✒️ Jan Prompt 4: Story Seeds
Some questions to spark your writing journey
Can you believe we’re in the final stretch of January? What an adventure it’s been with these prompts so far:
And just LOOK at how much y’all have been writing. The number of stars shows how many prompts you’ve shared:
Jodi - ⭐⭐⭐
Jamie - ⭐⭐⭐
Ashley - ⭐⭐⭐
Christin - ⭐⭐⭐
Hannah - ⭐⭐⭐
AnaGloria - ⭐⭐⭐
Stacy - ⭐⭐
Michelle - ⭐⭐
Holly - ⭐
Heather - ⭐
Reminder…
If you share all four prompts this month, your name will be added to a drawing for complimentary coaching/editing on one of your February pieces or prompts. Share your progress in our private group, comment on this post, or email it to me. I’ll do the drawing on our open mic call, “The Speakeasy,” on Sat, Feb at 10am MST via Zoom.
This call is part of the paid membership, which you can opt into at any point of this journey. I’d LOVE to have you. Upgrade here and I’ll send you the invite.
Sooo…
As I’ve mentioned, this month has been about getting into a rhythm and writing about things that help you get acquainted with the group.
Next month, you’ll still have prompts, but they’ll be a little more strategy-focused. You’ll be figuring out a home (Perhaps in Google Docs?) or platform (Maybe Substack?) for your writing, sketching out a rough outline, and starting to write stories under your own themes.
That’s the plan, at least. We’ll see how it goes, yeah? And while I’ll be giving you direction, if something doesn’t feel aligned with your own goals and desires, puh-lease customize it to your heart’s content!!
With that, this week’s prompt is a little different. Instead of one question that invites you to write a small piece, you have a series of inquiries that are intended to get you digging even deeper. In the process, I hope you uncover or reaffirm what you’re meant to write about this year.
NOTE: I’m opening this prompt to everyone, so if you do share anything in the comments, it will be public.
Anddd if you want to keep your answers private, that is ALL good. To count it as a “share” though, you could take a picture of your screen or journal from a distance then post what you learned or realized from it.
OK. Let’s dig in, yeah?
Introducing:
✒️ Story Seeds
Below are 5 questions for you. They might take some courage or extra digging to answer, but they will uncover so much. If you’re resisting getting started, you could try:
setting a timer.
putting noise-cancelling headphones on.
start handwriting your thoughts first. (My friend Jerry was feeling blocks with her fiction writing, but lately, she’s found that journaling before writing gets her in the mood. [Insert joke about journals and foreplay here.])
changing your scenery. (Sit in a different seat. Go to a coffee shop. Stand at the kitchen counter.)
Whatever you do, try not to let these questions overwhelm you. Write them as rawly as you can.
Perhaps give yourself 3-5 minutes for each of ‘em so as not to overthink. OR if you simply want to focus on fleshing ONE of them out, please do that! OR if one of your responses is, “Gosh, I have absolutely no idea how to answer this and here’s why,” that could be just as powerful.
The key is to not hold back!!
When you’re ready…
What makes you feel like the most authentic version of yourself?
And whyyy does it feel so true to you?What are three key experiences that have shaped who you are today?
Don’t worry about the bigger stories. Just keep it high-level with a sentence or two. And of course there are SO many you could list, right? But go with the top three that come to mind.If money / time / opinions / self-doubt / [insert your block here] weren’t a thing and you could write a book about ANYTHING, what would it be about?
Really give yourself freedom here. Let it be wacky, random, or far-fetched. And if there’s a whole LIST, just get it out. And if you’re afraid of someone taking your idea/s, this next question will help with that:If someone took one of your ideas and ran with it or told a VERY similar story to yours, what would be impossible for them to replicate?
In other words, what makes your writing and outlook on life completely unique to you? Are there things others have told you? Speaking of other people, perhaps ask them to help you answer this!Is there a story from your life that you would regret not documenting?
Like…what part of your legacy is begging to be captured? Don’t worry about details or explaining the “why” unless you want to. Just letting it be seen (for maybe the first time??) is enough right now.
Trust your guts, baby. Get it out.
I can’t WAIT to see what SPROUTS,
Brit
I’ll go first…
What makes you feel like the most authentic version of yourself?
Nothing makes me feel more authentic than when I take my bra off and put my pajamas on…or dance in the kitchen…or tinker on the piano…or most of all: pour my heart out in writing.
I love being HOME — where life is simple, comfortable, and full of possibility and freedom. I love having space to rest, create, and reflect. Like right this second, I’ve got the house to myself, a second cup of coffee by my side, lettered keys beneath my fingers, and zero commitments. Those are the makings of something awesome.
What are three key experiences that have shaped who you are today?
Losing my maternal grandma in sixth grade was such a pivotal experience for me. Not only was this my first real experience with grief, but it also taught me the power of cherishing memories and the beauty of carrying on someone’s legacy.
Being sexually assaulted in college by someone I trusted and all the aftermath, silencing, and shame that came with that is hands down one of the main reasons I’m obsessed with nudging others to share their stories.
My whole journey through infertility and international adoption has made me acutely aware of silver linings, the power of perspective, and most of all, God’s bigger plans.
If money / time / opinions / self-doubt / [insert your block here] weren’t a thing and you could write a book about ANYTHING, what would it be about?
I’d finally publish the book I’ve been working on for yearrrrsssss. The one about finding joy in waiting. See?!?! THAT’s why I haven’t published it!! I’ve found too much joy in waiting to share it!!! ;)
I would co-author and co-illustrate a book with my son called And Pretend about allll the things he dreams up in the morning while we’re getting ready. “And pretend I’m an egg? And pretend that I’m hatching? And I become your pet? And pretend a volcano is about to erupt! And I’m a flying praying mantis? And now I’m your kid! And your name is Dawn…and my name is Joy!”
I’d make a book or workbook called Get It Out. It would be a guide to getting your story out and it’d be full of poop puns.
I’d create a coffee table book about people’s wedding nights. Nooo! Not like that!! The opposite: everyone’s stories of WHY they didn’t consummate. Now, that would be a fun title to brainstorm.
If someone took one of your ideas and ran with it or told a VERY similar story to yours, what would be impossible for them to replicate?
When I think about how my voice is impossible to replicate, I realize it’s because of everything that makes me me — my genetic makeup, my life experiences, my perspective. It’s like looking closely at my fingertips, noticing the unique patterns that no one else has. Every ridge and swirl carries the story of where I’ve come from, the people and places that’ve shaped me, the struggles I’ve faced, and the lessons I’ve learned. These roots run DEEP, I tell ya. So, when I write, it’s that unique combination of who I am that comes through in a way no one else could replicate.
But in terms of the actual EXAMPLES — like actual things that would be in a Brit Stueven Style Guide, I realize that my awareness of that uniqueness has been made clear by what others have told me: my conversational, stream-of-consciousness-like tone, my brand of humor, my rawness, the way I play with text, etc.
Is there a story from your life that you would regret not documenting?
Yes. There’s a BIG silver-lining story that brings the whole sexual assault thing full circle that I’m still not quite sure how, when, or where to document. But I’m being patient with it.
OK.
I’ve shown you mine. Now, show me YOURS!!!!
Share it in the group when you’re ready, post in the comments here, or email it to me directly. Wheeeeeeee heeeeeee!!!!!!
