WRITING PROMPTS | PROMPTLY WRITTEN

Prompt Yourself: Weekly Prompts September 25–October 1

Prompts to tempt your muses

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the 39th week of Weekly Prompts here at PW! A huge thank you to all who shared their thoughts on my last post about my new business venture.

Your pieces of advice were golden. I took your suggestions to heart, made some tough choices, and changed the way I handled my business. Sadly, I had to let go of my two relatives from their positions and bring in new people.

This decision caused some family tension. They talked to my mother about it, trying to stir things up. But, my mom stood by me, strong and supportive.

I’m relieved she’s no longer under the pressure of owing anything to these relatives. This experience made me think a lot about timing and taking charge. So, this week’s theme is “If not now, when?”

Before we get started, here are a couple of quick reminders:

How This Works

1. Use these prompts to write poetry, fiction, an essay, creative non-fiction, or an article. They are totally open to interpretation! Include a link to the prompt at the bottom of your post.
2. If you use one of these prompts, you can submit the result here at PW, to any publication that accepts prompts from other publications, or self-publish. If you submit somewhere besides PW, make sure to include a link to the prompt and tag PW editors so that we do not miss reading your story!
3. You don’t have to use PW’s prompts to submit work here. We are an open publication for established and new writers to submit their writing — usually based on writing prompts from here or elsewhere, but unprompted stories are also welcome!
4. Please be sure to use the correct Reader Interest Tags when you submit your work to PW so it lands in the right place on the homepage. Please use ONE (not multiple) of the following tags: Poetry, Fiction, Essay, or Articles. Your other four tags can be whatever you wish them to be.
5. Please ONLY submit drafts. To do this, once you have finished writing, instead of hitting the Publish button, click on the three dots (…), choose Add to Publication, click on Promptly Written, and then submit. This will put it into our queue, and we will publish it on our end.
6. Each week, you will find prompts for Monday-Sunday. However, you do not have to use them in the order they are written. Browse them all and use only the ones that resonate with you. Submit your work any time during the week (or long after!).
7. If you previously wrote for PW but haven’t in a while, you may need to go to the Submission Guidelines and ask to be a writer again. We went on hiatus a few months ago and stopped accepting submissions; if you were a writer with us before that time, you will need to sign up again.
8. Have fun!

Are you ready? Great! Let’s get prompting!

Moody Monday

Write a ‘moody’ piece around any of the following:

— Recall a time when someone let you down. Instead of holding onto the hurt, when would have been the right time to find closure?

— Explore a moment where you felt stuck. How would reminding yourself “If not now, when?” push you forward?

— Think of someone you’ve lost touch with. What stopped you from reaching out? How does “if not now, when?” inspire you to act?

Tuesday Twosome

Conceptual theme — Decision

Twosome — Hesitation and Action

Wednesday’s Either/Or

Either Speaking Up or Staying Quiet

Thursday’s Thoughts

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now..”

— Chinese Proverb

Share a moment you decided it wasn’t too late to start something new.

Fiction Friday

Use any or all of the following concepts for a story:

— A character gets a rare opportunity to right a past wrong. Describe their internal battle and the moment they decide to seize the chance.

— Two people have had feelings for each other for years but never confessed. One day, one of them decides it’s time. What happens?

— A character is unsatisfied with their job but fears change. Chronicle the events leading up to their ultimate decision to pursue their passion.

Random Words Saturday

With 2 or more of these words, tell a story of a time you asked yourself, ‘If not now, when?’:

• Question
• Ponder
• Reflect
• Act
• Step
• Move
• Challenge
• Now
• Later
• Charge

Spiritual Sunday

— If you’ve drifted from your spiritual path, what steps can you take today to find your way back?

— Is there someone you’ve been meaning to apologize to or forgive for a long time? Why not take that step today?

— If you could start a new spiritual habit today, what would it be? Why wait any longer?

Bonus Prompt — Write a poem, flash fiction story (500 words or less), or essay about a moment when you chose to act instead of waiting, capturing the whirlwind of emotions you felt.

Don’t forget, there are Writing Sparks available in the Monthly Theme by ADEOLA SHEEHY-ADEKALE

Also check out Casey Lawrence's recent ‘AI Made Me Do It’ prompts.

There you have it. A week’s worth of prompts to tempt your muses. We look forward to reading your submissions. Don't forget to mention me so I won't miss reading your story.

Bella loves to write about life, psychology, and relationships. Click here to receive an email that guarantees you’ll get Bella’s newest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

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