Your Year to Write
January Writing Prompts (31 Days)
Here is your list of writing prompts for every day in the month of January. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Just try writing a few sentences or a single paragraph. Treat this month like a warm-up. You just want to get used to writing every day and allowing yourself to write badly. Have fun with it, too! No one will ever see these, so take chances and tap into your wonderful imagination.
January 1
Write about where you are sitting. Describe it using all five senses, even the ones that seem quiet.
January 2
Write about something you almost didn’t do once, and what happened because you did (or didn’t).
January 3
Describe an ordinary object you use every day as if it has a secret life.
January 4
Write about a moment you were wrong about someone.
January 5
Start with the line: “I didn’t think this would matter, but…”
January 6
Write about a place you return to in your mind. Don’t explain why. Just show it.
January 7
Describe a habit you have. Then describe how it began.
January 8
Write a letter you will never send.
January 9
Write about a sound that immediately takes you somewhere else.
January 10
Describe a meal that meant more than food.
January 11
Write about a small kindness you witnessed or received.
January 12
Begin with: “The first thing I noticed was…”
January 13
Write about something you once believed very strongly that you no longer believe.
January 14
Describe a room from your past as precisely as you can.
January 15
Write about a time you felt out of place.
January 16
Start with: “I was sure this would end badly, but…”
January 17
Write about something you’re good at that took longer to learn than expected.
January 18
Describe the view from a window, real or imagined.
January 19
Write about an unanswered question you still carry.
January 20
Write a scene that begins in the middle of an action.
January 21
Describe a moment that felt like a beginning.
January 22
Write about something you lost, then write about what replaced it.
January 23
Begin with: “No one warned me that…”
January 24
Write about a rule you followed—and one you broke.
January 25
Describe a quiet victory.
January 26
Write about a time you changed your mind.
January 27
Write a scene using only dialogue.
January 28
Describe a place you’ve never been but feel oddly attached to.
January 29
Write about something that scared you that no longer does.
January 30
Begin with: “If I’m honest…” and don’t stop early.
January 31
Write about what it felt like to write this month.
Our Board
Our board is a vibrant mix of talents and backgrounds—like the cast of a great story, each member brings their own unique strengths to the plot.
Shelly King
Board Member, President | Co-founder | Author | Teacher
Shelly’s short fiction has appeared in the GW Review, Epiphany, the Dos Pasos Review, the Coe Review, and other magazines and literary journals. She is the author of the novel The Moment of Everything (Grand Central Publishing/Hachette) which has been translated to a dozen languages around the world. She has taught numerous workshops and classes for the California Writers Club, Cabrillo College, and other private organizations. She is the co-founder (along with Juliet Meredith) of the Rogue Writers Collective where she teaches classes and workshops on many different aspects of fiction.
Colene Milligan
Board Member, Secretary | Artist
Colene Milligan (a.k.a “Sweet Colene”) grew up along the East Coast and was recognized for her artistic talents through awards, commissions, investors, collectors, and scholarships. Her first curated exhibit at the age of 18 was at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. Being classically trained in many forms of visual arts, her style depicts a playful mastery over her chosen hues, emotions, and themes. She has exhibited at numerous venues: locally, nationwide, internationally, and online. Sweet Colene is featured in many music videos Live Painting on stage as the Premier Visual Artist. Her artworks have been published in numerous articles, popular magazines, album covers and discussed on podcasts. Colene brings her experience with building a nonprofit to the Rogue Writers Collective board of directors as Secretary. She lives in Grants Pass with her partner, Joshua, and their new son, Venture.
John Schuur
Board Member, Treasure | Retired Engineer & Executive
John is a recently retired engineer from the semiconductor world of Silicon Valley and is loving life in Southern Oregon. Through his wife (Shelly King), he has a deep understanding of what writers go through from that first spark of inspiration to a published story. He brings years of experience in business and nonprofit finances to help guide RWC through our growing pains and to ensure the organization will be helping the writers of Southern Oregon for decades to come.
Juliet Meredith
Board Member, At Large | Co-founder | Author | Teacher
Juliet Meredith brings more than 25 years’ experience to her writing and teaching. Under her pen name Juliet Lockwood, her short stories have appeared in several literary magazines including Scarlet Leaf Review, Brown Bag Online and New American Legends, and she was twice named a top-10 finalists in the Daisy Pettles Women’s Writing Contest, Since moving to Grants Pass in 2006, she has led writing classes and workshops around the Rogue Valley including through the Grants Pass Museum of Art, various regional comic cons, and virtually for students online.
Jamey Kirschel
Board Member, At Large | Small Business Owner
Jamey is a writer of micro fiction dedicated to finding the humor and grace in daily moments, even the hard ones. A lifelong learner with a passion for beginning projects but an abhorrence to finishing anything, micro fiction is the perfect format for Jamey to explore the writing craft. Jamey brings her years of experience as a business owner and active nonprofit member to our board.
Our Chaos Curators
We’ve been growing by leaps and bounds! To help us keep up with all the exciting momentum, we’ve recently welcomed two new staff members to the team.
Scout Cox
Chaos Curator | Editor
Scout Cox is a local freelance manuscript editor and sole proprietor of Sunflower Scout Editing Services. Prior to launching their own business, Scout worked as an editor for Blackstone Publishing in Ashland, Oregon. They hold an MA in English from Arizona State University. Outside of writing and editing, you can likely find Scout curled up in a sunny spot crocheting, reading, or playing ukulele with their beloved cat, Willow, by their side.
Alex Hyde
Chaos Curator | PR & Marketing
Alex Hyde is the receptionist for a local nonprofit by day and sometimes evenings. She attended RWC’s first class and probably still has her notes somewhere. She is a strong advocate, passionate about our local library, and is involved in grassroots community action groups. Other than writing, reading, and participating in local activism, Alex enjoys watching a play at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, escaping to the beach, doing something witchy, and spending as much time as possible with her furry child, a cat named Tux.