Modern Women: May Writing Prompts
It’s time to get the ideas flowing
With the first warm rays of summer on their way, as you turn your faces to the sky we imagine that you’re creative inspiration might be getting a jolt of new energy, but if it’s not, don’t worry, we have your back!
Last month was an amazing one for new writers here at Modern Women and we received such a diverse and plentiful range of submissions and prompt responses. From poetry and fiction to heartfelt personal essays and insightful articles. You did us proud and demonstrated our ethos perfectly… that there is no ‘one way’ to be a woman.
From career women, single mothers, grandmas and new graduated students, from those in relationships to those freshly out of them, and from those of every colour, race, creed, religious and social background. All women are represented and we have been humbled that each of you trust us with your work.
I know all of the team are just as excited as I am, to read what comes next.
The prompt for May is:
What does privilege mean to you?
Over the last few years when someone says privilege, the word ‘white’ often comes before it, but can you challenge yourself to widen the frame once more, and get curious about the word?
Could it ever be a good thing to be privileged? Could identifying the areas in which life is easier for you, highlight ways you can create more equality and be more grateful for the advantages you may have over looked without realizing?
As a mother of four I often hear conversations about a generation of children growing up to feel entitled because their parents give them lives full of privileges they never had. Does that ring true for you?
Do you feel like you have privilege or that it is something used against you? Can it be both?
Have you ever wondered about health privilege, gender privilege, or ability privilege?
Are you so sick of hearing about privilege, you feel too scared to voice your opinion in case you say the wrong thing?
What is impacting your experience and the ways in which you relate to others and they relate to you?
Remember, each month we will invite you to share a piece of writing on an overall theme, and also give you a few questions that may spark an answer you hadn’t realized you needed to share.
You can respond at any time during the month and how you respond is up to you… a poem, a personal essay or an article, see where the muse takes you. Our only request is that you share genuine, heartfelt and down-to-earth stories that you think other women might be inspired or empowered by.
If this month’s prompt isn’t the spark you need today, you are welcome to write for any of our previous writing prompts. Some of my personal favourites have been,
If you are submitting a response to a prompt, please include the tag ‘prompt’ when sending it to us and add a link at the bottom of your piece to the prompt you are responding to.
If you’ve never written for Modern Women before, then please do take a moment to read our ‘how to’ guide below.