Prompts
Members share prompts and ideas to get one another writing when the page feels blank.
The Writer’s Community
Write alongside other writers.
The Writer’s Community is the heart of ZenPens. It is a WhatsApp group where writers of every level share prompts, trade honest feedback, enter Penned, our monthly prompt contest, and keep one another going.
Opens WhatsApp. You will need the WhatsApp app on your phone, and your request is approved by our admins.
What happens there
Feedback
Share what you are working on and hear from other writers who care about craft.
Good company
Writers from many countries in Africa and beyond, cheering each other on.
Penned, our monthly prompt contest
Penned is the monthly prompt contest of the Writer’s Community. Every month the ZenPens team sets a prompt and runs the contest. The prompts cover almost every genre of fiction. It is a friendly nudge to write something new, and a chance to be read. The details for each month, including the prompt and the deadline, are shared in the group.
Sharing your entry does not count as publishing it
Posting a piece in the group, or entering it in Penned, does not count as publishing it. You can still send it to ZenPens as an unpublished piece.
On the website
On ZenPens, we publish the winning stories and some outstanding entries from Penned. You can choose for your work not to be included. If you do, you give up any prize you might have won, but you still get a review of your work.
Sponsors
Penned is open to sponsors. A sponsor pays for that month’s prizes and is credited as “Sponsored by”, with a link to their website marked as sponsored, on the page of that month’s Penned collection. Sponsors have no say in the prompt, the judging, the prizes or what we publish. More on the Penned page.
Who it is for
Writers of every level and craft, wherever you live. You do not need to have been published. The group is strictly for writers.
How to join
- 1Tap Join on WhatsApp on this page.
- 2WhatsApp opens and sends your request to join the group.
- 3Wait to be approved. Our admins approve every new member, to keep the group safe for writers.
- 4Once you are in, you get the format for introductions. Fill it in and introduce yourself.
Ground rules
- Be kind and be useful. Say what works and what could be stronger, and say it with care.
- Respect each writer’s work. Do not copy, repost or reuse anyone’s writing without their say-so.
- Only writing-related information is shared here. This includes, but is not limited to, writing prompts, literary competitions and writing-related problems you might be facing.
- No spam, no selling and no unkind talk about people.
When you join, WhatsApp and the other members can see your name and phone number as they appear on WhatsApp. That part is run by WhatsApp, not by us. More in our Privacy page.
Come and write with us
Ready to share something? You can also send it to ZenPens for a detailed review.