Workshop 1

July 28, 2025

Kristina L. Wildes

Start Here

Before you read another word, press play.

Let it build. Let it fill the space around you. That low pulse. That quiet edge. That subtle threat wrapped in silk.

Let yourself settle into the mood of a promise never meant to be kept and the power of choosing to keep it anyway.

Once the last note fades, scroll down.

And begin.

Who Am I, and Why Am I Doing This?

Let me start by saying this: I’m not an English professor. I don’t have an MFA. I’m not here to lecture you about sentence structure or tell you what “real writing” looks like. That varies from person to person and unless you have my editor, your writing will be unique to you.

And if you have my editor... good luck. He hates the word "that", will decorate your pages up in purple ink and will be on your ass about deadlines more than your ex. But I love him anyway and he is my best friend.

I’m a writer. A working author. I’ve published my debut novel and written more scientific papers than I can count. Peer-reviewed, cited, the whole nine yards. My background is in science, but my heart? Fully in storytelling. Fiction is where I breathe.

I’ve written through burnout. Through imposter syndrome. Through that gnawing voice that says, “You’re not good enough” or “This isn’t worth finishing.” And I’ve learned, over and over again, the best way through that mess is not inspiration. It’s not motivation.

It’s action.

It’s getting words on the page, even when they’re ugly. 1 AM phone calls with my editor on how stuck I am. Comments in google on how do I get this paragraph from A to this other paragraph C.

That’s why I created this workshop series. Not because I think I know everything, but because I’ve been where you are. I’ve been blocked. I’ve been lost. And I’ve come out the other side. One sentence at a time.

Why Weekly Writing Workshops Work

Writing is a craft. And like any craft, it improves with repetition, risk, and play.

These workshops are meant to give you structure without pressure. Something to show up for each week. Something to guide you gently, or kick you firmly with as much love as I can, back into the habit of creative thinking.

Here’s why they help:

• They make you consistent

• They lower the stakes

• They shake your brain out of its rut

• They turn abstract “ideas” into concrete pages

• They remind you that you’re still a writer, even when you feel like a fraud

There’s no grade. No right or wrong. Just a single idea, and two pages to explore it.

This Week’s Prompt

Write about the villain who tells the hero, “You’re only alive because I made a promise.”

Sit with that for a second. Listen to the song embeded below or search "Darkside by Neoni" on your chosen website.

Who made the promise? Was it a dying friend? A parent? A god? The hero themselves, in a moment they don’t even remember?

What does the villain really feel about keeping it? Regret? Rage? A twisted sense of honor?

Explore the weight of that sentence. The tension in the room. The restraint it takes for someone powerful enough to kill but chooses not to.

This prompt is about control. About boundaries. About past choices that still burn in the present.

Go as dark, tender, bitter, or ironic as you want. The only rule? Let it hit hard.

Your Goal This Week

Write at least two full pages.

That’s it. Two pages of something alive, something imperfect, something yours.

Start mid-conversation. Drop into the moment. Let it unfold without trying to control it.

This isn’t about polish. This is about pressure release. Trust your instincts. Let the story move.

If you write more, let it happen.

If it ends up messy, that’s good

If you surprise yourself, even better.

Want to Share?

If you want to share what you wrote, I’d be honored to read it. No critique. No judgment. Just one writer connecting with another.

You can email me at author@kristinawildes.com or comment with your favorite line, a thought about the process, or just to say “I did it”

This is a space for showing up. Not showing off.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need the whole story. You don’t need perfect prose. You need one idea. One line. One page. And a little courage to begin.

You just proved you have that.

This is only the beginning.

Each week, these workshops will become more layered, building from this starting point into deeper craft: worldbuilding, character development, emotional nuance, story structure, and beyond. Workshop 1 is your foundation.

Going forward, I will write each workshop as if we’re building onto this one. That way the story, skills, and characters can naturally evolve together.

That said, you are absolutely free to treat each prompt as a standalone. You do not have to follow the thread from Week 1. These are your pages. Your process. Your pace.

But if you want to keep building, this is your starting brick. Each post that follows will give you the tools to create something incredible, step by step, scene by scene.

Come back next week. There will be a new prompt. A new challenge. A new piece of the creative puzzle.

Until then, keep the pen moving. Keep the heart open. Keep writing.

-Kristina