How I Learned

How I Learned

28 x 20

Day 27: Penultimate | 28 x 20

The final choose your own adventure

Blaise Allysen Kearsley's avatar
Blaise Allysen Kearsley
Feb 27, 2026
∙ Paid

HELLO. You’re still here?? You deserve a reward. A Kit Kat, a cocktail, a binge watch, a big fat nap.

Remember when I shared seven PUPS? That was 21 days ago. Today, you get nine new ones. Brief refresher if you need it:

There’s usually a day near the end of my in-person workshops when I gather a ton of short prompts, put them on strips of paper, and place them in a coffee cup in the center of the table. I used to call it “prompts in a cup,” until someone way sharper than me said we should call it PUPS.

PUPS are miniature. There’s no accompanying reading to serve as a way into the prompt; each one is a simple directive in one succinct sentence. The stories they yield might not be so simple. That part’s really up to you. The prompts are meant to jog a memory, give you an image, but what you come up with on the page is a matter of letting the creative mind take you where it wants to go. Staying open. Being curious. Not worrying about anything. Just for right now.

Don’t waste precious time trying to decide which one you like the most. Do the one that nudges you.

Let’s get it.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to How I Learned to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Blaise Allysen Kearsley · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture