This replay and bonus content is free for all subscribers! 🙌🏼
If you joined me live today, you wrote. If you are watching the replay, you are about to write. And that is what this is all about.
In today’s post-writing session, I talk about the container of word count which is the heart of the micro form. Paid subscribers receive a download, along with a weekly challenge to help you master your micro prose skills.
When are the sessions?
Free and paid subscribers receive a notification when I’m live on Substack. I also post dates for upcoming sessions in the weekly Micro Monday post.
Attendance to the live session is free; the recording, downloads, and challenges are for paid subscribers. Don’t worry if you join mid-way through or even at the last minute—you can still get some focused writing done in a short period of time. Trust the process, which includes whenever you’re able to show up to write. We always add the title last, so you can make your titles do some heavy lifting even if you join with a few seconds remaining (see
’s collection of micro memoirs, Heating and Cooling, to see what’s possible with a long and/or evocative title).Writer-ish is a reader-supported publication. Upgrade today to a paid subscription ($5/month or $50/year). Among many other benefits, you’ll receive access to the replay and bonus content. Get out a 3-ring binder, writers, because printables and workbooks are my jam and I’ll have plenty for you to download here.
I always recommend writing the same prompt more than once, too. Watch the replays regularly to see what might be possible with your work.
How the live writing session works
You can drop in exactly at the start of the writing session (always at the top of the hour) and leave right after, so you’ve only taken 10 minutes out of your day.
I join 5 minutes prior to say hello and hang out 5 minutes after to answer any questions. We start promptly at the designated start time, and I’ll let you know when you have one minute left.
When our 10 minutes of writing time are up, you're welcome to sign off or hang out for a few minutes to ask any follow-up questions via the live chat. I usually share a tip or two about writing, organizing, and living your micro.
Today’s prompt begins at 4:16
Today’s post-session talk begins at 16:37
Again, latecomers are welcome! Don’t be shy and just start writing. The prompt will be on the screen along with the countdown timer. Even if you show up with two minutes left, you will have something. Trust your timing, and make those two minutes count.
Supporting your micro journey
I'm attaching a Table of Contents template you can use to track your micro pieces for Writer-ish on Substack. To learn more about how and why I use a TOC to track and organize your micro prose, join a class or the next Writer-ish writing session.
All subscribers can get the TOC template for free here.
Paid subscribers receive access to additional templates to help you build a body of work.
Bonus for paid subscribers: A weekly challenge to help you move your micro and hybrid work forward.
Bonus for paid subscribers: This week I’m sharing a download about the container of word count with some quick revision tips. It’s available at the bottom of this post along with your weekly challenge.
To view the entire video (21:27) of the writing session and receive access to the archive, bonus templates and weekly challenges, please consider a paid subscription. It helps me keep the lights on so we can all keep writing. 💚
ALL subscribers, read on for this week’s challenge and bonus download.
Paid Subscriber Bonus Content: The Container of Word Count
Weekly Challenge:
Review the pieces in your TOC and count up all of the words for each piece, not including the title.
If any of your pieces are over 300 words, explore what kinds of simple revisions can you begin to make to lower your word count (this week, don’t worry about story-level revisions. The goal is to see how quickly you can trim your existing pieces so you’re working within the container).
If you are new to writing with me, apply this week’s challenge to the piece you wrote today. Get it under 300 words or less.
Quick Revision Tips (for top-level editing; we’ll tackle story-level editing later):
Quick cuts: what feels extra or unnecessary? If it feels important but not for this piece, put it in a “dump file” (or come up with a kinder name!) to revisit in the future. It could even become its own prompt.
Look at the first and last sentences. Do you need them? Could the piece end earlier? Could the last sentence (or second to last sentence) serve as the first? Could either be made into the title?
If you had to identify one theme, story, or message, what would it be? Remove anything (no matter how lovely) that doesn’t support that theme, story, or message.
Today’s prompt: Write about ice cream.
See you at the next live writing session—thank you for your support! Drop any questions below.
