Do you ever experience a confluence of seemingly unrelated events that makes you stop and think the universe is telling you something? Like all lines are converging into one point? Like it’s more than just the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (e.g., when you want to buy a Kia Sorento and all of sudden you start seeing Kia Sorentos everywhere)?
Right now, I swear the universe is telling me to get back to work on the novel I started four years ago.
First, the WWW leadership decided to host a writing retreat at General Butler State Park in October (more on that below). This state park - this state park - is located where the Kentucky and Ohio rivers meet - literally, two lines converging at the single point of my writing group’s fall retreat.
Next, I got an email from the London Writers Salon about its 100 Days of Writing Workshop. I’m a sucker for goal-setting workshops, and my calendar just so happened to be free on September 23, so I joined the Zoom. I followed along, filled out the workbook, and decided that, for the last 100 days of 2025, I would devote time every day to finishing my novel. My first steps were cleaning my office (check!) and printing the 100-day tracker (check!). I also committed to publicly announcing this goal (when this publishes, check!). Still have to open the manuscript….but luckily other activities count toward my goal.
Then, I listened to the Good Life Project podcast episode in which Mark Nepo discussed his new book The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Good grief, in September, I crossed firmly into my second half-century. And September is also the “fifth season” of Chinese lore - that is, as Nepo explained, the time of year when the light shifts and becomes golden, and everything seems bare and clear. This season - and the second half of life - “is a turning point, a time of integration and transformation that helps us make sense of our experience.” And, critical to my conversation with the universe, it’s a call to live a creative life as we age.
Last, my husband got me another Steven Pressfield book for my birthday - Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t. I’ve read three of his writing books so far, but this one - this one - is about novel-writing. Now I’m thinking in a whole new (golden) light about concept and theme and stakes for my dear protagonist. And, yes, I’m counting the time I spent reading this book as time devoted to finishing my novel (check!).
Dear writers, I’m listening hard to the universe now. I’m following the signs. I’m tracking all the lines to the point of convergence.
I do hope to see you all at our Two Rivers Writing Retreat in October. I’ll be there working on my novel.
~Megan Thompson
Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash
WRITING PROMPT
Fiction: Write about a character in the “fifth season” of their life taking the call to live a creative life.
Poetry: Identify three different, seemingly unrelated events in your life. Write a poem that weaves these events together. Can you identify a related theme?
Nonfiction: Have you ever been given a sign from the universe to do something? What did you do? Did you take the call? Did you ignore it?
~ Megan Thompson
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash
UPCOMING WWW MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Our October 14, 2025 member meeting will be from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Middletown Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, located at 12556 Shelbyville Road. If you would like a peer critique at the October meeting, email us () before October 14 at noon and describe your piece. Please bring 10 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.
Our November 11, 2025 member meeting will also take place at the Middletown Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. We will begin at 6:00pm and conclude at 7:30pm. At this meeting, we are excited to welcome Louisville author, Sarah Landenwich, to lead a workshop on writing body language entitled “Beyond Raised Eyebrows and Racing Hearts: Building Better Body Language.” Workshop participants should bring a 1-2 page excerpt from a work in progress. The excerpt should include at least one character, though for the purposes of our exploration, it may be more instructive to bring an excerpt that features multiple characters interacting. This is a cross-genre workshop that will focus on writing better body language. For the poets in the group, a person described in or presented as the subject of a poem counts as a character.
WWW is thrilled to host the Two Rivers Writing Retreat, a two-day writing retreat at General Butler State Park on October 25-26, 2025. Write with us at this beautiful location where the Kentucky and Ohio rivers meet. Find more information and register on our website.
GIVE FOR GOOD RECAP
Thank you to everyone who donated to Women Who Write on Give for Good Louisville Day! With your generous donations, we raised over $800 for our organization. And we did it while enjoying a wonderful Open Mic night at Fante’s, where six of our members took to the mic and shared their creative writing. Bravo!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Members, WWW wants to highlight the creative voices of our community. Send a short biography, headshot, and links to your author/poet accounts and website (if applicable) to . Additionally, share a favorite resource of yours for writing tips (like a podcast or social media account) and your most recent favorite read. We may spotlight you in a future newsletter!
WWW BLOG
Women Who Write features 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 Debbie Hudson on Unsplash
SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES & LOCAL EVENTS
On October 9, 2025, Carmichael’s will host Beth Macy, in conversation with Robert Gipe, about her newest book, Paper Girl.
On October 11, 2025, come see WWW and other local organizations and authors at the Louisville Book Festival, at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
One of our favorite retreat locations, Valaterra in LaGrange, has begun hosting regular Work From Valaterra days and Lazy Sundays, among other unique activities designed to recharge your mind and body.
Kentucky’s Poet Laureate, Kathleen Driskell, is now hosting a podcast called Kentucky Writer’s Notebook. Have a listen!
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.
Photo by Ryan Hutton on Unsplash
Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash 
Photo by Debbie Hudson on Unsplash