Accepting Submissions to January’s Writing Prompt: {Let’s Look Forward,} {I Guess}

Twice a month, we issue a writing prompt to our own staff, guest contributors, and readers like you. We welcome guest submissions, so if you’re interested in being featured or regularly contributing to the site, email your responses to kelaine.conochan [at] thepromptmag.com.

A new year is upon us, and with it, the opportunity to reflect on our attitude, habits, behavior, and outlook. As we step tentatively into 2025, we’ve weathered enough uncertainty and disappointment to know that, woof, optimism doesn’t always come easy. And between the smoke and the clouds and the fog, it’s hard to see what’s on the horizon.

Look, we’re not delusional. It’s okay to admit that the new year feels more like a question mark than an exclamation point. We are all navigating a landscape where the only certainty seems to be that change is constant. But do we have to spend every day in despair? Or can we get our heads out of our asses and TRY to make something of our brief existence on this spinning orb?

Maybe, just maybe, a bit of pluckiness is what we need. Maybe we can step into 2025 with some hope and self-determination. Because if we can’t step up for ourselves, then who will? So, for our first writing prompt of 2025, we’ve decided to look forward, I guess. It’s not exactly a grand proclamation. But, to be honest, we’re not exactly STOKED about how things are going. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to just sit here and do nothing about it. What choice do we have?!

There’s some serious bravery in choosing to be hopeful when the world offers little encouragement. So, as we step into the snow, wind, fire, and thunder, let’s keep our hearts and eyes ope, and remind ourselves that the unknown might just hold a few delightful surprises. And maybe you should write about them?

This Week’s Writing Prompt: LET’S LOOK FORWARD, I GUESS

This week, we’re looking for new original pieces, using LET’S LOOK FORWARD, I GUESS as your prompt.

If you’ve got an inspired ideas about how to respond to January’s writing prompt, send us your submission of 400-700 words. Write us anything that comes to mind when you think of LET’S LOOK FORWARD, I GUESS. It can be a personal essay, a poem, short story, script, or anything else original and fresh. Ironic or sincere, real or imagined—just make it worth our while and we’ll publish it, include it in our newsletter, and give you the chance to join the creative, talented staff writers here at The Prompt.

Email your responses to kelaine.conochan@thepromptmag.com by Thursday January 23rd at midnight ET.