Happy Friday! Whether you’re superstitious or skeptical, NewPages has your creative fuel—offering inspiration to jumpstart your writing along with submission opportunities to keep you busy. If Friday the 13th sends a shiver down your spine, maybe hold off on submitting until tomorrow. But today? Perfect for setting your plans in motion.
Writing Prompt: Demystifying 13

In honor of Friday the 13, why not embrace this as our prompt? Is thirteen a symbol of fortune or misfortune?
Throughout history, cultures have clashed over the meaning of this number. In Western traditions, it’s often associated with bad luck—especially on a Friday. Some link this superstition to the Last Supper, where Judas became the infamous 13th guest before the crucifixion. Others cite Norse mythology, where Loki disrupted a feast of twelve gods, leading to chaos. The thirteenth card in a Tarot deck is death.
But in many cultures, thirteen marks a positive transformation. Jewish tradition celebrates thirteen as the age of maturity with a bar mitzvah. In Mesoamerican civilizations, thirteen symbolized an important cycle in the sacred calendar, tied to cosmic order and spiritual growth. Even the ancient Egyptians viewed thirteen as a number of ascension in the afterlife.
Are these beliefs simply passed down without question, or do they reflect something deeper? For this prompt, explore how the number thirteen shapes luck, culture, or personal experience. Write about a character who defies superstition, a society built on the sacred power of thirteen, or a twist of fate where thirteen holds unexpected meaning. Write a poem reflecting on the ways thirteen has shaped your fortune—or misfortune. Craft a lyric essay unraveling superstition, questioning beliefs that may crumble under close scrutiny. Or…how about a tongue-in-cheek experiment where you test all things related to 13 and luck that you can and record the results?
Whether thirteen is a blessing or a curse is up to you—so grab your pen and explore! And don’t wait too long—June 15 is right around the corner, and plenty of submission opportunities are ending soon.