Send us a text In today's story, Wait For It, two women chat on a bus. Today's prompt came up while thinking about the patience it takes for situations--and people--to grow and change. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning and very little editing. If you enjoy today's story, please share it with your friends and leave …

Send us a text In today's story, Labor of Love, Love reflects on her day's work, including a challenging repair call. Today's prompt came from simple word association as it was written on Labor Day. Labor Day... Labor of Love. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning and very little editing. If you enjoy today's story, pl…

Send us a text In today's story, Migraine, a debilitating migraine stirs a stew of thoughts and emotions Today's prompt was inspired by a recent migraine. Being knocked down by a migraine can be physically and emotionally overwhelming. If you struggle with migraines or other health issues, please know that you are not alone. Seek help from friends,…

Send us a text In today's story, Condesplaining, a new arrival gets a lesson on small town rules Today's prompt is a made-up word. It's essentially a gender-neutral version of "mainsplaining." In other words, it describes the act of explaining something without regard for the listener's expertise. If you have a prompt suggestion, let me know and I'…

Send us a text In today's story, Widgets, a writer wanders through a wobbly chat about whatchamacallits Today's prompt had no obvious inspiration. It just came to me in a flash while wondering what prompt to use. If you have a prompt suggestion, let me know and I'll be sure to credit you in the episode! As always, this story was written from the pr…

Send us a text In today's story, City Life, some small town kids head to a big city summer camp Today's prompt was inspired by some upcoming vacation plans. While I sometimes like to head to the beach or mountains, I also need a few city trips throughout the year. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning and very little e…

Send us a text In today's story, Think Tank, what happens when a group of researchers consider the future? Today's prompt came up when I was telling Peter a story about how my mom used to say that I should be put in a think tank someday--which prompted some weird ideas in my young mind. Peter said think tank should be my next prompt, and here we ar…

Send us a text In today's story, Never Say Never, a couple tries to write their wedding vows Today's prompt was inspired by a book on my shelf called Never, Never Quit by Karen Hallion (great book!). This story has nothing to do with that book, but the title made me think of the expression 'never say never' and I ran with it. As always, this story …

Send us a text In today's story, Reusable Straws, a gathering of drinking straws gives way to deeper meaning. Today's prompt was inspired by a reusable straw sitting on my desk. I didn't expect such a mundane item would lead where it did, but I really like the story that emerged. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning a…

Send us a text In today's story, Birds of a Feather, a house finch and two mourning doves discuss the new bird feeder in town Today's prompt was inspired by my new smart bird feeder. Watching birds is surprisingly entertaining. Especially when it leads to a fun little story. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning and ve…

Send us a text Special Sleep Edition: Today's story, Soft Summer Rain, is a sleepy story that may lull you into a gentle nap or a goodnight's sleep. Today's prompt was inspired by a rainy local authors' event and the drowsiness that came after a day of selling my books to new readers. It's a special story with a softer tone, designed to help you fa…

Send us a text In today's story, Infinity Plus One, two sisters argue over who loves cinnamon toast the most. Today's prompt was loosely chosen based on my use of an infinity strap during a virtual yoga class. It's one of my favorite yoga props, a short cotton strap sewn in the shape of an infinity sign or figure eight. As always, this story was wr…

Send us a text In today's story, Tread Softly, a young woman reflects on lessons she learned from her older brother. Today's prompt was inspired by a book of the same title. When I was young, I loved Tread Softly by Corinne Gerson. I recently tracked down a copy and was delighted to read it again. As always, this story was written from the prompt, …

Send us a text In today's story, Cake, thoughts of sweets freely ramble Today's prompt is a loose stream of consciousness ramble that begins with sleeping on a bed made of chocolate cake. Or something like that... Sometimes stories have less story and more nonsense. This is one of those times. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with…

Send us a text In today's story, Under Where, a fairy finds a career without collecting teeth Today's prompt is a bit of word play based on the phrase "under where" sounding like the word "underwear." Yes, very silly. Sometimes silly is good way to let your imagination flow. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning and ve…

Send us a text In today's story, Out For Delivery, a casual conversation finds some feelings Today's prompt came up while I was waiting for a package to be delivered. Tracking information is great until it becomes a distraction you check every few minutes as your delivery get closer. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planni…

Send us a text In today's story, Breathe, life unfolds one breath at a time Today's prompt was inspired by my other job, which is teaching yoga. Breath is a key part of a yoga practice. Breathing practices can help you feel centered and better prepared to handle all aspects of your life. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no pl…

Send us a text In today's story, Clockwork, romance blooms in a clock shop Today's prompt came from a hazy dream of gears moving like clockwork. Today's episode also includes a reintroduction for listeners who are new to Freely Written. As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning and very little editing. If you enjoy today's…

Send us a text In today's story, Splitting Hairs, a detective meets the family Today's prompt was loosely inspired by a trip to get my hair cut... which doesn't really have much to do with the expression. The phrase just came to mind, which is enough to make it a writing prompt! As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning an…

Send us a text In today's story, Boxing Day, an American family learns about a new (to them) holiday Today's prompt was inspired by Boxing Day, a holiday celebrated in many countries on December 26th, the day after Christmas. Happy holidays! As always, this story was written from the prompt, with no planning and very little editing. If you enjoy to…

Send us a text In today's story, Advent, a neighborhood sitter has a very special advent calendar. Today's prompt was inspired by the Christmas season. Do you use an advent calendar to countdown the days to Christmas? Do you have a fun one to share? Let me know through social media or my website (links below). As always, this story was written from…

Send us a text In today's story, Leftovers, a post-Thanksgiving breakfast includes pumpkin pie and questions. Today's prompt was suggested by my friend Wendy McMullan in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday. What are your favorite Thanksgiving leftovers? How do you like to celebrate this and other winter holidays? As always, this story was written fro…

Send us a text In today's story, Cozy Mystery Club, five friends decide it's time for their book club to investigate a real-life crime. Today's prompt was inspired by some thoughts about book genres. What is your favorite style of book? Do you like cozy mysteries, science fiction, romance, or another genre? Do you read a little of everything? As al…

Send us a text In today's story, Cuckoo Catfish, Katie tells Cal about chaperoning their son's field trip Today's prompt was based on a recent trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. It's a great place to see a wide range of aquatic life. Apparently, it's a good place to get a story prompt, too! As always, the story was written from the prompt,…

Send us a text In today's story, The Wash 'N Dryer, Katie's taunting sends Billy on an adventure Since this is the 100th episode of Freely Written, today's story is not written from a random prompt. Instead, it is a story that Susan wrote way back in high school when she was about 16 years old. Enjoy this bit of fiction from the early '90s and our …

Send us a text In today's story, Second Summer, Hillary overthinks her way to a coffee date Today's prompt was based on the weather. October is my favorite time of year, yet fall is often interrupted by second summer, a time when hot sunny days return for one last gasp before the chill of fall fully sets in. As always, the story was written from th…

Send us a text In today's story, Vacation Mode, Hal is fascinated by his neighbors' smart home Today's prompt was based on my state of mind, since the story was written right before I left for a beach vacation! I'm home now and very glad I had a chance to spend a week with an ocean view and the sound of waves lulling me to sleep each night. As alwa…

Send us a text In today's story, No Help, Gramps teaches Dina a new trick Today's prompt came up when I asked my spouse for a suggestion. He couldn't think of one, so I joked that he was no help... which turned out to be a help after all. If you have a suggestion for a writing prompt, please let me know! As always, the story was written from the pr…

Send us a text In today's story, Heart's Most Desire, Mary shops for the perfect gift for her niece Today's prompt was suggested by my friend Gretchen Schutte. While this story did not wander into the world of yoga, Gretchen is a fabulous yoga and meditation teacher. You can visit her website at PeaceinthePause.com! As always, the story was written…

Send us a text Hi, friends! No new story today... I'll be back with a new story next week. I'm taking this week off because I have a new novel coming out at the end of August and am particularly busy at the moment. My new novel, Elders and Aliens, will be the third and final book in The Psychic Traveler Society series. You can learn more about this…

Send us a text In today's story, Rusty, teenagers are surprised during a game of mini golf Today's prompt came to me while I was working on the layout review and final edits on my new book, which will be the third and final book in The Psychic Traveler Society series. I enjoy this part of the publishing process, but it's also been a while since my …

Send us a text In today's story, Wolves, two brothers share time away from their pack Today's prompt was suggested by one of my younger listeners, Lincoln McMullan. Thanks, Lincoln! If you have a prompt idea, send me a word or phrase and it may be used in a future story. You can reach me through social media or my website. As always, the story was …

Send us a text In today's story, Fireworks, a meet cute occurs at a suburban block party Today's prompt was inspired by the Fourth of July holiday, also known as the U.S. Independence Day. Fireworks are a popular part of the July 4th celebration, from sparklers and bottle rockets to commercial firework displays. As always, the story was written fro…

Send us a text In today's story, Fairytale, a group of fairy friends worry over a lost book Today's prompt was chosen because it's been awhile since we had a fantasy story. As always, the story was free-written from the prompt with no planning and very little editing. If you enjoy today's story, please share it with your friends and leave a review …

Send us a text In today's story, Popcorn, a new house brings up some old feelings Today's prompt came up while I was explaining this podcast at a social gathering. There was a bowl of popcorn on the table, so I said a prompt could be anything, like popcorn. Then I decided to actually use that as my next prompt. As always, the story was free-written…

Send us a text In today's story, Conventional, friends discuss ideas of beauty Today's prompt was inspired by my recent book signing events, including one mini convention at a local comic book shop. Thinking about conventions spurred ideas of what it means to be conventional... or unconventional. As always, today's story was free-written from the p…

Send us a text In today's story, Bright Idea, new tech sends Lynn running for her life Today's prompt came from a recent dream. Most of that dream was quickly forgotten, except for some shining stars that became the tech in this story. Though it was dream inspired, today's story was still free-written from the prompt with no planning and very littl…

Send us a text In today's story, Chicken à la King, farmyard friends can have big dreams Today's prompt came to me randomly, inspired by hunger and thoughts of what to make for dinner. I don't think I've ever had chicken à la king, but it's one of those recipe names I often hear and it seemed like it could lead to an interesting story. As always, t…

Send us a text In today's story, Crochet Party, some friends get together to try a new craft Today's prompt was inspired by a recent project where I crocheted a tissue box cover because I couldn't find one that I liked in a store. If you're curious about that project, I put pictures and a free pattern on my website: Crochet Tissue Box Cover As alwa…

Send us a text In today's story, Rhyme Time, a friendly walk sparks rhyming talk Today's prompt was loosely inspired by a podcast I enjoy called Something Rhymes with Purple. It is a British podcast that delves into the origin of words. You can find the podcast here: Something Rhymes with Purple. The story today got a bit silly. I focused on rhyme,…

Send us a text In today's story, Rhinestone Princess, a young girl finds beauty in her mom's jewelry box Today's prompt was inspired by a rhinestone hair clip sitting on my desk. I have no idea if rhinestone princess is a common phrase, but it popped into my head and seemed promising for a freewritten story. If you enjoy today's story, please share…

Send us a text In today's story, Layover, coworkers consider a bit of history Today's prompt was suggested by my friend and fellow yoga teacher, Gretchen Schutte. In addition to teaching at local studios and online, Gretchen also holds yoga retreats in lovely international destinations. Which may be why she had travel on the mind when suggesting th…

Send us a text In today's story, Yellow Roses, a gift of roses has deeper meaning Today's prompt is in honor of my mom, who died 34 years ago and loved yellow roses. Freewriting is a great way to exercise creativity. It can also be a good way to explore deep emotion. If you enjoy today's story, please share it with your friends and leave a review f…

Send us a text In today's story, Sheet Music, a daughter's visit sparks memories of monkeys and music Today's prompt was inspired by a glance up from my desk, which landed my gaze on the sheet music sitting on my piano. A look around the room is often a good way to choose a prompt for a short story or other writing exercise. If you enjoy today's st…

Send us a text In today's story, Weird Blanket, a boy's trip to his local comic book shop takes a magical turn Today's prompt was requested by my husband, Peter, after hearing the phrase on an episode of Community. I started the story with no idea how I'd include a weird blanket, but I got there eventually! If you enjoy today's story, please share …

Send us a text In today's story, Resolutions, space travelers pursue a legendary ghost ship called the Resolute. Happy New Year! Today's prompt is a seasonal nod to new year resolutions. Note: As we move into 2023, Freely Written will now have new stories every two weeks, skipping the commentary episodes that used to be included every 5th episode. …

Send us a text In today's story, Winter Solstice, a teen pushing back on childhood traditions leads to a wider view of the world. Today's prompt was inspired by the Winter Solstice, which will occur on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. There are many ways to celebrate the longest night of the year. It's also interesting to consider what's hap…

Send us a text In today's story, Invisible Work, Carrie wins some invisible help for her invisible work Today's prompt was inspired by the extra invisible work that can come up during the holiday season. Sending holiday cards, planning dinners, shopping for gifts, and more. On top of the daily effort that goes into laundry, groceries, cooking, and …

Send us a text In today's story, Saying Grace, tensions rise over a Thanksgiving tradition Today's prompt was inspired by the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Many families have complicated holiday gatherings, and sometimes a small detail can trigger big feelings. More about Susan Quilty Susan Quilty mainly writes novels, including two standalone nov…

Send us a text In today's story, Confluence, a young woman goes on a mystical journey The word for today's prompt came up during a walk in the woods with my friend, Gretchen Schutte. Our walk took us to a confluence, where two rivers join, and our brief chat about the word stuck with me when I later sat down to write. Other aspects of our walk may …