Still Waters

Settle down with a notebook and pen — yes, the old-fashioned kind that you hold in your hand! — and freewrite in response to any of the prompts below. Gaze deep into the reflection pool of your own hopes, fears, and fantasies about what it means to be a writer with unshakable resilience. You may be surprised at what bubbles up!

Find a quiet space to reflect on your personal history of overcoming challenges, both in writing and in other areas of your life. What have been your greatest tests of resilience, and what resources—internal and external—helped you navigate those difficult periods? What patterns do you notice in how you typically respond to setbacks and stress?

Consider the relationship between your writing challenges and other difficulties you've faced. Are there coping strategies from other areas of your life that you could apply to your writing practice? What does your track record of perseverance tell you about your capacity to handle current and future writing challenges?

Think deeply about what resilience means to you personally. Is it about pushing through difficulty, finding creative solutions, seeking support, or something else entirely? How might a clearer understanding of your own resilience style help you navigate your writing journey more effectively?

Journal about the support systems that sustain you during difficult writing periods. Who are the people who understand your struggles and celebrate your victories? What practices—physical, emotional, spiritual, creative—help you maintain perspective and energy for your work?

Reflect on the relationship between independence and interdependence in your writing life. When is it important to rely on your own inner resources, and when is reaching out for support the wiser choice? How might you build stronger support networks while also developing greater self-reliance?

Consider what kinds of support you most need but might not be receiving. Are there gaps in your support system that you could address? What would it look like to be more intentional about creating and maintaining relationships that nourish your writing life?

Take time to examine how writing challenges have shaped you as both a writer and a person. What have your most difficult writing experiences taught you about your strengths, your values, and your capacity for growth? How have obstacles in your writing journey contributed to skills or insights that now serve you in other areas?

Think about the relationship between struggle and meaning in your writing work. Have your most challenging projects also been among your most meaningful? What does this tell you about the role of difficulty in creating work that matters to you?

Reflect on this question: If you could eliminate all future writing challenges and setbacks, would you want to? What might you lose along with the pain if struggle were no longer part of your writing journey?

Consider your long-term vision for yourself as a writer and scholar. How do you want to look back on this period of your writing life? What kind of relationship with difficulty and challenge would you want to model for future writers or students?

Think about the sustainability of your current approach to handling writing stress and setbacks. Are your coping strategies serving your long-term well-being and productivity, or are they creating other problems? What would a truly sustainable approach to resilience look like in your writing life?

Reflect on how you want to grow and change as a result of your writing experiences. What qualities would you like to develop through navigating the challenges of scholarly work? How might your writing struggles be opportunities for becoming the person and writer you most want to be?

We’d love to hear how these writing prompts landed with you and whether they stirred any revelations. Please email us at writespace@helensword.com to share your thoughts.