When I came upon the shell necklace among my dead grandmother’s jewelry, I felt as if I’d walked into a fairytale. It looked straight out of The Little Mermaid. Even for a cynical teenager, the necklace stirred my imagination.
Not least because it didn’t fit Grandmother’s style. Its simplicity, its plainness, its cheap cord. Where did it come from? My mother had no explanation for the necklace, neither where it came from or what its significance was. It didn’t fit with the rest of her jewelry at all, which was colorful and glamorous looking.
Immediately, I imagined a story that went with the necklace. My grandmother was a former mermaid who had held onto the shell necklace that previously held her voice, as a reminder of where she came from and all that happened in her life.
I knew my grandmother wasn’t a former mermaid (or did I?), but I couldn’t help imagining the story. In her later years, my grandmother struggled with rheumatoid arthritis, and her swollen joints limited her mobility and helped shape the life she lived.
Know what helps arthritis? Saltwater. I could imagine a whole new story for my grandmother, a story that could heal her joints and ease her pain. And perhaps, invent a slightly more exciting narrative for her. In a different time, she would have gone to college and probably worked at an interesting job rather than be the traditional housewife typical of her generation.
So what if she was actually a former mermaid? Whose transition to human was mostly successful, except for certain physical consequences…such as the body deteriorating with age as it rebelled against its landborne status, developing rheumatoid arthritis as a result. She kept the necklace as a keepsake, but also as a passport, in case she ever truly desired it. She never went back to her previous life, her stronger form. However, she retained the option her whole life, never bothering to explain it to her children. But she left it as a wink for her favorite grandchild.
This rabbit hole all came about because of one necklace, and I’d still love to write a full story about it. Do you have an object like that in your home you could write a story/poem/essay about?
~Liz Roach-Smith
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Our August 12th member meeting will be from 6:30 PM to 8:30 at the St. Matthews Library at 3940 Grandview Ave 40207.
If you would like a peer critique, email us () before [meeting date] at noon and describe your piece. Please bring 15 printed copies of the manuscript you want us to read. No more than 1300 words (4 to 4.5 pages double-spaced) for prose (excerpts of longer pieces welcome), or two pages of poetry.
To give all members an opportunity to read, priority for peer critique will be given to those who email us ahead of time and who have not read at a recent meeting.
For September, we will have a Give For Good event in place of our peer critique meeting. It will be on Thursday 9/18, more details to come.
Photo by Liz Roach-Smith
WRITING PROMPT
What is an everyday item in your home that can lead to an intriguing story?
Does the butter knife in your drawer remind you of a family fight when you were a child, and your sister threw a dinner roll at your brother’s head? Or do you have a pantry door that is actually a portal to another world? Do you see a stray button and imagine a character coming across it in a story and find out their partner is having an affair? Does your backyard garden plot inspire a poem focused on the abundance of summer?
Fiction: Select an object from your home and use it to craft a scene or short story. It could be a family heirloom, a household item or a feature of your home.
Poetry: Write a poem describing your item, using plenty of sensory details. What sounds, tastes, smells, sights are associated with this object, and what are the emotional associations?
Nonfiction: Write an essay about an item that symbolizes a major turning point in your life. Include plenty of details about the object and the associated memory.
~ Liz Roach-Smith
SPOTLIGHT
Member Melissa Draut has found an excellent guided yoga practice for writers! Not only does this help us establish a routine, it helps with our mindset and physical health <3
WWW BLOG
Women Who Write has a blog on our website to showcase our community’s talent. We want to publish your writing or republish a recent publication of yours (given that reprints are permitted). Please send us your short stories, poems, and essays! No more than 2,000 words.
Browse our web blog now! Publishing on our blog will expand your writing platform. For more information, email and pitch your story or poem—the one you’ve written or the one you want to write! We may provide suggested edits, for flow and clarity.
Photo by Merve Sehirli Nasir on Unsplash
SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES & LOCAL EVENTS
The Fall 2025 Axton Reading Series lineup is here! And don’t miss the final Voice & Vision!
Regular local events:
‘Zine Lunch with Sarabrande Books, monthly on Fridays at noon
Carmichael’s regularly hosts authors and poets in the evenings
Become a member or renew your membership—As a community, WWW strives to nurture your writing life. We hope you choose to join or renew as a member and participate in our monthly meetings, author talks, retreats, and workshops. Our membership coordinator will notify anyone due to renew. Regular annual membership is $50. Student annual membership is $25. Scholarships are available. Membership entitles you to discounts on workshops and retreats.
Attend our monthly member meetings on the second Tuesday of each month for a brief program, peer critiques, and conversations about the writing life. Not currently a member? You can attend two meetings before deciding to join.
