Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Explore the concept of "glass ceiling" in the corporate world through a series of first-person diary entries from a woman climbing the corporate ladder. Discuss her daily experiences, confrontations, moments of triumph, and the systemic barriers she encounters.
Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Include a counterargument and answer it fairly.
- Cut every sentence that only repeats the one before it.
- Find one surprising fact and build around it.
Writing essays
A mind at work, one subject at a time.
An essay collection gathers short nonfiction pieces: personal, critical, funny or all three. What ties them together is the writer's voice and way of seeing.
What readers expect
- A distinctive voice
- Personal stakes
- Surprising connections
- Pieces that stand alone
A tip before you start
Follow a question, not a thesis. The pleasure of an essay is watching someone think.
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- An Interview Across HistoryImagine you are conducting an interview with a famous feminist icon from any period in history. Create a list of questions you would ask about their…
- A Mother's Letter to Her DaughterWrite a letter from the perspective of a mother in a developing country to her daughter who has moved to a metropolitan area for education. Include…
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