Everything you need is already inside you

The mid-month slump is probably the most demoralising part of the Sehri Tales challenge, even for long-time Talers. This happens two weeks in, and suddenly whatever creative spark you've been feeling so far suddenly seems to fizzle out, and not even the prompt can help you fight that dreaded blank page.

No matter what your inner demons say, the problem isn't a lack of creativity. And believe it or not, it's not the prompt's fault either. I've snuck in a few repeats this year as an Easter egg hunt for our readers to see if they can spot it, but also to remind everyone that if they beat the prompt last year, they can do it this year as well.

So how do you beat the prompt when you're running on empty? In the words of tennis great Arthur Ashe, "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can". If you don't have an original story idea, look into your own life or the lives of people you know, or things that are happening in the news. Pick out a scene or emotion where you think you can fit in the prompt and write it out as you remember it or feel it. And then change a few details to make it fiction. Even if the only thing that "happens" is that someone changes their mind, you've got your narrative arc. 

If nothing else works, haikus and limericks are your best friend!

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad is a writer, journalist, and the founder of Sehri Tales.