the story work writing challenge + giveaway

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” — Maya Angelou

If you’re new here, I send out story work exercises every Monday afternoon at 12 pm et. Story Work: Field Notes on Self-Discovery and Reclaiming Your Narrative is the name of my new book (which is currently available for preorder!) The term describes my signature process of reflecting, reclaiming, and reimagining the stories of our lives. It involves looking at your life experiences as creative material that you have the power to shape. This week’s post is available to all subscribers.

Before we get into today’s post, here are some opportunities I have coming up for us to connect and write together:

📖 workshops

September 17 - October 30. Story Work Healing Intensive // 6 - 8 pm et (6 sessions) — there are 5 spots left

September 23. Return and Rewrite: Practice Session #24 w/ GG // 6 - 7:30 pm et (open to paid subscribers)

Certain stories in our lives shape us so deeply that they show up in everything we write, in every story we tell.

For me, my writing always seems to circle back to the same place: the slow disintegration of my relationship with my mom, the early core wound of losing her, first in invisible then visible ways.

I’ve often found myself wondering:

Don’t I have anything else to talk about? Why do I relate every struggle in my life to this core wound? Why can’t I let it go?

Over time, I’ve surrendered to this truth: this is one of the central stories I was given to explore, reclaim, and transform. When I stopped resisting it and began to see it as part of my calling, I was set free to take my time with it. Approaching it from different angles, through different seasons of my life, and in different forms.

This surrender also opened space for me to help others do the same: to face their own core wounds and reclaim the stories that have shaped them.

In Story Work, I write about growing up with a mother with untreated schizophrenia. She often accused me of harmful intentions and actions that were part of her delusions—but weren’t true—imposing a false reality on me, and punishing me for resisting it.

As a child and adolescent, I didn’t have the tools to separate her illness from my identity, so I began to doubt myself, wondering if her accusations reflected something broken in me that I couldn’t see.

She’s my mom, after all, so if she sees something wrong and bad in me, then it must be true, right? — a child’s thoughts.

That confusion shaped me in lasting ways, affecting my ability to trust my own knowing—my gut, my thoughts, my perspective—making me suspicious and doubtful of myself.

This confusion followed me into adulthood, into my relationships, decisions, career, all aspects of my life, as I felt compelled to constantly prove my worth and goodness. Over time, I began to recognize how deeply this pattern was rooted in the stories I carried from childhood.

Story Work grew out of my need to reclaim those narratives. By writing, reflecting, and breaking my silences, I began to separate my truth from the distortions of the past.

This practice of reclaiming language and rewriting the stories that define us has become both my healing path and my work with others. The book encapsulates this journey. ✍🏾

📖 the story work writing challenge and giveaway

In preparation for the book’s release on November 4, I’ve created a writing challenge as a pre-reading experience. Think of it as a warm-up: a way to gently attune to yourself and where you are in your journey before diving into the deeper work of the book.

📚Here’s how it works:

For this challenge, the daily prompt lists and weekly reflection prompts will work together.

• The October and November daily prompt lists will feature found phrases directly from Story Work, giving you a taste of the language and themes in the book.

• Each week (starting Monday, September 29), you’ll receive reflection prompts designed to guide you in remembering, reimagining, and reclaiming your stories.

• You can use the found phrases offered in the daily prompt lists to give you ideas for the weekly reflection prompts. I will share examples in my weekly posts.

• Write as much or as little as you like as often as you can: one sentence, one paragraph, or one page. Daily, every other day, weekly, whatever. No pressure to share, though you’re warmly invited to do so.

🎁Win a signed copy of Story Work.

Use the hashtag #StoryWorkChallenge and/or tag me @ggreneewrites on Instagram or Substack. Each time you share your words or post about the challenge, your name/handle will be entered into a drawing to receive a signed copy of Story Work. At the end of the challenge, I’ll select 3–5 winners. The more you share, the more chances you have to win.

📝Don’t let the word ‘challenge’ scare you. You can’t fail at this.

I designed this challenge to be accessible. Something you can do in small pockets of your week and still gain meaningful insights and a sense of community. Along the way, I’ll share tips for making writing and reflection a natural part of your life, rather than a task to avoid or procrastinate on.

This isn’t about writing every day or hitting a word count. The challenge is about being honest, curious, and compassionate with yourself as you find a rhythm that works for you—while connecting with a community that is doing the same work.

Next week, we’ll set intentions to prepare for the challenge. The following week, we begin.

Thank you for being on this journey with me!

Reflections:

• While our stories are all different, were you able to see aspects of yourself in what you know of my story so far? What resonance came up for you?

• What emotions surfaced for you as you read about the challenge? Curiosity? Enthusiasm? Resistance? Something else?

• When you think about reclaiming your own stories, what fears or hesitations come up?

• What part of you feels drawn to this kind of writing work, and what part of you holds back?

• How does the idea of potentially facing your ‘core wound’ land with you right now—does it feel overwhelming, hopeful, distant, or something in between?

• What support or mindset might help you feel safe and open to begin?

---