Writing Prompt
Work City Writing Prompt: February 2024
Make time for an attitude of gratitude
It’s February in Work City — and the rest of the planet for anyone keeping score at home.
Which means it’s time for our first writing prompt of the year. ¹
What is February known for? It’s the shortest month of the year, when groundhogs and their shadows matter, and Black History Month. February 14 also marks Valentine’s Day.
The Month of Love
In the spirit of the month of love, we seek your stories of workplace romance — the more torrid and steamy, the better. Tell us of the illicit affairs with your boss or secretary, with all the juicy bits left in…
KIDDING!
Do NOT submit workplace erotica to this publication. ²
Instead, we’re focusing this month on the platonic side of love and relationships in the workplace with two writing prompts — one for gratitude and appreciation, and the other for friendships. Life’s too short for work to suck, and one person taking an interest in your career makes all the difference.
1. Gratitude & Appreciation Prompt
“Who is a mentor or someone who supported you in your career? Tell the story of how they helped you, what it means to you, and thank them by name.”
Use your best judgment on how much detail to share and whether to refer to the mentor by their real name or an alias.
If your supporter is still alive, consider sending them the story afterward. Let me know if I can help by providing a friend link to your story for that individual.
2. Work Friendship Prompt
The second prompt is similar to the first.
“Who is a friend that made a lousy job tolerable or a good job a delight? Tell a story about how their friendship positively impacted your work culture or experience. Thank them by name.”
Feel free to write about an individual or a group of friends. The same rules apply. Use wisdom in the details, especially if your work buddy helped you in a toxic work environment. Consider sending your friend the story.
Submission Reminders
Please follow all Work City Submission Guidelines. A few reminders:
- No AI Cut/Paste
- Proofread your story before submitting
Remember that I’m the only editor, and please allow 2–3 business days for me to respond.
Publication Updates
We’re still small and new but have a clear genre. We want stories and advice about work from professionals who know what they’re talking about and can laugh at their own mistakes. Top stories so far:
Footnotes
¹ Most people abandon their New Year’s Resolutions. But if you start something in February, you know they’re serious.
² The fake work romance prompt will be a crafty check to see how carefully people read the story before submitting. Work should be fun, too. :)
Work City Memorandum For:
Kumar Devesh Penpont Writer THE CREATIVITY DOCTOR Tricia The Sturg The Fifth Pillar Luke Feng Ghost Lauraleigh Summerhayes John Losey Kenny Minker The Lion the Bunny and the Bear Matthew Clapham Melissa Fougere Molly Miller Nicola de Vera Nicole Kinkade Nicole Peery Murphy's Law Vivian Robert, Ph.D. RJ Reyes Sam Letterwood Shirley Laffa Smillew Rahcuef Swati De Nathan Chen Vedant Dwivedi Ed Caplan
