January. A time for new beginnings. Better habits. More yoga. Less Toblerone… Except it’s not though, is it.
January is dark, cold, long, slow and still. It is the depth of winter – a time when sensible creatures are still holed up in their lairs, sleeping their way through this bountiless season, so that when they emerge in the spring, they’re rested, refreshed and ready to face a blossoming world. In the spring!
Whoever said January was the right time to feel inspired, motivated and sufficiently energetic to set life-changing habits was having a laugh! In my humble (and Kate’s with me on this, too) New Year’s resolutions set unrealistic expectations on our Christmas crackered and overly mince pied minds and bodies at a time in the year when we need to slow down, stick with the comfort of familiarity and conserve energy (well, as much as our modern lives will allow).
So if, like us, you’re ignoring all the ‘new year, new you’ calls to action and are happy in your den, under a blanket with a cuppa and a book while others cut out the pleasures in their lives that would see them through the dark season more cheerily, pull up a comfy chair!
But if you’re feeling a little too slowed by the cold and grey, and are struggling to pop out some hopeful shoots of creativity from your creaky wintering mind, don’t worry, we’ve got you.
Grab your notebook and pen
Wrap up, sit down and settle in to the playful possibilities in one or more of these writing prompts to get the cogs gently whirring again.
- Write about a time when you felt moved by nature. What did you see? How did it make you feel?
- You’re alone for the first time after a busy festive period. What do you do?
- Imagine you’re tasting your favourite food for the first time. Describe the texture, aroma, ‘mouthfeel’.
- Describe your perfect day.
- Tell a story from your childhood that makes you feel safe.
- Describe the moment you woke up on Christmas day as a child.
- Explain how it felt to finish reading your favourite book.
- Write about a friendship that got you through difficult times.
- Your teenage nephew gave you a book they said they’d written themselves. Write about how you feel when you later discover it was generated by AI.
- You have written the last sentence of your book. How do you feel?
- Give advice to someone starting a new career.
- The Christmas decorations are going back in the loft for another year. Describe the house reclaiming the space.
- Starting with the phrase ‘If I could I would…’ write about your dream pastime.
- Opening an old book, you find a postcard addressed to someone with your last name from 1926. Write a reply.
- Describe the first photograph you remember seeing of yourself.
- Write about a time in your life when you felt at peace.
- When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Be kind to yourself.
- If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be and why?
- Write about what money means to you.
- Find an old object or heirloom. What’s it telling you?
- Tell someone what it feels like to be successful.
- Describe your left hand.
- Explain to your toddler self what being your age now feels like.
- You’re stroking an elephant for the first time. Describe the sensation.
- List what you think other people like about you.
- Describe how you look when you’re dancing.
Happy hibernation. Happy regrowth. Happy gentle awakening into the new year.
If you fancy giving it a go, why not join us for a few hours creating your writer vision board on Sunday 25th January 2026? (If you are reading this after this date, we will be running one next year so please make sure you sign up for our newsletter so you keep up with all our news) Find out more and sign up to join us for free