Weekly Newsletter | Flint & Steel
Sparks №33: Exploring Your Wild Side
Writing prompts across Medium-land to spark your creativity
Today is Walk on Your Wild Side day! This is the day you are allowed to do something crazy. Okay, you really don’t need a specially named day for that, but it is a fun reminder to do something, well, wild. Unexpected.
I was thinking about this in terms of my writing. For so many years, I only write academic papers and essays. Always felt this pressure to stay within the rules, that taunting rubric.
As I’ve gotten older and started on the journey of writing a novel, I realized I need to loosen up, to allow myself to write whatever, in whatever way I want.
I think that’s why I like writing here at Medium; there are guidelines of course but otherwise, you decide the rest. And with fiction writing, you need to allow yourself to go with the flow. Open yourself up to listen to your character(s) and see where they take you. Sometimes I want to be the leader, just to feel in control, otherwise, I sit back and type away.
It’s why I encourage writers to freewrite, to allow themselves to explore their ideas and thoughts without that inner editor yelling. “That doesn’t sound good. You’re no good. That doesn’t make sense!”
Instead…explore getting wild in your writing.
My prompt for today is the word, “wild.” What do you think about? Think about all five senses. Start a word bank and list the words that come to mind. Write a flash fiction story based on a “wild” idea. Write a poem. Write a creative nonfiction piece about a wild experience or a wild dream. Remember there are no rules!
And for some musical inspiration. . .
I hope everyone has a wonderful upcoming week!
✨ Ellie, editor Flint & Steel
Writing Challenge Submissions
We have our first entry for the latest Flint & Steel’s latest writing challenge!
Charlie Cole wrote,
“She grips a gun that secures onto her hand and bobs up in down in her crouched stance. Verity was ready to go and was tired of the patience required to work with these people. She was a woman of action and had many years of living compared to the three dweebs next to her,” in the fiction short story “A Band of Bogarts: Part I.”
Charlie did a great job of creating tension throughout the story, looking forward to reading part II.
As a reminder, the donations at my Ko-fi page go towards these writing challenges. Thank you to all who have donated this year!
Supportive Writing Groups
For those who are participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this month, I created a writing group over at the NaNoWriMo website to help cheer each other on! The direct link to the group isn’t working for many, so let me know your NaNo profile name and I’ll send you an invite!
Don’t write alone!
Come on over to our writing group over on Facebook. This is a safe, private group to share your writing questions, goals, and advice with writers of all skill levels.
One of our writing group members asked about what your favorite writing books are. Pop on over to the group and share your fave craft writing books!
Featured Writer
🎉 Will Hull is our Featured Writer this week! 🎉
Will wrote, “Looking back, what I appreciate most is being able to jump online here and find the last year and a bit of my life, captured in journal posts.”
Pop over to read his interview and find out what must be in his cupboard at all times (I must admit I feel the same!).
Would you like to be a featured writer?
Read over the guidelines to find out more about being featured.
✨Your Articles ✨
As always, take time to support your F & S writers! Stop by their articles and share your thoughts, claps and highlights.
Those marked with a✨next to their name mean it is an Editor’s Pick!
View all the Editor’s Selections
Responses to the Library Prompt
It was so fun to read all the submissions that came in response to the library prompt. Brought back so many memories that I forgot about.
Keep them coming in as there is no deadline for submission.
All the Library Prompt submissions (list is updated as published).
CARMEN F MICSA wrote,
“Lavinia was 7 years old when she first went to the library in her hometown Lugoj, Romania with her mom. As they entered the building, a musty smell hit Lavinia as hard as someone hurling dirty socks at her,” in “The Walrus in the Library,” in response to the library prompt.
Love this flash fiction story about Carmen; read on to find out how Lavinia discovers a walrus in the library!
Susan Poole wrote,
“That’s probably my favorite aspect of being in any kind of library. You’re surrounded by so much information but required to temper your reactions to it. You have to keep your thoughts to yourself, mull things over in your mind, and silently reflect on what you’re learning,” in “Long Live the Library!”
Susan’s article brought back so many memories of being at an academic library in the mid-1990s.
I agree that quiet study and reflection is one of my favorite aspects of being in a library, where else do you find that?
Barbara Radisavljevic wrote,
“It was then I heard the back door open, followed by footsteps approaching the staff room where I was huddled. I cautiously moved toward the staff room door. The footsteps got nearer,” in “Drama in the Library on a Stormy Day.”
Read on to find out what drama Barbara encountered at the library one stormy day.
Adrienne Beaumont wrote,
“My personal library began when I married, started teaching, and had a baby pretty much all at the same time. To encourage my third graders to read, I bought books for them and kept them on a little homemade bookshelf in my classroom. I painted it orange,” in “What My Library Means to Me.”
The heart of when kids fall in love with reading, in elementary school with teachers like you, making it extra special!
✨E. Katherine Kottaras wrote,
“My father was raised in the mountains of Greece. We had traveled there once when I was four, so I only held vague memories of the place. Not only had he grown up farming the land, but he’d also spent a year when he was fifteen years old, living in its mountains, hiding from the Nazis who’d taken over his home and forced him to flee,” in “My Father Could See the Land — I Try Each Day.”
Katherine has provided yet another great prompt: “As one way to honor Earth Month 2022, write a nature autobiography in which you explore your personal relationship to nature.”
E. Katherine Kottaras wrote,
“the empress hopes that you will go forth into the world to do your own unique work of pollination. she asks, how can you share and inspire and encourage beauty in others?” in “Undomesticated Tarot: Bringing Back the Wild to a Domesticated World.”
This is a great prompt for your own writing ⬆
The Collection of Flint & Steel Articles
✨ Welcome To Our Newest Writers ✨
Barbara Radisavljevic, Gaurav Jain, Terry Barr
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
In the latest Freewriting Friday post, we are exploring the role of stress in our lives.
📣 Around Medium: Calls for Submissions, Writing Prompts, and Challenges 📣
Check out last week’s newsletter for more writing prompts and challenges.
And all our newsletters for even more writing inspiration
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.
⌚ = time-sensitive writing prompt!
⌚ Flint & Steel’s latest writing challenge is underway!
Make sure to read over the submission guidelines for further information. Due date for submission is May 9th, 2022.
⌚ Robert Ralph, with What is Love to You?, posted a writing competition, “Love Your Mother — Competition.” Make sure to read over the guidelines. Submission due date is April 30, 2022.
Trista Signe Ainsworth, with Thank You Notes, is celebrating the first anniversary of her publication! The theme for the week is “Your Unique Anniversary.”
“Is there an anniversary of a unique event you celebrate? We often hear of dating or wedding anniversary celebrations, but what about other ones in our lives?”
⌚ Sharing Randomly, with Thank You Notes, posted their monthly theme, “What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” Submissions due by the end of April.
Marilyn Flower, with Middle-Pause, posted their latest prompt asking, What are some of your most playful multi-generational moments and memories? What spontaneous games went on to become family traditions?
Pierce McIntyre, with Plethora of Pop, posted their latest prompt, “What’s In Your Music Memorabilia Collecton?”
Joanne Olivieri, with Promptly Written, posted their latest photo writing challenge, “Show us your neighborhood.”
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, 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 weekly on Monday.
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, Ellen Andaya, Barb Dalton, Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她), Beverly Annette Little, Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她), Beverly Annette Little, Aabye-Gayle F., AliciaMarie Belchak | Master Life, Build Dreams, Danielle Hestand, Rick Allen, Jennifer Pierce, Tamil, Amy Rosie, Jennifer McDougall, Susan Poole, Adrienne Parkhurst, Chelsea Marie — Charlie Cole — Katie Michaelson — Sandra B — Buse ermen — E. Katherine Kottaras — Bingz Huang — Winston — Stephanie Stephenson — Marilyn Flower — Kris Bedenian — Kathy K — Nick Stockton — VerityAlways — Makena Darya — Umme Salma — Călina Mureșan — Anne Bonfert — Jennifer Dunne, K-kun Writes!, M Cher, CARMEN F MICSA, Annette Liron, Sam Finlayson, Ian Hanson, LM, Elizabeth Kasujja, Sandi Parsons, Veronica Haunani Fitzhugh, BichoDoMato, Jules Starley, Jordan Richardson, Angie Mangino, Obinna Uruakpa, Shanice Lawton
. . . and our 197 followers! 💖
✍ Written by Ellie Jacobson, @2022 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.
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