This Week's Homeless Writing Workshop Prompts
Editor's Desk
We don’t actually call it “homeless writing workshop” and no one has to reveal their housing status or self-label to participate. In fact, part of the beauty of this weekly group is that roughly one third of the attendees are not actually facing homelessness. So it becomes a space for community and friendships to form, without labels or limitations.
We’ve been gathering weekly at the local public library since April of this year.
Here’s how it goes:
Participants choose one prompt from each writing group, write for 10 minutes, read aloud if they want, then move onto the next section.
Below are the prompts from our gathering several days ago.
Speak Up Writing Workshop – December 3, 2024
Writing 1
Be opinionated: “Merry Christmas” vs “Happy Holidays” vs “Something Else”
Think of something you know nothing about. Explain it to a child.
What’s your favorite holiday _______ ? (Movie, book, food, tradition, song, etc)
Writing 2
Write about being homeless at Christmas.
Imagine that you could give one person any gift—without limitations. Who would you give it to? What would you give?
Writing 3
Write about community—having it, not having it, what it means to you.
Write a letter to someone telling them why they should donate to Speak Up. Consider making it personal to your experience with this workshop. …and then let Matt use that letter as part of a year-end fundraising campaign!
We are less than one month away from 2025. It could be your best year ever! Write about why or how it will be your best year ever.
Writing 4
“Writing 4” prompts are suggested in realtime by group members.
Readers — please feel free to write and share in the the comment section!
Asking for Your Partnership
Speak Up has been sharing stories of homelessness—online and in print—for the last thirteen years. More than 90 print issues and hundreds of online essays have been published.
Occasionally those efforts have caught the public interest, with stories appearing in outlets such as WFAE, Axios Charlotte, QC Nerve, SC Public Radio, and many others.
All the while we’ve looked for added layers and projects that increase dignity, build genuine community, and give a voice.
With the writing workshops, we have stumbled onto something really special. In the year ahead, we aim to see it replicate many times over.
Already we’re in early collaboration with several folks in far away communities to start Speak Up Partner Workshops. Are you interested in learning more? Let’s connect.
Speak Up is funded by your tax-deductible giving.
Help us reach our year-end general support goal of $15,000 to seed the next season.