Novelist Jacinda Townsend believes that "writing is a habit, and the imagination begets the imagination." Having a set writing routine helps her create because "the imagination is a kind of muscle." On this episode, Jacinda explains the steps she takes each morning to fire up her imagination, including using writing prompts.Her favorite prompt to share focuses on pacing. Her students generate such strong work with this exercise that some have even published their finished pieces.About Jacinda TownsendJacinda Townsend is the author of Trigger Warning (Graywolf, 2025) and Mother Country (Graywolf, 2022), winner of the 2023 Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Townsend's first novel, Saint Monkey (Norton, 2014), winner of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize and the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for historical fiction, was an Honor Book of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. A former broadcast journalist and elected official, Townsend has written nonfiction for Al Jazeera and The White Review.

Novelist Robert Gipe believes that when you use writing prompts, "you're just kind of fishing for something that works."If you're lucky, you might end up with "a couple of sentences that have some energy to them, that have some heat." Robert says those sentences can help you build a piece of writing "you feel good enough about to share with others."Try your luck with three of Robert's favorite writing prompts. According to him, these prompts use form "as a way of letting your unconscious drive the content." About Robert GipeRobert Gipe won the 2015 Weatherford Award for Outstanding Appalachian Novel for his first novel, Trampoline. His second novel, Weedeater, was published in 2018. His third novel, Pop, was published in 2021.All three novels are published by Ohio University Press. In 2021, the trilogy won the Judy Gaines Young Book Award.From 1997 to 2018, Gipe directed the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College Appalachian Program in Harlan. Gipe is founding producer of the Higher Ground Community Performance Series and has served as a script consultant for the Hulu series, Dopesick, and a producer on the feature film, The Evening Hour.Gipe resides in Harlan County, Kentucky. He grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee.

When creative writer Deidra White feels stuck with her writing, she tells herself to "write the poem that you need to read." This exercise helps with one of the most challenging aspects of writing: visualizing your audience.Deidra shares several other ways she likes to jump start her writing. She also describes how she rediscovered her passion for words as a nontraditional college student, why she enjoys teaching young people, and more. About Deidra WhiteDeidra White is a Lexington, KY, native, a University of Kentucky MFA graduate, and an aspiring Affrilachian poet.She received the 2022 Farquhar Award for Poetry for “Meihua;” the Patricia and William Stacy Endowed Fellowship for Distinguished Honors in English; and the William Hugh Jansen Fiction Award in the Art of Storytelling/Folklore for “Woodstock.” White was the 2023 winner of the Broadside Poetry Contest for “When They Came” and the 2023 winner of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Nonfiction Award for her contemporary piece, “DUCK." She was also the Keynote Speaker for the 2024 Youth Poet Laureate commencement. Her work engages the tradition of Affrilachian writing and explores the intricate dynamics of Black womanhood with an eye to connections of the past to present.

Are you an aspiring writer who thinks you’ll write a novel when you have more time or your children are older? If so, author and Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House has some advice for you. “Often you cannot create the perfect conditions for your writing,” he says. “I think if you wait around for that, you’re never going to get anything written.” Silas knows this from experience, having written his first three novels when his children were small. “Sometimes you just have to do it,” he continues.Silas shares a multi-step writing prompt that will help you create vivid characters, whether you’re working on fiction, poetry, or memoir. It’s the perfect opportunity to stop waiting and start writing.About Silas HouseSilas House is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of seven novels, four plays, and one book of creative nonfiction. His writing has been featured in Time, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and many other publications.House currently serves as the Poet Laureate of Kentucky and is a 2022 winner of the Duggins Prize, the largest award for an LGBTQ writer in the nation. He has been a finalist for a Grammy Award and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. His most recent novel, Lark Ascending, won the Southern Book Prize and the Editor’s Award from Booklist, among other honors.

Kaitlyn Hill, who writes young adult romantic comedies, didn't always take those stories seriously, even though she was drawn to them. "It was just really powerful for me to come to the realization that there is so much value in stuff that is fun and light and happy," she says.As Kaitlyn's writing prompt illustrates, she tries to keep fun in her process. Kaitlyn also shares how reading fueled her desire to be a writer, her love of fan fiction, and more.About Kaitlyn HillKaitlyn Hill is a writer who lives to tell love stories and make people laugh. While books make up most of her personality, Kaitlyn also enjoys messy reality TV, has never met a tea she didn't like, and thrives on overly ambitious home improvement projects.She resides in Kentucky with her real life romance hero. Kaitlyn is the author of Wild About You and other young adult romantic comedies, and can be found on social media @thekaitlynhill and at thekaitlynhill.com

Sandra Gail Lambert, author of My Withered Legs and Other Essays, started writing in her forties. She believes her age helped her cope with the "rough and tumble world" of publishing."There's so much rejection [in publishing], and there's so much feedback that is not necessarily accurate or kind," Sandra says. "And when we're older, we just have tougher skin." That resilience allowed Sandra to "look for something in their critique... that helped me be a better writer without paying attention to their attitudes or assumptions or prejudices against me."Sandra shares several prompts she relies on when she's feeling lost in her writing. She also discusses why she chose to self-publish her novel The Sacrifice Zone: An Environmental Thriller; why she always returns to the body in her writing; and more. About Sandra Gail LambertSandra Gail Lambert writes fiction and memoir that is often about the disabled body and its relationship to the natural world. She's the author of the recently released My Withered Legs and Other Essays from the University of Georgia Press, the Lambda Literary Award nominated memoir, A Certain Loneliness, and two novels, The River's Memory and The Sacrifice Zone: An Environmental Thriller. 

Do you wonder if you have a book inside you? According to Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame member George Ella Lyon, "you have to write to find out." George Ella says writers "have to dwell in uncertainty. Because that's the one thing that's certain, is that you'll be uncertain."George Ella, who writes for all ages in multiple genres, shares the prompt that inspired her to write Many Storied House: Poems. So take out some paper (two sheets of at least 8.5 x 11") and get ready to draw your way into your next story, poem, or essay.About George Ella LyonHarlan County native George Ella Lyon writes in multiple genres for readers of all ages. She has published five poetry collections, a novel and memoir for adults, novels and poetry for young people, and many children’s picture books. Her most recent titles include Back to the Light: Poems (Univ. Press of Ky 2021) and Time to Fly (Atheneum 2022). Her poem “Where I’m From” has gone around the world as a writing model. Married to musician and writer Steve Lyon, she served as Kentucky Poet Laureate (2015-2016) and was recently inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame.

If you're a writer who works another job to make a living, poet Robin LaMer Rahija has some advice for you. "I think ideas and thoughts and little tiny chunks of motivation come to all of us throughout the day," she says. "Just stop and write them down and save them for later. And get in the habit of not ignoring that impulse toward a creative act."Robin says her favorite writing prompt "feels like a dare" and is especially helpful "when you want to do something new and crazy." Up for a challenge? Listen to the episode! About Robin LaMer RahijaRobin LaMer Rahija is originally from Kansas City, MO and has lived in Kentucky for over a decade. She received her MFA from the University of Kentucky, where she is currently the Department Manager Associate in the Department of English.In 2010, she co-founded and edited Rabbit Catastrophe Press, a handbound, feminist, book arts micropress. In 2015, she co-founded Workhorse Writers Collective, a publishing and education platform for poets outside of academia. Her poems have appeared in Puerto Del Sol, FENCE, Guernica, and elsewhere. Inside Out Egg is her first full-length book, published by Variant Lit in April 2024.

Author and arts administrator JC McPherson is also a trained master electrician who approaches poetry with a troubleshooting mindset. He says that "writing a poem is no different than wiring up a new room, like putting new lights in the outlets. And it's a process."JC often returns to his favorite writing prompt because it "shakes something loose" and helps him relax into his writing. Shake up your writing process and have fun while doing it with his help!About JC McPhersonJC McPherson has a background in writing, electricity, and general troubleshooting. A recipient of the 2022-2023 National Leaders of Color Fellowship through South Arts, he is an associate for the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative, Creative Writing Instructor, and arts administrator. He is a member of the Affrilachian Poets and the author of numerous collections of poetry. He’s also a member of the Society of American Baseball Research. 

On this episode, we talk to Tracee de Hahn, author of the Agnes Luthi mystery series and coordinator of the Carnegie Center's Author Academy. Tracee prefers "to think of a prompt as a possibility, but not necessarily a necessity." She's partial to the origin story as a writing prompt because it helps her understand the characters and places she's writing about. Listen to find out how to enrich your own writing with this prompt!About Tracee de HahnTracee de Hahn is the author of mysteries published by Minotaur books as well as non-fiction books for young adults which delve into historical events.  She is national vice president of Sisters in Crime, an organization founded over 35 years ago to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers. In addition, she speaks about Layered Career Paths to groups across the country. She is currently Coordinator of the Carnegie Center Author Academy, where she has served for several years as a mentor.

On this episode of Prompt to Page, Sean L. Corbin, the Poetry Gauntlet Coordinator for the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, discusses his belief that "everything is a prompt." "If you sit down to write a poem, you don't just pour it out," he says. "Something had to prompt you to do that."If you've ever enjoyed Mad Libs or LEGO, you might enjoy Sean's favorite writing prompt, a "wild text exercise" inspired by his friend and mentor George Eklund. Sean even reads a poem he wrote using the exercise.About Sean L. CorbinSean L Corbin is the author of The Leper Dreams of Snow (Finishing Line, 2018), and is the Poetry Gauntlet Coordinator for the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. His work has been published widely. He holds degrees in English and Creative Writing from Morehead State University and the University of Kentucky. Sean lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and sons, and also works in medical simulation.

On this episode of the Prompt to Page writing podcast, we talk to poet and visual artist Jay McCoy, author of The Occupation.Jay discusses his passion for researching his family history and how that research has inspired his recent poetry projects. He also shares two of his favorite writing prompts, including one from Linda Gregg's essay "The Art of Finding." While Jay encourages listeners to strive for a regular writing practice, he also believes they should be gentle with themselves. "Give yourself grace, read widely, and find your practice," he says.About Jay McCoyJay McCoy is a multimedia artist working primarily in poetry and visual collage. He calls Lexington home but maintains his Appalachian connections and deep roots in Eastern Kentucky. Jay is an adjunct Professor at Eastern Kentucky University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Also, he is a writing instructor with the Carnegie Center and founder of their Q-munity program for LGBTQ+ writers, as well as the archivist for the Big Sandy Heritage Center Museum. In addition to his book, The Occupation, you may find Jay’s work in anthologies and journals, including Naugatuck River Review, Still: the Journal, and Blue Fifth Review.

On this episode of the Prompt to Page writing podcast, we talk to Terena Elizabeth Bell, author of Tell Me What You See. Terena discusses why the events of the last few years compelled her to write experimental short fiction, and she offers encouragement to listeners who want to write about current events. “You have to write with your voice, what you saw," she says, "and you can't worry about whether it's going to get published, whether if you publish it, anything else is going to get published, whether your mother is going to like it…. You have to turn all of that off and just write.”Turn all of that off and write with help from Terena’s one-word prompt. About Terena Elizabeth BellTerena Elizabeth Bell is a fiction writer. Her debut short story collection, Tell Me What You See (Whiskey Tit), published December 2022. Her work has appeared in more than 100 publications, including The Atlantic, Playboy, Salamander, and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.Her short fiction has won grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women, Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, and the New York Foundation for the Arts.Originally from Sinking Fork, Kentucky, she lives in New York City.

For Christopher Rowe, author of The Navigating Fox, writing prompts can help him generate work when he's feeling stuck. In fact, one of his first stories to be widely published, translated into a dozen different languages, and reviewed in The New York Times was based on a writing prompt.Christopher's favorite prompt will challenge you to rethink some of the decisions you've already made in a piece of writing. "Because I think that if you're going to write from a prompt at all, in any circumstance," he says, "you should just go with it.... If you're going to trust the prompt, you have to trust yourself to work with it."About Christopher RoweChristopher Rowe’s stories have been published, reprinted, and translated around the world, and he has been a finalist for many internationally recognized awards. His most recent book is a novella from Tordotcom Publishing, The Navigating Fox, which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Locus Magazine said that Rowe’s stories are “as smooth and heady as good Kentucky bourbon.” 

Comic artist, writer, and animator Bryce Oquaye considers mentorship to be "the most important part" of his journey, whether he's receiving feedback from other creators or working with young people. "Because initially," he says, "I made what I made, and I shared it online, and that was helpful. But nothing helped me excel more than connecting with other people in a real way."Bryce shares the importance of comic conventions to his professional development and describes his process of creating comics, both on his own and as part of a team. The prompts that Bryce uses to develop characters and story structure will benefit writers of all genres.About Bryce Oquaye Bryce Oquaye is an illustrator, comic artist, writer, and animator. His comic and graffiti-styled approach have placed him within a wide range of projects. From comics to cover art for publishers like Z2 Comics, illustration for Zox and Netflix, and animation for companies like Group Nine Media, Bryce has placed a focus on story-based illustration and sequential work. A resident artist at the Loudoun House and Lexington Art League, Bryce Oquaye operates a studio he calls MADHUNDREDS, where he self-publishes comics and small animation projects as a freelance creator. He also works closely as part of a collective called “Six Bomb Boards” where he had his start as a live artist. He travels to exhibit and perform live art in different comic conventions and art showcases.

For New York Times bestselling author David Arnold, reading with intention is a kind of writing prompt. "I think the most important thing about reading a lot is letting yourself become a sponge and soak in the words and soak in the pacing and soak in the stories," he says."But...occasionally let's look at the mechanics of it, and what is it about this sentence or this paragraph or this book that I'm loving so much, and is there something there that I can intentionally be like, I love that. Let me see if I can apply that in my own writing."David offers examples from three books he loves, discussing how these passages helped him try different techniques in his own writing. Books David DiscussesSpecial Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha PesslNorthern Spy by Flynn BerryThe Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian MillerAbout David ArnoldDavid Arnold is the New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland, I Loved You in Another Life, The Electric Kingdom, Kids of Appetite, and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik. He has won the Southern Book Prize and the Great Lakes Book Award, and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and son. Learn more at davidarnoldbooks.com and follow him on Instagram @iamdavidarnold.

 Ashley Blooms turned to writing prompts as “a way to reconnect” with her writing and “do some creative healing.” She believes that writers can be hard on themselves and prefers to emphasize self-compassion in her writing practice. “I think that creativity grows much better if you are being gentle with it,” she says, “than if you are using shame or criticism….”  Listen to the episode for more tips and a prompt that will help bring a sense of play to your writing.About Ashley BloomsAshley Blooms is the author of Where I Can’t Follow, which was named a Most Anticipated novel by Good Housekeeping, Gizmodo, and Tor.com, among others. Her debut novel, Every Bone a Prayer, was long-listed for the Crook’s Corner Book Prize. She’s a graduate of the Clarion Writer’s Workshop and received her MFA as a John and Renee Grisham Fellow from the University of Mississippi. Her fiction has appeared in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Strange Horizons, among others. Learn more at: ashleyblooms.com. 

Elizabeth Kilcoyne, author of Wake the Bones, discusses her own complicated relationship to writing prompts. She used to think she was "anti-prompt," but now she appreciates their help with what she calls "the sticky bits of literature." In other words, she continues, "that part of your manuscript that you keep wanting to turn away from and keep wanting to turn away from and keep ignoring.... I feel like [writing prompts] are always the sort of saving grace that I go to, to move into the next phase of a draft."  Move into the next phase of your draft with help from Elizabeth's prompt. About Elizabeth KilcoyneElizabeth Kilcoyne is an author, playwright, and poet, born and raised in Kentucky. Her first novel, Wake the Bones, a YA Southern Gothic from Wednesday Books, is a finalist for the William C. Morris Debut Award, and received a starred review from both Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus, who described her as "a new standard-bearer in YA Horror." She currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky, where she gardens, serves on the organizational team for a local community vegetable market, and teaches writing. 

For our twentieth episode, author Angela Jackson-Brown, the keynote speaker for the Carnegie Center's upcoming Books in Progress conference, discusses the importance of writing every day. "That doesn't mean sit down every day and write for three hours," she says. "But it does mean every day pick a time and write for 15 minutes. And then if you have another 15, write for another 15 minutes. But make the commitment that every day you're going to show up to the page. Because if you don't show up, the stories don't get told."Angela's writing prompt will help you get to know your characters before you sit down to write.About Angela Jackson-BrownAngela Jackson-Brown is an award-winning writer, poet and playwright who is an Associate Professor in the creative writing program at Indiana University in Bloomington. She also teaches in the graduate program at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. She is the author of Drinking From a Bitter Cup, House Repairs, When Stars Rain Down and The Light Always Breaks. In October of 2023, Angela’s next novel, Homeward, a follow-up to When Stars Rain Down, will be published by Harper Muse.

For our nineteenth episode, poet LeTonia Jones shares two writing prompts that will help you write more mindfully. She also discusses her initial reluctance to call herself a poet. “The sooner you claim it, that it is true about you, the better it is for all of us,” she says. “Our words are medicine, and we never know when we have just the medicine that somebody else needs.”About LeTonia JonesLeTonia Jones is a Kentuckian who has used the alchemy of arts and activism for over 25 years. She’s led public arts campaigns and projects to center the lived experiences of marginalized people. Her purpose is to stir emotions, facilitate space for insight, and move individuals and communities toward greater acts of care and love.In 2007, she collaborated with author and award-winning playwright Eve Ensler to pilot a two-week arts and activism festival and campaign to end violence against women and girls in Kentucky. In 2009, she co-created a writing group for incarcerated women called SwallowTale Project. In 2020, LeTonia co-founded Bloodroot Ink, a writing collective for BIPOC Womyn.Black Girl at the Intersection is Jones’ debut book and introduces her as a poet who believes acts of witnessing and of being witnessed are revolutionary.

For our eighteenth episode, we talk to poet Danni Quintos, who shares a writing prompt from cartoonist and graphic novelist Lynda Barry. Danni describes how both drawing and knitting have influenced her writing practice.Danni also talks about finding people who can provide feedback for your work. "Find your readers and cling to them for dear life," she says. "If you find somebody who's a good reader, never let them go, because it is not super common to find somebody who understands not only the the good things that you're doing, but that their criticism or critique is really helpful and kind of understands how to make it better."About Danni QuintosDanni Quintos is the author of the poetry collection, Two Brown Dots (BOA Editions, 2022), chosen by Aimee Nezhukumatathil as winner of the Poulin Prize, and PYTHON (Argus House, 2017), an ekphrastic chapbook featuring photography by her sister, Shelli Quintos. She is a Kentuckian, a mom, a knitter, and an Affrilachian Poet. Her work has appeared in Poetry Magazine, Cincinnati Review, Cream City Review, The Margins, Best New Poets 2015, Salon, and elsewhere. 

Prompt to Page is brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.Listen to Episode 17For our seventeenth episode, we talk to Andrew Shaffer, author of Feel the Bern: A Bernie Sanders Mystery. Andrew describes what it’s like to write fiction about public figures and how studying comedy writing at The Second City has influenced his writing process. He shares a writing prompt from his wife, author Tiffany Reisz, who appeared on episode seven.Andrew believes that the well known saying to write what you know “doesn’t mean that you can only write stuff about your own life.” Instead of taking that advice literally, you should “write what you know in terms of emotional truths.” About Andrew ShafferAndrew Shaffer is the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mysteryand over a dozen other humorous works of genre fiction from mystery to horror. He is a five-time Goodreads Choice Award nominee. An Iowa native, Shaffer lives in Louisville with his wife, novelist Tiffany Reisz. His latest release is the cozy mystery Feel the Bern: A Bernie Sanders Mystery.

For our sixteenth episode, we talk to Marcia Thornton Jones, author of more than 135 books for children. Marcia describes her own complicated relationship to writing prompts and how she eventually realized that “every writer writes from prompts.”She explains that “something prompted every one of us to sit down and pour words onto the page. It could have been a smell or an aroma that automatically transports us back to a memory, or it could be a snippet of dialogue that we overhear, or it could be our desire to understand some kind of idea or behavior or character behavior or a big life idea. Whatever it was, something compels us to make sense of our world through the art of writing.”Marcia shares the process she has developed for using writing prompts in her classes. She asks students to complete a pre-prompt prompt, a craft-oriented writing prompt, and a post-prompt prompt. Listen to the complete episode to find out how to incorporate these techniques into your writing process.About Marcia Thornton JonesMarcia Thornton Jones has traditionally published more than 135 books for children with sales totaling more than 43 million copies worldwide. Her works include Woodford Brave, Ratfink, Champ, and Writing Kids Books: The Ultimate Guide. She co-authored seven popular series including “Keyholders” and “The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids.” She is also the co-author of the re-imagined graphic novel series “Adventures of the Bailey School Kids” published by Graphix by Scholastic Inc.Marcia lives in Lexington, Kentucky, where she teaches writing and is the coordinator of Carnegie Center’s Author Services, including the Author Academy, mentoring, and manuscript review services.

For our fifteenth episode, we talk to Katerina Stoykova, author of Second Skin and Senior Editor of Accents Publishing. Katerina discusses how she uses her journals to create writing prompts for herself and offers advice for doing so with your own journals.She believes that writers should "learn to write when you don't have time for writing." She says writing "when you don't have time... prepares you a whole lot better for stretches of time when you do have time for writing."About Katerina StoykovaKaterina Stoykova is the author of several award-winning poetry books in English and Bulgarian, as well as the Senior Editor of Accents Publishing. Her latest book, Second Skin (ICU, 2018, Bulgarian) received the Vanya Konstantinova biannual national poetry award, as well as a grant from the European Commission's program Creative Europe for translation and publication in English. Katerina acted in the lead roles for the independent feature films Proud Citizen and Fort Maria, both directed by Thom Southerland. Her poems have been translated into German, Spanish, Ukrainian, Bangla, Farsi, and a volume of her selected poems, translated into Arabic by acclaimed poet Khairi Hamdan, was published in Arabic from Dar Al Biruni press in 2022.SubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to Katerina's prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

Listen to Episode 14For our fourteenth episode, we talk to Ellen Birkett Morris, author of Lost Girls. Ellen shares three writing prompts: a poetry prompt, a fiction prompt, and a food writing prompt. Ellen began writing creatively when she was in her mid-thirties, and she encourages listeners to “embrace your identity as a writer. If you’re writing, you are a writer. You don’t have to feel intimidated or competitive or any of those things.”About Ellen Birkett MorrisEllen Birkett Morris is the author of Lost Girls, winner of the Pencraft Award, and finalist for the Clara Johnson, IAN and Best Book awards, and the poetry chapbooks Surrender and Abide. Her work has appeared in Antioch Review, Shenandoah, and South Carolina Review, among other journals. Morris received grants from the Elizabeth George Foundation and Kentucky Foundation for Women and a fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. She holds an MFA from Queens University-Charlotte.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupWednesday, Nov. 30, 6:00 p.m.Spend time working on a cross-genre writing prompt, get feedback, and share writing and publishing tips with a supportive community of other writers. Open to all writing levels and genres (fiction, poetry, memoir, family stories, etc.).Registration is required.SubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to one of Ellen’s prompts for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

For our thirteenth episode, we talk to Sarah Combs, author of Breakfast Served Anytime and The Light Fantastic. Sarah shares her love of writing groups, reading "at whim" and a writing prompt that works for all levels and genres. If you're gearing up for National Novel Writing Month, you may find her prompt especially helpful."It can be pretty scary to have a blank page in front of you and hope to see a novel draft by the end," she says. "So maybe it makes things easier if you think of scenes as the building blocks of a novel. And if you create a scene one by one, then eventually you might have a novel."About Sarah CombsSarah Combs is the author of the young adult novels Breakfast Served Anytime and The Light Fantastic, both from Candlewick Press. She lives with her family in Lexington, where she leads writing workshops at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupWednesday, Oct. 26, 6:00 p.m.Spend time working on a cross-genre writing prompt, get feedback, and share writing and publishing tips with a supportive community of other writers. Open to all writing levels and genres (fiction, poetry, memoir, family stories, etc.).Registration is required.SubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to Sarah’s prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

For our twelfth episode, we talk to Shawn Pryor, author of the graphic novel series Cash and Carrie and a guest at this year’s Comic Surge. Shawn describes the collaborative process of writing graphic novels and shares three of his favorite prompts. He explains how he uses writing prompts both when he’s working on books and when he just wants to have fun.Shawn believes that too many writers are under the impression that “if it’s not perfect off the jump, then it’s not going to work.” He says, “There is no such thing as perfection. None…. And you limit yourself if you think that perfection is the only way that you’re gonna be able to tell your story.”About Shawn PryorShawn Pryor’s (he/him) work includes the middle-grade graphic novel series Cash and Carrie, the 2019 Glyph Nominated sports graphic novel F.O.R.C.E., and several books for Capstone’s Jake Maddox Sports and Adventure prose series, and Kids Sports Stories children’s books. Currently, he’s the writer of the hi-lo reader series The Gamer with illustrator Francesca Ficorilli and the upcoming middle-grade graphic novel Fast Break with illustrator Courtney Hahn.In his free time, he enjoys reading, cooking, listening to streaming music playlists, and talking about why Zack from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is the greatest Black superhero of all time.He is represented by Kelly Sonnack of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupWednesday, Sept. 28, 6:00 p.m.Spend time working on a cross-genre writing prompt, get feedback, and share writing and publishing tips with a supportive community of other writers. Open to all writing levels and genres (fiction, poetry, memoir, family stories, etc.).Registration is required.SubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to one of Shawn’s prompts for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

For our eleventh episode, we talk to Claudia Love Mair, author and coordinator of the Carnegie Center’s Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative. Claudia Love discusses the importance of names in her life and shares a prompt that will make you see your own name—and yourself—in a new way.Claudia Love advises all writers to “stay open. All around you are [writing] prompts. There are prompts in the trees and in the clouds and in your mother’s face. So, don’t look at prompts as only being, you know, words on paper or something that you get at a workshop, something in the books. There are prompts all around you. Take advantage and keep writing.”About Claudia Love MairClaudia Love Mair is the author of eleven books, including a memoir, Don’t You Fall Now, a biography, and eight novels. She holds an MFA in Writing from Spalding University, and is the coordinator for the Carnegie Center’s  Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative. She lives and works in Lexington, Kentucky. Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupWednesday, July 27, 6:00 p.m.Spend time working on a writing prompt adapted from the Prompt to Page podcast, get feedback, and share writing tips with a supportive community of other writers. Open to all writing levels. New members always welcome.Registration is required.SubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit your response to Claudia Love’s prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

For our 10th episode, we talk to David Dominé, author of A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City. David offers a food-related writing prompt that will have you reaching into the back of your refrigerator.He also talks about his writing process, including how he manages rejection. "It's hard to get a publishing house, even if you have an agent," he says.  "So just don't give up every time you get a rejection letter, just put it on the pile. And every time I got a rejection letter, I'd be like, well, that's one try closer to my book finally getting accepted. So you have to be persistent."Plus, we're excited to share a story submitted by listener Beth Kelly, "The Box on the Porch." Beth wrote her story in response to Gwenda Bond's prompt in episode 9.About David DominéDavid Dominé teaches foreign languages and translation at Bellarmine University. His true-crime book A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City deals with the 2009 murder of drag queen Jamie Carroll in a spooky mansion in Old Louisville that once doubled as a sanatorium. Publishers Weekly gave it a coveted starred review, saying, “Dominé provides an enthralling deep dive into a bizarre murder case, enhanced by his eyewitness account of the resulting trials. He gives this colorful case the detailed attention it merits. Fans of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil will be captivated.”About Beth KellyBeth Kelly lives in Lexington, KY, and has three rescued pets, Korbet (a cat), Esme (a cat), and Willem (a dog). She enjoys writing fiction and belongs to a local writing group. Her hobbies are swimming and gardening.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupWednesday, June 29, 6:00 p.m.Spend time working on a writing prompt adapted from the Prompt to Page podcast, get feedback, and share writing tips with a supportive community of other writers. Open to all writing levels. New members always welcome.Registration is required.Take Our SurveyWe’d love to hear your feedback! Through June 30, 2022, complete our survey for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Joseph-Beth Booksellers!SubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit your response to David’s prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

Prompt to Page is brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.For our ninth episode, we talk to New York Times bestselling author Gwenda Bond. Gwenda shares two writing prompts that will spark your imagination no matter what genre you write.She also explains why writing prompts can help you be more creative. “I have a theory that creativity actually thrives under restriction,” she says. “And so I think anytime you can give your brain parameters of any kind, it’s more helpful than just starting from nothing.”About Our GuestGwenda Bond is the author of many novels, including the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds. She also clearly escaped from a classic screwball romantic comedy. Not Your Average Hot Guy and The Date from Hellare her first romantic comedies, and will be followed in 2023 by Mr. & Mrs. Witch. She cofounded the charitable efforts Creators 4 Comics and the Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or @gwenda on Twitter.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupWednesday, May 25, 6:00 p.m.Spend time working on a writing prompt adapted from the Prompt to Page podcast, get feedback, and share writing tips with a supportive community of other writers. Open to all writing levels. New members always welcome.Registration is required.SubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit your response to Gwenda’s prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

For our eighth episode, we talk to Marianne Worthington, author of The Girl Singerand co-founder and editor of Still: The Journal. Marianne offers tips for submitting your work to literary magazines, discusses her favorite writing prompt books, and shares a prompt that will inspire both poets and prose writers. Marianne also discusses her own path to publication. “Don’t give up because you know, I’m three weeks away from retiring from my day job, which I have had for 32 years,” she says. “And I’ve been teaching college students for 38 years, and only this year was my first full length poetry collection published. So don’t ever think it’s not going to happen.”About Our GuestMarianne Worthington is co-founder and editor of Still: The Journal, an online literary magazine publishing writers, artists, and musicians with ties to Appalachia since 2009. Her work has appeared in Oxford American, CALYX, and Chapter 16 among other places. Her work has been supported by the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Foundation for Women.She co-edited Piano in a Sycamore: Writing Lessons from the Appalachian Writers’ Workshop and is author of a poetry chapbook. Her poetry collection is The Girl Singer (University Press of Kentucky, 2021). Marianne grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and writes and teaches in southeast Kentucky.Marianne’s Book RecommendationsOrdinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within by Kim AddonizioThe Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne LauxWrite It!: 100 Poetry Prompts to Inspire by Jessica Jacobs and Nickole BrownSubmitWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit your response to Marianne’s prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

For our seventh episode, we talk to USA Today-bestselling author Tiffany Reisz. Tiffany shares a favorite writing prompt from V.E. Schwab that will help you check in with your characters. She describes her own writing prompt that will help you raise the stakes for your characters and engage your readers.Tiffany also shares her thoughts on writer’s block. “When you’re stuck,” she says, “that’s your brain trying to tell you, we need to go in a different direction. And writing prompts or writing craft books can help you find that direction. The writer’s block is always trying to tell you something. It’s not a wall; it’s a sign, and you need to learn how to read the sign.”About Our GuestTiffany Reisz is the USA Today-bestselling author of the Original Sinners series from Harlequin’s Mira Books.Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, Tiffany graduated from Centre College with a B.A. in English.Her first novel The Siren has sold nearly half-a-million copies worldwide. Her adult fantasy The Red was named an NPR Best Book of the Year. Her books include the Lambda Literary Award-winner The King and the RITA®-winner The Saint. Tiffany also writes mainstream women’s suspense fiction, including The Bourbon Thief (winner of the RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence Award) and the RITA®-nominated The Night Mark.Tiffany lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her husband, author Andrew Shaffer, and their two cats. The cats are not writers. Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupTuesday, March 29, 6:00 PMSpend time working on this month’s Prompt to Page podcast writing prompts, get feedback, and share writing tips with a community of other writers. Open to all writing levels.Registration is required.

For the sixth episode of Prompt to Page, we talk to Mariama J. Lockington, author of For Black Girls Like Me. Mariama discusses the process of writing and publishing her debut novel, shares two of her favorite writing prompts, and offers advice for adults who are writing for young readers.Mariama recommends that writers engage with their communities. "Part of being a writer is also experiencing the world around you and also engaging with it," she says. "So, you know, it's not just being a siloed writer, tortured writer in a tower, but the more you engage with people and arts and things that you're not familiar with, the more powerful your writing is going to be."About Our GuestMariama J. Lockington is a transracial adoptee, author, and educator. She has been telling stories and making her own books since the second grade, when she wore shortalls and flower leggings every day to school. Her debut middle grade novel For Black Girls Like Me (FSG BYR 2019) is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard title and has earned five-starred reviews.Mariama's second middle grade novel In the Key Of Us (FSG BYR) will be out April 26, 2022, and her debut YA novel Forever is Now (FSG BYR) is also forthcoming. Mariama calls many places home, but currently lives in Kentucky with her partner and her little sausage dog, Henry. You can find her on Twitter @marilock and on Instagram/TikTok @forblackgirlslikeme.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupTuesday, Feb. 22, 6:00 PMSpend time working on this month’s Prompt to Page podcast writing prompts, get feedback, and share writing tips with a community of other writers. Open to all writing levels.Registration is required.Submit Your WritingWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to the episode prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

For our fifth episode, we talk to Martha Greenwald, the director of the WhoWeLost and WhoWeLostKY projects. The WhoWeLost projects serve as "a sheltering place for remembrance" for victims of COVID-19. Martha offers suggestions for writing memories about loved ones and explains how you can share your stories on the WhoWeLost websites.She also provides a writing prompt suitable for all genres and topics that encourages writers to slow down and let their ideas develop. As she notes, "I've found some people really need to be slow and take their time with [writing]. So this is geared toward that idea that the slowness is okay."About Our GuestMartha Greenwald is the Founding Director, creator, and curator of the WhoWeLost and WhoWeLostKY projects.  She is the author of the poetry collection Other Prohibited Items, which won the Mississippi Review Prize for Poetry. In 2020, she was the first prize winner of the Yeats Poetry Award. Her poems have appeared in Poetry, Rattle, Nurture, Slate, Best New Poets, The Threepenny Review, and numerous other journals. She has been both a Wallace Stegner and Pearl Hogrefe Fellow, has received fellowships from the Kentucky and North Carolina Arts Councils, and been supported by Yaddo and the Vermont Studio Center. She taught creative writing, literature, and ESL at the high school and college level for nearly twenty years. She's teaching a new class at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and collaborating on a radio series with WUKY 91.3 that gives a voice to stories from the WhoWeLost websites.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupTuesday, Jan. 25, 6:00 PMSpend time working on this month’s Prompt to Page podcast writing prompts, get feedback, and share writing tips with a community of other writers. Open to all writing levels.Registration is required.Register for Remembering and Writing About Our Loved OnesPart 1: Monday, Jan. 24, 6:00 PMWriting is a healthy way to cope with grief, but it's often hard to get started. In part one of this class, taught by the director of The WhoWeLost Project, we will learn how to write short remembrances of our loved ones. We will focus on the stories and details of their lives, whether they died due to the pandemic or other causes. All level writers welcome.Registration is required.Part 2: Monday, Jan. 31, 6:00 PMIn the second part of Remembering and Writing About Our Loved Ones, you'll have the chance to share and receive feedback on the writing you began in part one.Registration is required.Submit Your WritingWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to the episode prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

About Our GuestKayla Rae Whitaker’s work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Electric Literature, Buzzfeed, Guernica, Literary Hub, and elsewhere. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and New York University. Her debut novel, The Animators, was named one of the best debut novels of 2017 by Entertainment Weekly and one of the best books of 2017 by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage. Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupTuesday, Dec. 14, 6:00 PMSpend time working on this month’s Prompt to Page podcast writing prompts, get feedback, and share writing tips with a community of other writers. Open to all writing levels.Registration is required.Submit Your WritingWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to the episode prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.

About Our GuestJayne Moore Waldrop is a Kentucky writer and attorney. She is the author of Retracing My Steps, a finalist in the New Women’s Voices Chapbook Series, and Pandemic Lent: A Season in Poems, both published by Finishing Line Press. Her linked story collection, Drowned Town, was published in 2021 by University Press of Kentucky through its Fireside Industries imprint, a partnership with Hindman Settlement School.Waldrop earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kentucky, and her MFA in Creative Writing (fiction) from Murray State University’s low residency program. She is a former book columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal.Join the Prompt to Page Writing GroupTuesday, November 30, 6:00 PMSpend time working on this month’s Prompt to Page podcast writing prompts, get feedback, and share writing tips with a community of other writers. Open to all writing levels.Registration is required.Submit Your WritingWe’d love to see what you’re writing! Submit a response to the episode three prompt for a chance to have it read on a future episode of the podcast.