Today, you will write.
Today’s newsletter has been created by the incredibly talented author Shikha S. Lamba.
Find her on X here, and instagram here.
Today, you will write –
For the greater good and humanity.
What message do you want to send to the world? What do you want to see more of in this world? Do you want to share something about your experiences, culture, and background?
Writing isn't only cathartic for the writer; your stories and written work can make another feel seen and understood. It's also a way to encourage empathy, understanding, and compassion. Stories are doorways to dialogue. They are powerful tools for communication that can be used to build and expand community. Stories have transformative power, and we often need to recognise our abilities and believe we can create positive change through our written work.
— Shikha S. Lamba
See you tomorrow x
Loren @ Paperbacks & Co.
Day 3 Writing Prompts
Journaling Q – Is there a story from my life that can help others feel seen in their experiences or in any other way? List a few of them.
Fiction Prompt – She had known in her heart that if she spoke, there might be repercussions, but she never expected the avalanche of support, especially from them.
Poetry Prompt – Write a poem inspired by a news headline about a country different from yours. Or write a poem inspired by a news headline from another country.
Use the artwork at the beginning of this newsletter as a visual prompt to inspire some writing – whether a personal essay, or fictional short story, or poem…
An Interview with Shikha S. Lamba
Who are you with creativity? Who are you without it?
I love this question because I have always considered myself as someone "addicted to creativity." I've identified with it most of my life, from school through college and later. I have dipped my fingers in art, music, writing, photography, and candle making, which is the most recent. It is the only reason I decided to study jewelry design and become a jewelry designer. Many don't know this, but I don't wear much jewelry myself. What I absolutely love is the design process.
If I'm not creating something almost daily, I feel its absence. I feel as if my day is incomplete. I have defined myself with creativity, and I love that identity.
Who I am without it is a fascinating question, one that I have started asking myself.
While I love identifying as a creative person, I often wonder if there are other parts of me I suppress or maybe don't explore enough. A deeper question to ask would be, do I consider myself worthy and whole without my creative side. I would like to think the answer to that is, yes. And if it isn't, then that is something I need to work towards.
What is the best feeling a book can give you? Is that something you're giving to your reader?
The "best feeling" (or at least one of them) a book can give me is one of complete oblivion. A story that is intriguing, interesting and entertaining enough that I'm completely distracted from my real life while reading it. A strong second would be stories that make me feel seen and reflect my experiences, especially the difficult ones. Stories that do a better job of unravelling the human experience better than I can. Those are some of my favourites.
Am I giving my readers that through my poetry? I think they would be better at answering that. I will say that for many of my poems, I have received comments such as "So relatable," "Thank you for speaking for us," "So familiar," "It's like holding a mirror," etc.
Maybe some of my poetry makes some feel "seen."
If you somehow found out you only have 6 more months to live, what would you do differently in your writing? How would this change your writing practice, habits, output, goals, confidence, etc…?
While some might find this question a little depressing, I love it. Our mortality is a great reminder of our priorities and of what is most important. If I had six months to live, I would spend most of my "writing time" writing letters to my children and people I love. I very much doubt I will care about goals or output at that point.
🥳 Celebrating Our Wins 🎉
Did you get some writing done today? Why not share your progress in the comments?!
Link to your blog post, share your word count, or even just jump in with a little text celebration…
Know a writer who could benefit from a little extra motivation? Why not gift them £5 membership here?