In a writing slump? Need a little nudge, a kiss of inspiration? Enjoy this prompt from our Advanced Fiction instructor from Chris Belden:
Ashtray by Marcus Jackson
Filling with my mother’s smolderings,
this tawny, six-sided, three-pound glass dish
has sat forty years at the table’s center.
During lapses in labor or happiness
my mother smoked Merit after Merit, her mind
a crowded parlor of plans, self-hate,
and urgent glimpses of encounters long past.
She split the skin atop my father’s skull
once with this ashtray as he grabbed her.
Weekly, after she emptied and washed it, Friday’s light
entered the drafty sash and upheld this ashtray
as the crown of one woman’s quiet country.
Think of an object from your life. It doesn’t have to be a super important object—it can be small and seemingly inconsequential, but sometimes when we start writing about things that we still remember, they start to become more important to us. Describe the object, then tell us what you remember about it. See where this takes you.
Whether you are looking for a gift for the other writers in your life or thinking of ways to commit to your craft in 2026, we put together a gift guide perfect for the holiday season. BOOKS We asked our instructors and staff to share the book they’re giving friends
BY SUZANNE FARRELL SMITH At my first grad school program, my inaugural class was a writing-heavy course on cultural criticism, co-taught by a famous, cantankerous, prolific author. He told us, in so many words, “Writers must write every day. If you don’t write every day, you are not a writer.”
