A Spring Garden Full of April Prompts and Links

April 10, 2024

Watercolor books, journals, glasses, and tea painted with ivory and blue

Hello and Happy April! This morning, I want to start by focusing on April’s prompts for your blossoming writing practice. This month, I want to focus on one word: Routine.

The word “routine” is complicated and a loaded term for multiple reasons that ties into our mental health, our privilege, what our writing means to us, etc. It’s for this reason that I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer to what makes a good routine, because I think it’s more important to decide what works for you and abandon the rest.

In that spirit, take the opportunity this month to journal about your own writing practice. Here are five questions to help you excavate what “routine” means to you:

  • What does the phrase “write every day” mean to you? How does it make you feel?

  • Can you remember a time when you were happy writing? Describe where you were, who you were with (if anyone), what your environment was like, etc.

  • Flip the script! Do you recall a moment when you couldn’t write no matter what you tried?

  • Have you ever been able to write consistently over the course of several weeks or months? Why or why not?

  • Have you ever tried to sit down and write at a specific time on a consistent basis? If so, what observations can you glean from your former writing routine?

  • From there, piece together a current definition of the word “routine” for yourself. You may have had a routine in the past, but due to life’s many nuanced changes, your circumstances and needs may have changed. Or, perhaps you never thought of a routine before.

If this is your first time figuring out a routine, please know there’s no “wrong” way to firm up a writing practice. Ultimately, what works for you is always the correct answer.

Six Recommended Links

  1. Kitty Town Coffee is coffee with a purring heart. When you order coffee from Kitty Town, a portion of the proceeds helps feed cats in need.

  2. Launch Pad Workshop is an astronomy-based workshop for established professionals held in beautiful high-altitude Laramie, Wyoming. Launch Pad aims to provide a “crash course” for the attendees in modern astronomical science through lectures, activities, discussion, and observation through the University of Wyoming’s professional telescopes. They’re now open to applications!

  3. K-Dramas are on everyone’s mind, because they’re so entertaining! Later this month, Piper J. Drake is presenting a workshop titled K-Drama Inspirations to Maximize Your Story.

  4. If you’re into nail polish, Mooncat has a new collection called the Seasons of Persephone. I really dig Queen of the Dead, Devil’s Ivy, and To All Who Ghosted Me.

  5. Watercolor artist Joanna Barnum has a set of Elemental Jack-O-Lantern enamel pins (amongst her many fine offerings). They’re spooky and delightful! I really want all of them. Right now, I only have the Jack o’ Water.

  6. Looking for a fun, media-centric Substack newsletter to subscribe to? Check out The Full Lid by Alasdair Stuart.

PocketQuest 2024 Update

Oof! It’s been ten days since launch, and I’ve managed to meet all my goals save one. With that in mind, I have some links to share!

Though the month isn’t over yet, my white board is glaring at me, so my end of the promotional cycle is starting to wind down as I look ahead to other projects and Gen Con. There’s been a few developments since I shared my last newsletter with you, and I expect a few more as the month progresses.

Thank you to everyone who shared links and purchased a copy of my game. I appreciate you!