Write With Us For Two Weeks

Join other midlife women for our spring writing challenge

We’re thrilled to announce a two-week journal writing challenge, starting Wednesday, April 3rd.

For the past several years, we’ve run dozens of prompt-based writing groups for midlife women. During the pandemic, we started calling them “Small Steps in Uncertain Times” or “Small Steps” groups.

These groups are about meeting women where they are as writers — from beginning writers who’ve never written consistently in their lives to published authors and successful freelancers — and about connecting with other women in the same stage of life about their experiences. They’re about community, feedback, and support but also about digging deep into topics you might never have explored before.

For the first time, we’ll be hosting one of our writing groups (through this challenge) on Substack. (Previously we’ve hosted them on our platforms, outside of social media or Substack.)

Here’s how it’ll work:

1. Each day for two weeks (Monday-Friday), starting on April 3rd, you’ll receive a writing prompt in your inbox. Our prompts are simple and open-ended and do not require any previous literary/writing training. They are designed for midlife women to freewrite (we are huge believers in the power of freewriting) and to reflect on their lives.

2. You can post your writing each day on Substack. Post your entire response, a sentence or two, a few words, or just a description of how this writing made you feel or impacted you.

3. Set aside 15 minutes each day. Ten minutes to write to the prompt and five minutes to post whatever you want to share with the group (your whole response, a photo of your journal entry, a few words or sentences).

4. We encourage you to give positive and encouraging feedback to other writers in the group, but this is optional. By connecting with others in the group through their writing, you may find you get more out of the experience, but if time constraints keep you from giving others feedback, you should not in any way feel obligated. (Note: this is not a critique group; we are not providing critical feedback on structure, form, style, etc. but are instead responding with our own supportive personal reactions to the writing.)

5. You’re invited to two Zoom meetings each week. (These are entirely optional!) One weekly meeting on Fridays (April 5 and 12 at 1 p.m. Eastern) will be an informal check-in time to meet and greet other women, talk about the prompts, and explore other topics. Another weekly meetings on Wednesdays (April 10th and April 17th) at 11 a.m. Eastern) will be co-writing sessions, where we will meet over Zoom to write.

6. You can begin right away by responding to an introductory prompt (a sort of pre-prompt) here.

How To Join Us

This journal writing challenge is open to all paid subscribers of Midstory Magazine.

If you’re already a paid subscriber, you’re in! If you’re a free subscriber, upgrade your account to a monthly or yearly subscription. Click here to find out how to upgrade to a paid subscriber.

If financial circumstances keep you from joining us, please email us at jessandsteph@theherstoriesproject.com.

What You Need

A notebook or any other writing tool, a pen, and access to Substack (ideally from the app or from a computer).

You’ll receive the prompts and Zoom meeting invites via email.

Any Questions?

Fee free to reply to this post or email jessandsteph@theherstoriesproject.com.

What writers have said about our writing groups and prompts:

“A profoundly transformative experience. I loved the intimate and supportive nature of this group and the bravery demonstrated by my fellow participant writers. Jessica and Stephanie's prompts challenged me creatively and also provided a space for inner reflection and personal healing."

"This is the perfect writing group for a writer like me - someone who craves writing but doesn't always have the time and/or discipline to sit and work. The group participants are warm, welcoming, encouraging and completely free of judgment. The prompts are accessible and inspirational, and Jessica encourages inclusivity and kindness - to each other and especially to ourselves!"

Feel free to invite other writers! Better yet, gift them a subscription and write together.