Building the Fifth Space
A FriYAY Writing Prompt
If books are the fourth space, then every writer has the opportunity to build the fifth: the space that comes alive when stories are shared.
Long after publication, readers begin talking to one another. They recommend your book. Pass it along. Discuss it in book clubs. Donate it to libraries. Leave it on a nightstand for a friend to discover.
Your book no longer belongs only to you. It belongs to a conversation. Today, imagine that conversation.
Set a timer for 15–20 minutes and write without judgment.
Consider these questions:
What kind of conversations do you hope your writing sparks?
What do you hope readers discuss after they’ve closed your book?
If your book were passed from one person to another for twenty years, what would you hope people remember about it?
Beyond information or entertainment, what gift do you hope your writing leaves behind?
What does your ideal reader feel as they hand your book to someone else and say, “You have to read this”?
Finish this sentence: “If my book becomes part of someone’s fifth space, I hope they carry forward... ”
Writing is often described as a solitary pursuit. Perhaps publishing isn’t. Perhaps publishing is simply our way of saying, “I built a place. You’re welcome here. And if it means something to you, leave the door open for someone else.”
If you’d like, share your closing sentence in the comments. I’d love to hear what kind of place you’re building—and what you hope readers will carry with them long after they’ve left.