The Promptly Written Monthly Theme for October 2023
Where will the muse take you this month?
Welcome to your favourite source of inspiration!
This pub is all about the prompts, you can respond to our weekly doses of inspiration by the brilliant Casey Lawrence and Bella Smith ⭐ or the monthly theme or to an idea you gleaned elsewhere. Our only goal is to push back against the frustration of the empty page and fill it with the unexpected creativity that can flow from the right words at the right time.
You’ve heard of the three fates, well Casey, Bella and I will be your three muses for the month ahead as we attempt to offer you new perspectives, questions and sparks to help you navigate the path into your imagination.
As always we are open to whatever form your writing takes you in and the prompts are there for you to respond to whenever they work.
Each month we will reveal your most read, most clapped for writers and honestly there’s nothing more fun than seeing if you agree with us about which essays, poetry, fiction and articles we enjoyed the most. So make sure and read, comment and interact with the work and writers you want to support so at the end of the month we can all sing their praises.
The theme for October is family.
Family can mean a lot of different things and trigger very different responses. We have chosen families as well as the families we were born into or raised by.
There are expectations from our family members and hopes we hold about what our families might look like.
Family and the relationships within it are some of the most influential and impactful aspects of our lives.
Do you want to escape yours or have you built a chosen family you treasure?
Have you had to change your own expectations of what family means or looks like?
How To Use Monthly Themes
1. Write specific poems, fiction, essays, or articles related to the theme — try using the Writing Sparks.
2. Choose a Weekly prompt or select a Writing Spark, and center your piece around the theme.
3. Remember to tag your work appropriately (Poetry, Fiction, Essay, or Articles) and use ‘Monthly Theme’ if your work is centered around the theme.
Writing Sparks
- What are your favourite memories of family growing up? How has your childhood family shaped you?
2. Do you have siblings? How have your relationships to them changed over time? Or do you have brothers or sisters who started as friends but are now so much more?
3. What traditions have been passed down to you by generations passed? How has your family’s ancestral background and heritage shaped you?
Bonus Prompt — Consider the following quotes:
“When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching — they are your family.” Jim Butcher
“Call it a clan, call it a nerwork, call it a tribe, call it a family; whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” Jane Howard
“The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other.” Mario Puzo
Have a creative month, I can’t wait to see your responses!
Important Reminder
Write what comes to mind, don’t try to shape it or edit, let that first draft flow out of you like a stream of consciousness in direct response to wherever inspiration took you.
Only after that and perhaps a little time, should you reread and polish. We want to see your passion and excitement for your stories, and it’s what you write best.
Best Wishes & Have a great October!
If you are new to Promptly Written and would like to know how to get started, please read our submission guidelines below.