Your Summer Writing Companion
A letter-writing series to spark your creativity and support our 2026 scholarship fund
Write With Us: A Summer Series Supporting Writers
Beginning Wednesday, July 9, you’ll receive a new letter in your inbox each week for eight weeks. Each letter is written by a Whale Rock faculty member and is crafted to help you stay connected with your writing, your inspiration, and your voice.
These emails are not blog posts or worksheets. They are real letters, thoughtful, personal, and full of heart. Each one includes a writing prompt, reflection, and/or creative invitation to help you return to the joy of writing.
Whether you are mid-draft, revisiting an idea, or simply trying to maintain your writing practice, this series is designed to meet you where you are.
What You’ll Receive
Eight original letters from Whale Rock Faculty
A prompt, practice, or exercise to spark creativity with each letter
A blend of encouragement, insight, reflection, and craft support
Downloadable PDFs you can save, print, and return to when needed
A steady rhythm of connection, curiosity, and creative care
Letters That Spark Craft, Imagination, and Creative Action
Your Summer Writing Companion is also a fundraiser. It is the first of two fundraisers we are offering in 2025 to build our 2026 scholarship fund.
That fund allows us to say yes to more writers. It helps us bring Whale Rock’s mentorship, retreats, and workshops to people who might not otherwise have access to this kind of craft and care.
Your participation helps ensure that our commitment to supporting underrepresented and low-income writers continues. You’ll receive nourishing and joyful writing support, and by participating you make it possible for someone else to receive the same.
As a thank-you, participants in Your Summer Writing Companion will also receive early access to our fall “Buy It Now” fundraiser, featuring one-of-a-kind offerings from editors, mentors, and industry professionals.
Creative Support That Gives Back
This series is for anyone who:
Wants to stay connected to their creative practice
Needs a spark or reminder of why writing matters
Is looking for thoughtful prompts and ongoing inspiration
Misses the companionship of a writing community
Values creative generosity and wants to support it
Whether you are drafting your third novel or reimagining your relationship to the page, we hope these letters keep you moving, imagining, and returning to what you love.
For Writers Seeking Inspiration, Structure, and Connection
Join the Series on a Sliding Scale
This series is offered on a sliding scale from $65 to $200.
If a lower amount makes it easier for you to participate, we welcome it. If you’re able to give more, your contribution helps us provide more scholarships to writers who need them.
Every dollar raised supports Whale Rock’s 2026 scholarship fund.
Schedule
Letters arrive each Wednesday from July 9 through August 27
Optional “Write Now” live summer writing sessions: July 16, August 6, and August 27
These live sessions are casual and lightly guided, an invitation to show up and write in community.
A Note from Shari, Founder of Whale Rock Workshops
Dear Friends,
In the spring, depleted by the state of the universe, I registered for a writing-based letter series run by my dear friend and Whale Rock faculty Heather Demetrios. Each week we received musings on writing and process along with some readings and exercises. Those weekly letters shook me out of my creative slump. I had felt uninspired, and these amuse-bouche-like writing delicacies gave me a space and scaffolding to just play.
I’d been thinking about how I wanted to stay connected to you all this summer. Our Write Now! Community offers regular, ongoing scaffolding for writers seeking accountability and community. Participation tends to be spotty in the summer months, and we normally take a break. How could we help you keep your momentum going?
I’d also been thinking about how I wanted to go about raising funds for our 2026 Scholarship Fund. In fact, our most viewed page on our website is not any specific workshop, retreat, or faculty member, but rather our scholarships page. Given our size and business model, we simply can’t offer the number of scholarships I would love to give. What many people don’t know about Whale Rock Workshops is that our business model entails paying our faculty members what they deserve — a value not all workshop companies stand by. The trade-off is smaller margins and fewer funds to support those in need.
And so I put these two ideas together. What if we could offer you a weekly summer letter designed to inspire your imagination, spark your creativity, AND raise funds for our scholarships?
I reached out to our faculty members, shared my idea, and they immediately got on board. Participants of this series will receive a letter from a different Whale Rock faculty member each week. These letters are designed to help you stay ON TRACK with your summer writing goals — whether those revolve around a specific project or simply maintaining your writing schedule and practice.
Of course, I knew this initiative was only the beginning of our attempts to make more funding available, so we circled back with our faculty, and we are reaching out to the larger publishing community to bring you a Whale Rock version of a “buy-it-now” auction-style fundraiser in early fall 2025. Students who register for our letter series will have first dibs on the services and items available in our one-of-a-kind fall fundraiser.
I hope this series inspires you as much as it inspires me. And I hope you’ll help us support our underrepresented and low-income writers who need a little help to continue pursuing their dreams.
Have a wonderful summer and happy writing!
All the best,
Shari