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In this issue: – One really concrete writing prompt (no vague “write about your feelings” today)
– A funny little writer story you might recognise yourself in
– A short, sharp piece of writing advice from a famous writer
– Handpicked submission calls for the second week of December
Let’s get into it.
WRITING PROMPT – "THE THING I DIDN'T SAY"
You know that feeling? You leave a conversation and suddenly think, "I should have said..."
This prompt lives in that space.
Write a short piece (300–800 words) set in a dark room where two people are talking. One of them is holding back something important, circling around it, unable to quite say it out loud.
The Rules (to keep it real)
Stay in the room. No flashbacks, no time jumps, no escape routes. Everything happens here, now.
Include these three specific elements:
One sound that's actually in the room (a fan humming, rain, a neighbor's music, a generator ticking, wind)
One object that keeps pulling your character's attention (their phone screen, a curtain moving, a crack in the wall, an empty chair)
One line of dialogue spoken aloud, then repeated later only in their head—showing how it echoes differently when they're alone with it
End with a tiny physical action that reveals the truth they couldn't speak. Not words. Movement. A hand reaching out. A light switched on. A window opened. A message deleted. A step backward.
The Bonus Twist
Write it twice.
Version A: They finally say it. The words come out.
Version B: They never say it, but the reader understands perfectly anyway.
You don't have to do both today, but save this email. Come back to it when you need a warm-up that actually challenges you.
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THE DAY TOLKIEN LOST AN ENTIRE CHAPTER
A True Story of Literary Disaster (and Redemption)
This one is 100% true, drawn from J.R.R. Tolkien's letters and accounts from his friends.
The Perfect Writing Day (That Wasn't)
While writing The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien experienced one of those rare, magical days when writing flows effortlessly. The kind of day every writer dreams about.
He spent hours hunched over his desk, writing longhand by candlelight, as words poured out of him with unusual ease. By the time he finished an entire chapter, he felt that rare, intoxicating satisfaction that comes with genuinely good work. He went to bed glowing.
The Morning After
He woke refreshed, eager to read over what he'd written and continue where he'd left off.
He sat at his desk.
The chapter was gone.
Not misplaced. Not borrowed. His son Christopher had accidentally bundled it up with scrap papers and thrown it directly into the bin. By the time Tolkien discovered the loss, the trash was already out for collection.
The Graceful Response
He didn't rage. He didn't storm. He simply sighed—that deep, existential sigh that only writers truly understand—and said something close to: "Well. I suppose it wasn't good enough anyway."
Translation: "I am dying inside, but I shall act like a wise old wizard so I don't traumatize my child."
The Rewrite
Tolkien sat back down and rewrote the chapter entirely from memory, reconstructing what he'd written the night before. Hours of work, gone. Hours of work, done again.
Here's where it gets interesting: he later admitted to friends that the rewrite was actually better than the original. But he also confessed something else—something deeply human. He had no clear memory of what he'd written the first time. The entire rewrite was an educated guess, a creative act of recovery where he tried to recapture what Past Tolkien had been so excited about.
Two Truths for Every Writer
1. Even literary legends lose entire chapters and survive. If it happened to Tolkien, it can happen to you. And you'll still be okay.
2. Sometimes the version born from disaster becomes the one that endures. The rewrite, the do-over, the second attempt—these are often stronger than the originals. Why? Because they carry the weight of intention. You're not writing blindly; you're rebuilding something you cared about.
Funny. Tragic. Oddly comforting.
Exactly the writer's life.
The next time you lose something you've written, remember: you've got Tolkien's example. Rewrite it. It might just be better.
WRITING ADVICE – ANNE LAMOTT AND THE UGLY FIRST DRAFT
Anne Lamott has one piece of wisdom that every writer should tattoo directly onto their brain: first drafts are allowed to be spectacularly, gloriously bad.
Her advice, simplified: Write the messy draft so your brain stops trying to write the perfect final draft all at once.
Here's what it actually looks like in real life:
Draft 1 is chaos. You ramble. You repeat yourself. You switch tenses mid-paragraph. You forget character names. You leave notes like [WRITE SOMETHING SMART HERE] scattered through your work.
Draft 2 is repair. You cut the obvious repetition. You clarify what you actually meant. You start to sound intentional.
Draft 3 is polish. Suddenly you sound like someone who knows what they're doing.
Most of us try to skip straight to Draft 3. That's why we get blocked.
Your Tiny Challenge
Tonight or tomorrow, sit down and tell yourself one thing: "I am officially writing an ugly first draft."
Set a timer for 15 minutes. No deleting. No backspacing whole sentences. Just keep moving forward.
If it helps, name your file literally:
"Ugly Draft – [Your Story Title].docx"
Permission granted. Now go make something terrible.
SUBMISSION CALLS – SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER
Pick one. Just one. Read the guidelines carefully. Send it this week—before your brain can convince you it needs more time.
Main Deadline Wave
Samjoko Magazine | Deadline: December 10 Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, screenplays. They want bold, imaginative work that doesn't fit neatly into boxes. Pays $20 USD.
Island | Deadline: December 12 Open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. Fiction and nonfiction for a respected print magazine. They pay around $0.40 AUD per word. Serious publication, serious work.
Quarter Press – Quarter(ly) | Deadline: December 14 Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Themed issues—check their current theme before submitting. Pays $5 USD. Good for quirky, indie work.
Buckman Journal | Deadline: December 14 Portland and Pacific Northwest creatives only. Fiction and creative nonfiction that engages with their current theme. Payment not specified, but regional focus makes it special.
Electric Literature – Personal Narrative | Deadline: December 14 (caps submissions early) Personal essays only. They want true stories you tell your friends, told with a strong voice and real emotion. Pays $100 USD. This one moves fast.
Bonus Round (Deadlines Right After)
Plott Hound | Deadline: December 15 Speculative fiction featuring animals as central characters, not background decoration. Pays 8 cents per word.
Brazenhead Review | Deadline: December 15 (fills up fast) Poetry. Strong, memorable work. Pays $200 per accepted poem. If you've got polished poems sitting in a folder, this is your moment.
YOUR TURN – HELP ME SHAPE THIS
I want this newsletter to be something you actually want to open—not just another email taking up space.
Hit reply and tell me:
One thing you'd love to see more of (prompts, markets, craft tips, funny stories, interviews, something else?)
One thing that would make this 10x more useful for you as a writer
I'm reading everything from this dark 6pm room.
Now go write something messy. Maybe submit it somewhere this week.