avatarEllie Jacobson

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Abstract

<a href="https://readmedium.com/welcome-to-the-flint-steel-publication-f7722efd9b15">Be a Writer page.</a></p><div id="f61d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/welcome-to-the-flint-steel-publication-f7722efd9b15"> <div> <div> <h2>Welcome to the Flint & Steel Publication</h2> <div><h3>Submission guidelines</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ddOhtR_FJtMmMk6WjnMr4Q.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="c3b2">Freewriting Friday</h2><p id="4617">We explored fiction with photo prompts with the latest <a href="https://readmedium.com/freewriting-friday-fiction-edition-f85fb355529e">Freewriting Friday prompts.</a></p><div id="6290" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/freewriting-friday-fiction-edition-f85fb355529e"> <div> <div> <h2>Freewriting Friday: Fiction Edition</h2> <div><h3>Photo prompts to inspire your next story</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*1uxgjIf3yMsbBRrRcv5law.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="226f">Around Medium: Calls for Submissions, Writing Prompts, and Challenges</h1><p id="f4f8">Check out <a href="https://readmedium.com/sparks-15-your-december-wishes-6cae2570f0f6">last week’s newsletter </a>for more writing prompts and challenges.</p><div id="de63" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/sparks-15-your-december-wishes-6cae2570f0f6"> <div> <div> <h2>Sparks №15: Your December Wishes</h2> <div><h3>A weekly newsletter from Flint & Steel</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*x04caovDndWMP2rh_ZGK2w.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="3a0d">Tips</h2><p id="9434">As always, review each publication’s guidelines for their prompts. Many prompts do not have a set deadline.</p><p id="da64">Make sure when you are responding to a prompt, you credit where your inspiration came from, like a link to the prompt article.</p><p id="44b9">Many of these prompts could fall under nonfiction, poetry and fiction so don’t limit yourself. There is no right or wrong. Use these prompts as a springboard to your writing.</p><p id="f989">📣 <a href="undefined">Winston</a>, with <a href="https://medium.com/coffee-times">Coffee Times</a>, announced a <a href="https://readmedium.com/take-part-in-our-coffee-challenge-and-win-50-e190c9f3bfdd">December writing contest</a>, which ends very soon. Make sure to read carefully over all the steps to enter the contest!</p><div id="8bf3" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/take-part-in-our-coffee-challenge-and-win-50-e190c9f3bfdd"> <div> <div> <h2>Take Part in Our Coffee Challenge and Win $50</h2> <div><h3>Tell us a convincing story that makes you believe in shoutouts</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*jlS_sJr1d2EgsD6GX-Q6Ng.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="d2db"><a href="undefined">Trista Signe Ainsworth</a> with<a href="https://medium.com/thank-you-notes"> Thank You Notes</a>, shared this week’s prompt theme of teamwork in <a href="https://readmedium.com/your-happy-teamwork-a5ddd60b3ff6">“Your Happy Teamwork.”</a></p><div id="6c43" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/your-happy-teamwork-a5ddd60b3ff6"> <div> <div> <h2>Your Happy Teamwork</h2> <div><h3>Thank you Notes #34</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*6wz-8na7pEawJebNCFNKUA.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="8e44"><a href="undefined">Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她)</a>, with <a href="https://medium.com/the-brain-is-a-noodle">The Brain is a Noodle</a>, posted a new prompt in her post, <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-made-you-some-dumplings-7220febc55e6">“I made you some dumplings.”</a></p><div id="c94c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-made-you-some-dumplings-7220febc55e6"> <div> <div> <h2>I made you some dumplings</h2> <div><h3>a poem and a gift</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*5bjh8z5_VFOTgYfOqEoRCw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="ed15"><a href="undefined">Sahil Patel</a>, with <a href="https://medium.com/lifeline-poetry">Lifeline</a>, shared their 2nd week prompt in <a href="https://readmedium.com/feeling-better-things-you-love-5c8d8cbaed0e">“Feeling Better-Things You Love.”</a></p><div id="b2cf" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/feeling-better-things-you-love-5c8d8cbaed0e"> <div> <div> <h2>Feeling Better — Things You Love</h2> <div><h3>December’s Second Week Prompt for Lifeline</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*QWudjtw2-mpQjlLM)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="beac"><a href="undefined">Amy Shearn</a>, with <a href="https://medium.com/creators-hub">Creator’s Hub</a>, posted their latest writing prompts: The 10-Year Plan, A Broken Plan and Here’s Your First Line (love a first-line prompt!).</p><div id="56aa" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/writing-prompts-plans-are-made-to-be-broken-1aa0da6c5cb9"> <div> <div> <h2>Writing Prompts: Plans Are Made To Be Broken</h2>

Options

        <div><h3>This week’s writing prompts urge you to explore the possibilities</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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    </div><p id="0137"><a href="undefined">Liberty Forrest, Author</a>, with <a href="https://medium.com/hope-healing-and-humour">Hope * Healing * Humor,</a> is asking for <a href="https://readmedium.com/today-this-pub-begins-a-whole-new-chapter-39a1ed2f572">submissions about someone who has inspired you.</a></p><div id="5fa6" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/today-this-pub-begins-a-whole-new-chapter-39a1ed2f572">
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            <h2>Today, This Pub Begins a Whole New Chapter!</h2>
            <div><h3>With a new look and a renewed commitment, let’s get this party started!</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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    </div><p id="96c1"><a href="undefined">Anne Bonfert</a> asked in one of her posts, “<i>What do you do when you feel down? What helps you to clear your mind and how do you get your creative side going</i>?” Share your response as a post and tag Anne.</p><div id="3ac5" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-i-turn-nature-walks-into-creative-writing-4b5a3c619db1">
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            <h2>How I Turn Nature Walks Into Creative Writing</h2>
            <div><h3>When creativity hits me and I get more from a walk than just good exercise and a clear mind</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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    </div><h1 id="049e">Subscribe to the Sparks Newsletter</h1><p id="3aa1">If you would like to subscribe to the Sparks newsletter, <a href="https://medium.com/flint-and-steel/newsletters/sparks">visit the newsletter page.</a> You can also find past newsletters for more writing inspiration.</p><p id="118d">— <a href="https://medium.com/@elliejacobson">Ellie Jacobson</a>, editor</p><div id="028d" class="link-block">
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            <h2>Flint and Steel</h2>
            <div><h3>Writing Prompts to Spark Your Creativity</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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    </div><h1 id="abd7">📣 Attention Medium publication editors 📣</h1><p id="f7cb"><b>Have a writing prompt, challenge, or a call for submission you want included in an upcoming Sparks Newsletter?</b> Feel free to leave a comment in the Latest Newsletter (link found on main page at <a href="https://medium.com/flint-and-steel">Fleet &amp; Steel</a>), email me at [email protected], or tag me in your prompt article and I’ll include the info in the next newsletter. Newsletters go out on Monday or Tuesdays.</p><p id="cc52">Please include a link to the article that summarizes the prompt/challenge/call for submission and if there is a deadline. I will link to the article and to your publication in the newsletter. I also <a href="https://twitter.com/ellietjacobson">tweet the newsletter</a> throughout the week for added exposure.</p><h1 id="5f39">💖 Thank you to all the Flint &amp; Steel writers 💖</h1><p id="ef65"><a href="undefined">Sahil Patel</a>, <a href="undefined">Shirley Jones Luke</a>, <a href="undefined">Samantha Jensen, MA, MAEd</a>, <a href="undefined">Trista Signe Ainsworth</a>, <a href="undefined">MIGHTY MISCELLANY</a>, <a href="undefined">L Burton</a>, <a href="undefined">Heathere CW</a>, <a href="undefined">Kaori Mitsui</a>, <a href="undefined">Penelope Mayfield</a>, <a href="undefined">Pierce McIntyre</a>, <a href="undefined">Pene Hodge</a>, <a href="undefined">Yean Foong (M.Ed.)</a>, <a href="undefined">Elin Melaas</a>, <a href="undefined">Sarah Minnis</a>, <a href="undefined">Mindy Morgan Avitia</a>, <a href="undefined">JM Heatherly</a>, <a href="undefined">Nikki</a>, <a href="undefined">Andria Kennedy</a>, <a href="undefined">pockett dessert</a>, <a href="undefined">Dennett</a>, <a href="undefined">Diana Lotti</a>, <a href="undefined">Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle</a>, <a href="undefined">Mulan</a>, <a href="undefined">Amanda Laughtland</a>, <a href="undefined">Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles</a>, <a href="undefined">Penny Grubb</a>, <a href="undefined">Sorina Raluca Babau</a>, <a href="undefined">Prashansa Chandekar</a>, <a href="undefined">Will Hull</a>, <a href="undefined">Ravyne Hawke</a>, <a href="undefined">Jane Grows Garden Rooms (Jane Frost)</a>, <a href="undefined">Mimi Bordeaux</a>, <a href="undefined">Adrienne Beaumont</a>, <a href="undefined">Karen Schwartz</a>, <a href="undefined">Divina Grey</a>, <a href="undefined">Sangeetha Shankar</a></p><blockquote id="46df"><p>✍ Written by <a href="https://elliejacobson.medium.com/">Ellie Jacobson</a>, @2021 all rights reserved.</p></blockquote><blockquote id="1d33"><p>✨ I’m a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota, <a href="https://medium.com/my-novel-journey">writing my first novel</a>, a psychological suspense novel. Are you a writer? Check out <a href="https://medium.com/flint-and-steel/newsletters/sparks">Sparks</a>, my newsletter filled with writing prompts to spark your creativity.</p></blockquote><blockquote id="2846"><p>🍮 Support me with a<a href="https://ko-fi.com/elliejacobson"> cup of coffee. </a>I thank you.</p></blockquote><blockquote id="cd5e"><p>📣 <a href="https://elliejacobson.medium.com/membership">Join Medium</a> and have unlimited access to my writing and thousands of other writers on Medium.</p></blockquote>
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Writing inspiration

Sparks №16: Time Travel to Your Next Story

A weekly newsletter from Flint & Steel

Photo by 𝓴𝓘𝓡𝓚 𝕝𝔸𝕀 on Unsplash

I don’t know about you, but I feel like we have time traveled through 2021. Wasn’t it just spring last week?

This year (and last) have blended into one big, well you know, cluster mess. Truly can’t believe we are in the home stretch to a new year.

Speaking of time travel, did you know today is Pretend to be a Time Traveler day? I didn’t. For me today is “how many things can you write on your to-do list that must be done over the next few days?” day. Say that one really quick five times.

Back to time travel. Wouldn’t it be great to stop time for a little bit and time travel somewhere far from our lives?

And yes you are right, that is my prompt for you all today.

If you could stop time and travel to anywhere at any point in time, where would you go? And would you come back?

My answer is simple. I would travel to my grandparent’s farm (not far from where I currently live) in the year 1943. My mother was one-year-old. It was the year before my grandfather passed away from a heartache changing the course of their lives (and ultimately my own). My grandmother moved her ten children from a farm to the city of St. Paul in the mid-1940s. I’m sure she felt like she time traveled with that move.

Old photos of the farm and the carefree children that were my mother, my aunts, and uncles with my grandparents are what I want to witness firsthand. I want to go at Christmas time, to stay for a few days. Then return.

To see a glimpse of the past makes us embrace our present and future.

I look forward to reading your words and I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead.

✨ Ellie, editor Flint & Steel

📣 Wanna connect on Twitter and Instagram? Well then what are you waiting for? Follow me and I’ll follow ya back!

💖 Welcome New Writers 💖

Ellen Andaya, Barb Dalton, Sam Branstner

Your Articles

“Here in Australia, it’s bloody hot at Christmas time, so Christmas lunch is usually cold ham, chicken, pork, prawns, and an array of salads, “ Adrienne Beaumont wrote in her article about Christmas down under in “Freewriting Friday-Traditional Australian Christmas.” Thank you so much Adrienne for sharing what it is like to experience a summer Christmas.

“She’s holding a photograph of herself. She stares at it, studies it, turns it around with fingers that are knotted roots. Taken 66 years ago. Gorgeous. Radiant. But she can’t recall who it is,” wrote Sam Branstner, in response to the Freewriting Friday photo prompts, write his first flash fiction piece, “Afterimage.” Thank you so much Sam for sharing your story with us.

Remember, you can submit your articles in response to prompts at any time as there are no deadlines.

Take some time to check out the articles from fellow F&S writers and share the love!

Thank you all for submitting your work!

Let’s Celebrate

Screenshot by Ellie Jacobson

Addition

I added a new tab on the main page for your fiction stories. You are welcome to share poems, flash fiction, and short stories. Use the writing prompts as sparks to your fiction pieces. Remember any of the prompts could be answered in the voice of a character. You never know where that may take you.

The numbers

I try not to focus on the numbers but I’ve noticed lately our stats at F&S have been increasing quite a bit over the last few weeks. And we are now at 97 followers. Woohoo! Thank you all for the support since I started this little pub in August.

Calls for Submissions

I welcome writers to share their own freewriting exercises, writing prompts, and writing contest alerts here at Flint and Steel. You can write short-form or long-form posts.

You can find submission guidelines on our Be a Writer page.

Freewriting Friday

We explored fiction with photo prompts with the latest Freewriting Friday prompts.

Around Medium: Calls for Submissions, Writing Prompts, and Challenges

Check out last week’s newsletter for more writing prompts and challenges.

Tips

As always, review each publication’s guidelines for their prompts. Many prompts do not have a set deadline.

Make sure when you are responding to a prompt, you credit where your inspiration came from, like a link to the prompt article.

Many of these prompts could fall under nonfiction, poetry and fiction so don’t limit yourself. There is no right or wrong. Use these prompts as a springboard to your writing.

📣 Winston, with Coffee Times, announced a December writing contest, which ends very soon. Make sure to read carefully over all the steps to enter the contest!

Trista Signe Ainsworth with Thank You Notes, shared this week’s prompt theme of teamwork in “Your Happy Teamwork.”

Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她), with The Brain is a Noodle, posted a new prompt in her post, “I made you some dumplings.”

Sahil Patel, with Lifeline, shared their 2nd week prompt in “Feeling Better-Things You Love.”

Amy Shearn, with Creator’s Hub, posted their latest writing prompts: The 10-Year Plan, A Broken Plan and Here’s Your First Line (love a first-line prompt!).

Liberty Forrest, Author, with Hope * Healing * Humor, is asking for submissions about someone who has inspired you.

Anne Bonfert asked in one of her posts, “What do you do when you feel down? What helps you to clear your mind and how do you get your creative side going?” Share your response as a post and tag Anne.

Subscribe to the Sparks Newsletter

If you would like to subscribe to the Sparks newsletter, visit the newsletter page. You can also find past newsletters for more writing inspiration.

— Ellie Jacobson, editor

📣 Attention Medium publication editors 📣

Have a writing prompt, challenge, or a call for submission you want included in an upcoming Sparks Newsletter? Feel free to leave a comment in the Latest Newsletter (link found on main page at Fleet & Steel), email me at [email protected], or tag me in your prompt article and I’ll include the info in the next newsletter. Newsletters go out on Monday or Tuesdays.

Please include a link to the article that summarizes the prompt/challenge/call for submission and if there is a deadline. I will link to the article and to your publication in the newsletter. I also tweet the newsletter throughout the week for added exposure.

💖 Thank you to all the Flint & Steel writers 💖

Sahil Patel, Shirley Jones Luke, Samantha Jensen, MA, MAEd, Trista Signe Ainsworth, MIGHTY MISCELLANY, L Burton, Heathere CW, Kaori Mitsui, Penelope Mayfield, Pierce McIntyre, Pene Hodge, Yean Foong (M.Ed.), Elin Melaas, Sarah Minnis, Mindy Morgan Avitia, JM Heatherly, Nikki, Andria Kennedy, pockett dessert, Dennett, Diana Lotti, Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle, Mulan, Amanda Laughtland, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Penny Grubb, Sorina Raluca Babau, Prashansa Chandekar, Will Hull, Ravyne Hawke, Jane Grows Garden Rooms (Jane Frost), Mimi Bordeaux, Adrienne Beaumont, Karen Schwartz, Divina Grey, Sangeetha Shankar

✍ Written by Ellie Jacobson, @2021 all rights reserved.

✨ I’m a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota, writing my first novel, a psychological suspense novel. Are you a writer? Check out Sparks, my newsletter filled with writing prompts to spark your creativity.

🍮 Support me with a cup of coffee. I thank you.

📣 Join Medium and have unlimited access to my writing and thousands of other writers on Medium.

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