⤓ Download the Live Writing Session Table of Contents template (PDF) to help track your work (free for all subscribers).
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Thank you
, , , , , and all of you who wrote live with me today. If you joined us, you wrote. If you’re watching the replay, you’re about to write. And that is what this is all about.When are the Live Writing Sessions?
Free and paid subscribers receive notifications when I’m live on Substack. I also post upcoming sessions in the weekly Micro Monday post. If you see a scheduled reminder, click “I’m Interested” and you’ll be notified when we begin.
The weekly live sessions are always free. Don’t worry if you join late—even two minutes of focused writing is valuable. Trust the process and your timing. Remember, we always add titles last, so they can do some heavy lifting regardless of when you join.
The opportunity for you and your work is knowing what the right things are to say yes to and what to say no to. And that includes the pieces that you write and revise.
Darien Gee
How the 10-Minute Sessions Work
Quick and focused. Drop in at the start (top of the hour) and leave right after—just 10 minutes out of your day
I arrive 5 minutes early to welcome you and say hello; I stay 5-10 minutes after for questions and a brief craft talk or check-in
We start promptly at the top of the hour with a countdown timer on screen
⤓ Download the Live Writing Session Table of Contents template to help track your work (free for all subscribers).
Latecomers are always welcome—just start writing. The prompt will be on 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.
Today’s prompt begins at 5:15
Today’s post-session talk begins at 21:32 (skip ahead to this point)
Here are some great titles that were shared today (the rest were lost during my dead air moment, apologies. Please add yours in the comments below!):
"Earthly Umbrellas, Mycelial Threads, A World of Connection" (250 words)
"Not Julia Child" (275 words)
"The Mushrooms Softened My Gaze" (310 words)
Session #29 Highlights
The Process [00:00-05:00]
Format: 10-minute timed writing sessions with prompts
Focus: Micro prose (300 words or less, not including title)
Genre: Primarily creative nonfiction, personal essays, personal narratives
Structure: 5 min intro → 10 min writing → 10 min craft talk
Tools: Free downloadable TOC (Table of Contents) template for tracking pieces
The Philosophy [02:36-04:13]
Stream of consciousness approach: “When the timer goes, you go. You start writing, you start typing.” [28:17]
Building inventory: Recommends 18-36 pieces before submitting [23:16]
Trust the process: Focus on what’s trying to emerge rather than forcing predetermined ideas
The Revision Process [29:04-31:37]
Write first, revise later: If you’re new to micro prose, “write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write” [25:00] rather than write-revise-write-revise
10-minute revision blocks: Same time structure as generative writing
Darien’s “Magical” Three-Step Revision Method: Original piece + two 10-minute revision sessions = “a very different piece in half an hour” [31:28]
Darien’s Micro Prose Course: My self-guided “magical” revision workshop is available on Writer-ish.com here (paid subscribers, look at your welcome email for a discount code). In 90 minutes you’ll write one new piece and two variations while learning how to get out your own way during the revision process.
On Building Writing Practice [03:48-04:04]
“Once you learn to start telling stories in these 10 minute bursts, you’re going to get better and you’re going to get faster and you’re going to start to see things come out from the work where you’re going to go, that’s really interesting.”
“You’ll be surprised with those pieces that you think are junk. They have a way of becoming your favorite pieces.” [25:22]
On Creative Discovery [23:27-23:43]
“We might have a very clear intention of writing about something and then we go in this other direction. And I don’t want you to be like, Well, I didn’t do that right. I want you to be like, What’s happening here? Ask, I wonder what’s going on?”
On Building Creative Confidence [23:47-24:00]
“That’s how you’re going to recognize little opportunities, sort of shiny objects on the side that might want your attention... Because we’re just building sort of our inner wisdom as writers.”
“Start trusting yourself more, trusting the ideas that come in.” [30:12]
Upcoming Workshops & Events [32:27-33:21]
Word of the Day Writing Workshop on Substack: 3-week workshop happening now on Substack!
3 Things: Short Prose Conversations: Next week with Grant Faulkner
Shh! Upcoming Memoir Workshop (Zoom): October 11th with Abigail Thomas and Darien Gee. Add-on feedback intensive for 12 people on October 18th or October 19th
Food Memoir Class: “I Ate That: Food as Personal History,” a 10-week class at Hugo House using micro to tell food stories (registration opens 8/19)
Paid subscribers, read on to access the prompt + highlights of today’s post-session conversation on building a body of micro prose work. ↓
