a travel essay on a location you’ve never been, a scientific article, song lyrics from a genre you dislike, or even the back of a can of soup.

As you read, notice what catches your attention. Maybe you find a word you want to use, an image that strikes you, a question you want to answer, a fact that surprises you, or a sentence whose rhythm moves something inside your creative soul. 

Whatever you feel, let it be your guide to something new and fresh. Allow that small point of interest to act as the doorway into a new piece of writing. Maybe you begin with the word, image, question, or fact. Don’t worry about staying loyal to the original source. Just let the sparks of interest lead you somewhere new.

Creative inspiration is all around us, but sometimes we have to change where we’re looking in order to see it.

A Closer Look: Great First Lines

“Are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?”
—Toni Cade Bambara, *The Salt Eaters* (1980)

This first line immediately unsettles readers because the question is tender, yet deeply challenging. The word “sweetheart” creates a particular kind of intimacy, but the question itself complicates what we might assume about being “well.” To ask if someone is sure they want to be well suggests that wellness is not simple, easy, or even always desirable. Why wouldn’t the receive of these words want to be well? Well, we’re not sure you’re, but I’d like to keep reading to find out. The question implies that whatever recovery is required may include change, confrontation, or the loss of something familiar.

What I love about this opening is how much it asks us to consider before we know anything else about the story. Who is asking this question? Who is being asked? What kind of pain, illness, or transformation has brought them to this moment? The line creates immediate tension because it suggests that healing is not only something that happens to us, but something we may have to choose, or become ready to receive.

For writers, this is a powerful reminder that a first line does not need to explain the world of the story in order to open it. You can’t, nor do you need to, explain it all at once. Sometimes, a single question, or intriguing line, can create enough emotional pressure to pull the reader forward. That’s what we want out of an open line—to creative just enough curiosity with the eyes that the mind wants more.

Listening Recommendations

• From the Time Sensitive podcast – “Min Jin Lee on the Healing Power of Fiction” – Lee is the author of the bestselling 2017 novel Pachinko—a National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller that was adapted into a television series for Apple TV+ in 2022. Pachinko took 30 years to write from its inception as a short story. On this episode, Lee talks about the complex role of time in Pachinko, her miraculous recovery from chronic liver disease, and why she likens short story writing to polishing diamonds.
• From The Lit Hub Podcast – “July 10, 2026” – It was foretold… and now it is here! Yes, that’s right: some audio most-anticipated action, featuring some Lit Hub staffers on books that they’re super-duper excited about for the back half of 2026.

Publishing Opportunities: 

• Tupelo Press – Submission Window: July 1-August 31, 2026. Tupelo Press is open for submissions during their summer open reading period. This is not a competition. They will select and publish writing they love. They are open to submissions of full-length and chapbook-length poetry submissions, and they select multiple titles for publication. 
• The Harvard Review – Submission Window: Open. The Harvard Review submissions are reopening for the summer! They are currently accepting submissions for nonfiction and fiction. They will open for poetry on August 1st! 
• Louise Glück Prize for Best Poem or Prose –  Submission Window: Open. Poetries in English Magazine is currently accepting submissions for the inaugural Louise Glück Prize for Best Poem or Prose prize. The winner will receive publication in the magazine and a $1000 award. All submissions will be considered for publication. 

Residency, Retreat, & Fellowship Opportunities:

• McCormack Writing Center Spring 2027 Residencies – Application Deadline: July 27, 2026. Applications are currently open for the spring 2027 writing residencies at the McCormack Writing Center in Portland, Oregan. Residencies are open to all writers working on a full-length manuscript. The residency includes a $1200 stipend private accomodation, Lyft credit, and plenty of uninterrupted creative time!  
• The Helpmann Fellowships 2026 – Application Deadline: August 31, 2026. The Helpmann Fellowships award three fellowships of up to $7,500 each to support ambitious, self-directed projects that advance the artistic and professional development of emerging creatives. Please see the website to read more about this unique opportunity! 
• Granada Writers in Residence Programme – Application Deadline: September 6, 2026. The Granada International Writers in Residence Programme is open to writers and literary translators residing in any country and writing in any language. What you get: A 30-night stay in Granada for two writers, from November 3 to December 2, 2025 (inclusive), at the Corrala de Santiago, a guest residence of the University of Granada. Granada UNESCO City of Literature will cover travel expenses for each selected writer. The University of Granada will provide full board accommodation in a private room at the Corrala de Santiago.

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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