July Writing Prompt: What I Wish I’d Known at 40
Every one of us has a story someone else needs to hear
The Second Half
July Writing Prompt: What I Wish I’d Known at 40
Every one of us has a story someone else needs to hear
Image created by AI using DALLE
One of my favorite things about The Second Half isn’t watching the follower count grow or seeing another story get promoted.
It’s watching someone publish a piece they almost didn’t write.
Almost every week, a writer tells me they weren’t sure anyone would care about their story. Then they hit Publish anyway, and something wonderful happens. Readers connect. They leave thoughtful comments. They share their own experiences. What started as one person’s memory suddenly belongs to all of us.
That’s why we’re introducing something new.
Beginning this month, The Second Half will feature a monthly writing prompt designed to inspire both our current writers and anyone who’s been thinking about joining us.
July’s Writing Prompt: What I Wish I’d Known at 40
If you could sit down with your 40-year-old self over a cup of coffee, what would you say?
Maybe you’d tell yourself to worry less.
Maybe you’d take better care of your health.
Maybe you’d leave the job sooner.
Stay in the marriage longer.
Take the trip.
Skip the promotion.
Buy the house.
Sell the house.
Forgive someone.
Forgive yourself.
Or maybe you’d simply smile and say, “Relax. It’s all going to work out differently than you think.”
There isn’t a right answer.
There isn’t even a common answer.
That’s what makes this prompt so interesting.
Every person who writes for The Second Half has lived a different second half. Some of us are retired. Some are raising teenagers. Some are traveling the world. Some are caring for aging parents. Some are rebuilding after loss. Others are just beginning to reinvent themselves.
Your answer won’t look like anyone else’s.
That’s exactly what we’re hoping for.
A few reminders before you submit
Please send us a new draft that has never been published on Medium before.
Most stories fall between 700 and 1,600 words, although we’re happy to make room for longer pieces when the story calls for it.
Include at least one image with proper credit and ALT text.
Use exactly five Medium tags, making The Second Half your final tag so we continue growing together.
Most importantly, tell us something real.
Those are always the stories readers remember.
A personal invitation to our writers
One of the things I’m most proud of isn’t the number of followers we’ve gained. It’s the incredible group of writers who have chosen to make The Second Half their publishing home.
This month, I’m personally inviting every one of you to join our July Writing Prompt.
What I Wish I’d Known at 40.
I know every one of you has a story to tell.
Some of you have been writing consistently. Others have been quiet for a while. Life has a way of getting busy — even after 40 — and sometimes the story that’s been sitting in your drafts folder just needs a little nudge.
Consider this your nudge.
I’d genuinely love to see every one of these names back in The Second Half this month:
Whether you’ve written one article or one hundred, I’d love to publish something new from you this month. Remember that submissions to The Second Half must be new drafts that have never been published on Medium before. Once you’ve published an article to your own profile, Medium won’t let us add it to the publication.
Don’t overthink it.
Don’t wait until it’s perfect.
Just tell us the story you wish someone had told you when you turned forty.
Not a writer yet?
Maybe you’ve been reading The Second Half for a while and wondering whether your stories are good enough.
They are.
We aren’t looking for celebrities, bestselling authors, or professional journalists. We’re looking for real people with real experiences and the courage to write honestly about them.
When you publish with The Second Half, you aren’t throwing your story into the void. Every article receives at least 50 claps from our editorial team along with a thoughtful comment, and many of our stories are actively promoted to reach an even larger audience. We celebrate our writers because we know how much courage it takes to hit that Publish button.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start writing, this is it.
Leave your Medium handle in the comments, and I’ll add you as a writer. Then write your response to “What I Wish I’d Known at 40.”
I have a feeling your story is exactly what someone else needs to read.
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