Friday Dispatch: The Power of Writing in a Harrowing World

The book is here! The book is here!

Jan 24, 2025

Friday greetings,

You know how when someone asks, “How are you?” sometimes you either respond reflexively (“Good!”) or with something like, “Can you ask me something easier?”

How are we going to get through this?

That is the question I heard variations of all week. It carries notes of the fear, overwhelm, incredulity, shock, awe, and sorrow that many of us knew was awaiting us. And here we are.

Thanks to my dear friend Sue Ann Gleason, two words help me come back to earth.

Those words are TANGIBLE ACTS.

Doomscrolling and stewing lead to paralysis, which, as we know, is very much the point. But in our local communities and personal spheres, there is always something we can do. While yes I am referring to politics, our personal, creative, and spiritual practices are inextricably linked to our presence in the world, which is in turn inextricable from how we engage, interact, and care for one another.

One thing I’m going to keep rooting into is the “small but mighty” approach to life, which helps me when it feels like nothing is enough.

Another thing I know – know and believe in my bones – is that our words have power.

Words can have therapeutic and healing power by helping us explore and understand ourselves better, illuminate our experiences, and remember and reclaim the whole wonderful, messy, beautiful, layered experience of being alive – the very things this administration is intent on destroying.

My dear readers:

* When the world is simultaneously harrowing and magnificent –

* When you crave a writing practice but never seem to stick with it –

* When you wonder how you are supposed to stay aware and engaged while also tending to the stuff of your own everyday life, “stuff” that is precious and vital –

* When you experience the cognitive dissonance of so many coexisting realities and wonder where to “put” it all –

* When you start dismissing or doubting the importance of your ideas and dreams because “what do they matter when [X] is happening” –

* When you psych yourself out because [insert your reasons here – I guarantee others share them] –

Do these sound familiar? All of these are why I began writing prompts and leading writing groups in the first place. That was 10 years ago! Now, I’ve compiled 201 of those prompts into a single collection which, as of yesterday, is available for purchase.

A few reasons I am overjoyed to share this news today:

It has been a long time coming! I completed the manuscript during the pandemic, then it lay dormant on my laptop for nearly four years. I did the very thing I am inviting you not to do: I talked myself out of it. Time to stop that!
It’s tangible! It’s a BOOK. An actual, physical book you can hold in your hands or on your Kindle, keep on your desk or nightstand or in your bag, bring on the train or to a coffee shop, or use to buddy up with a friend or group.
It’s an act! My guidance at the beginning of the book is to set a timer for just 10 minutes per prompt. Keep your hand moving. Don’t delete, edit, self-censor, or polish as you go. Just write. See what happens. (You will be amazed.) Remember: small = mighty.

Hundreds of people have used these prompts in ways that have led to personal, creative, and spiritual insights and healing, not to mention poems, essays, stories, and memoirs. My vision is that writing is one of the things that can and will help us cope, process, metabolize, push back against, shore up, ground down, and connect with ourselves and each other in this alarmingly fragile and fraught time of human history.

Joan Didion famously said that she wrote to find out what she was thinking. I hope these prompts help you do just that, 10 minutes at a time.

USE THE COUPON CODE “FIERCE” FOR 20% OFF UNTIL JANUARY 31:

Purchase here

Will you hep me spread the word?

As you may well know, this book grew out of a lot of “little engine that could” energy.

I’m actively brainstorming ways to share the book, spread the word, and offer people a firsthand experience of using these prompts to unlock your words. To that end, I’m asking for your participation in getting the word out!

Drop me a line if you’d like to have a conversation about hosting a Zoom or in-person workshop

I can’t wait to see this book in people’s hands and homes! Snap a photo when yours arrives! Tag me on social media, or email me a picture.
As soon as the book is available for presale on Amazon (maybe as soon as next week), I will be back to invite you to leave reader reviews. As many authors will tell you, traffic really does drive sales and visibility. Those dang algorithms.

With gratitude and – always – my fiercest encouragement.

Shabbat Shalom and love,

Jena

THE OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION

Feeling overwhelmed by the world, creatively stagnant, or simply ready to write? Put down your devices, pause your downloads, and open this unusual collection of prompts. Whether you have writer's block and need help generating new material, or are seeking solace on the page during a time of stress or uncertainty, these pages offer a resource for refuge, release, and realization.

Designed equally for those who write for an audience and anyone who turns to the page to process life, the premise of "Fierce Encouragement" is that everything counts.

Don't have time? Write for just 10 minutes per prompt and be amazed at how much emerges.

Not sure where to begin? Here are 201 ways. Start today – then keep going.

Written over six tumultuous years and proven in hundreds of writing groups, these prompts reflect the author's personal practice as much as they invite readers to develop and deepen their own.

In the tradition of Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones" and Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird," Jena Schwartz shares generously of her own stories as she guides readers gently to the page with myriad points of entry for writing. The prompts here range from playful to profound and can be returned to time and again. Hundreds of writers across genres – from poetry to memoir, personal essay to speculative fiction – have turned to these prompts to seed, expand, stretch, deepen, and discover new edges in their work.

At the same time, these prompts have equal appeal to those who have no intention of sharing their words with the world but rather use writing as a mindfulness practice and tool for self-exploration and self-expression.

Drawing on research about the psychological and spiritual benefits of writing, Schwartz leads by example by reminding readers that showing up with self-compassion is the basis for any practice. By shifting from judgment to curiosity and from outcome to process, these 20 mini collections of 10 prompts create an ease-full framework for writers of every kind to realize that writing doesn't have to be a struggle.

In the words of author Katrina Kenison, "Give her your hand, dear writer, and enter here. And be prepared: to surprise yourself, to tell the truth you never knew you knew, to find the treasure that is your story hiding in plain sight."

Purchase your copy here:
https://store.bookbaby.com/book/fierce-encouragement

Don’t forget to use the coupon code FIERCE and get 20% off when you order by January 31!