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Hi friend, Here are two lines for you today: "Start before you’re ready. The page will meet you halfway." Writing doesn’t need perfect plans. It just needs presence. Even if you only put one word down, that word might lead you somewhere you didn’t expect. Now, some news. I know in the past I’ve talked about what I wanted to do, but I didn’t always show up. This time, I’m keeping it simple. Next month, I’ll be running a writing challenge. I haven’t decided which one yet, but here are the two ideas I’m leaning toward:
Once I choose, I’ll send out the full list of prompts for the month so you can follow along. Nothing complicated—just writing every day, side by side. But I want to hear from you too. What have you been working on? Do you have a quote that’s been on your mind, or a project you’re excited about? Hit reply and share. I’d love to read it. And one more thing—I want to make this newsletter better for you. What would you like to see more of? Prompts, quotes, writing advice, challenges? Your suggestions would really help. See you on the page, |
All with lessons and insights on reading and writing poetry and short prose. Check out the resources I offer below and sign up for my newsletter!
"Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance." – Carl Sandburg Hey friend, We’ve made it through the first week of September, one poem at a time. If you’ve been writing, I hope you’ve surprised yourself with the small magic of showing up daily—even for 15 minutes. If you’ve missed a day, that’s okay too. This challenge is about presence, not perfection. Here’s the next set of prompts to carry us into Week Two. Keep your notebook or notes app ready. Stay open, stay curious. September 8–14...
Hello friends, In our latest BuildWriting episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Shreya Suraj—a mathematician turned poet whose everyday experiences fuel powerful, accessible verse. Shreya walked us through her journey from structured rhymes to free‐verse freedom, shared her “Cell Phone or Prison Cell?” poem, and even gave us tips for hosting low‐pressure open mics when the lights flicker off. Here’s what stuck with me: • Spotting poetry in the ordinary changes everything. Shreya treats...
Apology and Reflection I stopped. And I’m really, really sorry I didn’t show up consistently for you. Now that I’ve apologized (and hopefully not jinxed myself), here’s what’s been rattling around in my brain: 1. The Definition of Art is Shifting Turns out, creativity isn’t what it used to be. The old rules? Looser. The new rules? Still forming. What we once called "art" has stretched, snapped back, and now includes things that would’ve made past generations squint in confusion. (Looking at...