Happy Friday!

And just like that, we’re already turning the final page on the first month of 2026. With January winding down, a flurry of deadlines is coming up fast—both at the end of this month and the very start of February. But no need to stress. As always, NewPages is here with a fresh roundup of currently open submission opportunities so you won’t miss a thing.

And of course, we can’t forget that little dash of inspiration.

Inspiration Prompt: To Become the Sky

Expectations can be a double‑edged sword, can’t they? From the pressures and demands you place on yourself to those others place, impose, and project on you. Expectations that can help drive you forward but can also mire you in a bog of what others desire—or make you feel like a failure if you know, in reality, you cannot possibly live up to them.

For this week’s prompt, step outside those expectations—every one of them. Imagine what might be possible if you loosened your grip on who you are supposed to be and opened your palms to who you could be. Let yourself become vast, borderless, atmospheric. What would your writing look like if you expanded instead of compressed? If you rose above the narrow corridors of obligation and drifted instead toward the wide blue of possibility?

Write from the perspective of someone—yourself, a character, a voice, a place, a creature—who has decided to become the sky. How do they shed the weight of expectation? What dissolves, what remains, and what becomes newly visible from this impossible altitude? Consider how the sky changes throughout a day, a season, a storm. How does transformation invite both clarity and opacity?

Happy Friday!

This is a weekend for bundling up in layers and staying indoors with a steady supply of hot drinks and soup. Here in the Midwest, we’re heading into subzero windchills—never fun when stepping outside means being instantly frozen. Take care of yourselves and stay safe if you’re in an area experiencing dramatic temperature dips or snowstorms.

NewPages has the perfect remedy to keep you cozy and creative. Enjoy a weekly dose of writing inspiration and more than 100 venues where you can submit your work. It’s more than enough to keep you active, busy, and out of the chill.

Inspiration Prompt: It’s All in the Breed

I share my life (and my blankets) with two dachshunds—stubborn, affectionate little tunneling machines who believe the universe revolves around snuggle time and whatever scent trail they’ve decided is more important than my plans for the day. Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers underground… which explains both their determination and my yard.

For this week’s prompt, imagine a world where human emotions and habits are inherited directly from the animals we love or live with.
Not shapeshifting, not fables—just a strange rule of the universe: your temperament comes from your household species or breed.

How would that play out?

Happy Friday!

Can you believe January is already halfway gone? This week we sent out our eLitPak newsletter—if you missed it, you can catch up online here.

The weather’s still doing its 2026 flip-flop—50s one day, teens the next. Some things never change! One thing you can count on, though, is NewPages bringing you a fresh roundup of submission opportunities and inspiration every week. Happy writing and submitting!

Inspiration Prompt: Negativity is All in the Head

We talk about “negative” temperatures, but what does that really mean? For some, cold means the 40s or 50s. For others, it’s subzero, where the air bites and the world freezes solid. Did you know that when it gets extremely cold, the atmosphere can become too dry for snow? The colder it gets, the less likely you’ll see those flakes…and the more likely you should be slathering yourself in moisturizer.

This week, imagine life in a world below zero. What would change for you? What new skills would you need to survive? Now take it further: what if your attitude controlled the temperature? The more negative your thoughts, the colder your surroundings become. Could your mindset freeze rivers, frost windows, or plunge a city into an endless winter?

Write, sketch, or create around the idea of negativity—how it shapes environments, relationships, and survival.

Now that you are perfectly inspired, and perfectly frigid, keep going to find a home for your work.