Stories beyond the book


The Cure for Sleep with Tanya Shadrick on Substack
Desire, time, longing, friendship, regret, faith, promises… what stories could you tell about those?
Subscribe to my free online story-sharing community on Substack and start turning your dream of being a writer into reality…

My Substack is a place for you to develop your voice, discover like-minds and find readers for your words. Share your own true tales on themes from The Cure for Sleep then enjoy seeing your work curated here in the story archive.

More and more of my Substack contributors are going on to prize listings, course acceptances and book deals – just as I hoped! – and I’d love that to happen for you too.

Click on each of the themes below to discover what other subscribers have already written – or explore by author name in the ever-expanding A to Z of contributors.

Then learn how to add your own stories to the project…

how to take part
Stories beyond the book
season 2 (2022)
The Cure For Sleep: Gestures, Remembered A woman's hand held open showing fingertips stained with coaldust. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Share a story of a gone loved one - their particular gestures or habits; what those mean to you...
The Cure For Sleep: Reading A married couple reading side by side in bed: only their open books and their hands visible. The husband (left) is reading Tolkien; the wife (right) is reading the Letters of Ted Hughes. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Scenes from our reading lives. What books (given, lent, lost, found, shared, annotated, more) - or memories of reading/being read to - are at the heart of our own stories?
The Cure for Sleep: Birthday Letters Image of Tanya Shadrick holding up a long Japanese folding album, unfurled. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Using our anniversaries as a way to take stock, measure change, pay tribute
The Cure for Sleep: Mentors An image of the artist David Nash standing with writer Tanya Shadrick in his iconic living sculpture The Ash Dome. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Tell me about a great teacher in your life - or the one you dream of but have yet to find
The Cure for Sleep: Longing An image of a woman floating face up in a blue pool. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: What do you yearn for? Do you see longing as a painful or productive state?
The Cure for Sleep: Friends Image of one woman cutting another's hair. They are both smiling. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: How did they begin - our great friendships? What words or gestures were risked - and rewarded?
The Cure for Sleep: Skill An image of a scroll of paper covered in neat handwriting seen from above with a writing hand placed upon it. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Celebrating what we do well
The Cure for Sleep: Mirrors An image of a woman in a headscarf seen from behind in a dark mercury mirror. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: What we see in the mirror - tell me a true story of a time when you saw yourself in a new way or confronted an uncomfortable truth
The Cure for Sleep: Hands An image of a woman with red nails sewing. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Share a story of what you have made, mended or broken with your hands
The Cure For Sleep: Play An image of Tanya as a girl next to her mother who is on a seesaw. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Reclaiming our creativity - share a memory of a favourite game

“It could be enough, more than enough, to be a person occupied for the rest of my life by what might look to others only an idiotically simple gathering in of small and obscure moments: the collecting of stories from ordinary people like me.”

The Cure For Sleep
Stories beyond the book
season 1 (2021)
The Cure for Sleep: Rebirth A vintage magazine image of a woman's naked shoulder and cradled knee with a sun painted across them. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Coming back from loss, shame or failure
The Cure for Sleep: Faith Vintage magazine illustration of a uterus. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Turning towards or away from belief, from belonging
The Cure for Sleep: Regret Vintage magazine image of a blue-toned woman's face, its eye held open. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Our moments of painful awareness - often when we feel it is too late to change or make amends
The Cure for Sleep: Desire Vintage magazine image of a woman's face, eyes staring, and a puzzle pattern across her. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Desire - the kind we suffer in secret, finding no outlet for it in our waking lives.
The Cure for Sleep: Time Vintage magazine image of an old man with labels annotating the cause of each of his wrinkles. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Perspectives from a hospice scribe - and a question. When has time taken on strange new dimensions for you?
The Cure for Sleep: Size & Shape Vintage magazine image of a woman's torso wearing an illustrated apron of rooms and the slogan THE HOUSEWIFE. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Arriving at a right fit in our skin, our circumstances. How it feels to be without that.
The Cure for Sleep: Promises Vintage magazine image of baby in a test tube held up by an adult hand. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: The shadow side of bargains. Those moments in life when we pledge ourselves or strike a bargain.
The Cure for Sleep: Choosing Vintage magazine image of a child handing a penny to a sweet shop keeper over the counter. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Those rare moments when we are brought to a sudden need to decide on something that will alter the course of our days.
The Cure for Sleep: Bonding Vintage magazine image of a mother holding up a plump naked baby to her face. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: The effortful kind
The Cure for Sleep: Memory Games Vintage magazine image of a boy clutching a toy car and looking at a pile of similar pocket-sized treasures. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Holding our loved ones in mind.
The Cure for Sleep: Bedtimes Stories Vintage magazine image of girl looking up at a height chart behind her saying Sue 5 yrs in crayon. Over this image is Tanya's Substack monthly themed writing prompt: Where we learn first about the world and its workings

A to Z of contributors

In my community of several thousand active Substack readers, there is also an ever-growing number who are taking the next step of becoming writers for the project. And between them, they have already produced hundreds of stories. Click on any of the names (in this regularly updated list) to read a sample story from each of these authors…

Amanda Scott | Amelia H | Amy Boyd | Amy Millios | Andrea Day | Anna Francis | Barrie Thomson | Caitlin Cornec | Caro Giles (writing as Caro Fentiman) | Cathy Robinson | Charlotte Dawson | Debbie Yearsley Davidson | Diane Auby | E E Rhodes | Elena | Emily Tamas | Emma Willsteed | Faye Davidson | Fionnuala O’Shea | Genevieve Dutton | Geoff Cox | Heidi Reinsch | Helen Callear | Holly Nicholls | Jackie Goode | Jan Hillier | Jane Adams | Jean Wilson | Jen Ratcliffe | Jenni | Jess | Jo Regan | Jo Sinclair | Joanne Baker | Julie Benham | Kaz Field | Kerry Whitley | Kit Dawson | Laine Thompson | Larissa Reid | Laura | Louise Newman | Louise Ratcliffe | Louise Stead | Lucy Lichen | Margaret O’Brien | Maria James | Maria Simoes | Marilyn Daniels | Michelle Geffken | Mike Winter | Miranda R Waterton | Molly Cooper | Monique Kennedy | Nicola Pitchford | Oakley Torrens | Paul Gamble | Paul Miller | Rowan Ambrose | Ruth Petherick | Sally Harrop | Sara Stegen | Sarah Connor | Sarah Playforth | Sharon C | Sheila de Courcy | Sheila Knell | Sophie Pierce | Steve Harrison | Stevie | Sue Reed | Sue Tanton | Susan Bennett | Suse | Tamsin Grainger | Tim LeRoy | Tracey Kennedy | Tracey Mayor | Vanessa Wright

What subscribers say

“It’s a special act of generosity when a writer you respect asks for responses to extracts from their work. Fear held me back but then I responded to the piece on regret. No regrets”

Tim LeRoy, contributor

“If you’re writing away by yourself and anxious about showing your work to others, here’s a lovely opportunity to share in a kind, supportive space. Have a look. Take the leap. I’m so glad I did”

Sheila de Courcy, contributor

“It’s a privilege to be a small part of this reflective conversation and the community it brings into being”

Nicola Pitchford, contributor

“I’m so glad to have constellated the courage and drafted something that assembles peace”

E E Rhodes, contributor

“When I first saw the word limit, I thought, no, that’s not for me, I cannot do that. Then, I did! I really believe that I have become a more confident and better writer through the word constraints, it really made me think about what could be stripped from the writing.

Sheila Knell, contributor
How to take part

Each of my monthly newsletters over on Substack takes a key moment from the book, inviting you to respond to that theme with a short true tale of your own – using the comments field to share a story of up to 300 words.

Importantly, all the monthly themes stay open without deadlines for your contributions, so you are free to write for as many of the prompts as you wish.

All stories that respect the contributor guidelines and the foundational spirit of the project – inclusivity, kindness, respect for the privacy and feelings of others – are then curated on this site.

The monthly newsletter also includes extras such as my recommended texts for emerging writers and links to events and conversations happening around The Cure for Sleep.

I hope you will join me there and I look forward to reading your words.

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