Here are a few local or online opportunities to exercise and inform your creative process:

• Submit a prose poem to Writers’ Digest by October 7. The winning submission will be featured as an example of prose poetry in an upcoming issue. What constitutes prose poetry? The one basic rule of form (or non-form) is poetry without line breaks. Experiment with it!

• Visit a museum for free this Saturday, September 24, in this event sponsored by Smithsonian magazine. Participating museums in Chicago include mainstays such as the Art Institute and Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as venues you may not have had a chance to see before. Consider checking out the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum, which will feature a free jazz concert in the sculpture garden, or Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in Oak Park.

• StoryStudio Chicago has openings for a one-day retreat at Ragdale this Thursday, September 22, at a cost of $110 for non-members. Jill Pollack will lead the instruction for writing prompts, story starts, and strategies to continue the work. This event sounds like a nice way to get acquainted with the Ragdale writing community.