Creative Writing Prompt #27 Interrupted Earlier today, we posted about Lynn Emanuel's poetry collection Then, Suddenly--, which she was writing when her father died. Whether the book's title is an indication of his passing, whether it symbolizes the interruption of her creative process, or whether it has another meaning entirely, the thought of interruption informs... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #26 Wish You Were Here Loss is something that every single one of us has experienced - or will experience - in life. Whether someone is lost because of a death or because they've moved away, whether they've been forcibly taken out of your life or they've left by choice, people leave... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #25 Sound Your Yawp Earlier today, we introduced you to the barbaric yawp as it's presented in Dead Poets Society. In this life-changing film, Professor Keating makes Todd Anderson stand before his classmates and create a poem as he stares at a picture of Walt Whitman. And with his eyes closed, under... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #24 Carpe Diem We're talking about the movie Dead Poets Society this weekend. In this film full of poetry from Tennyson, Shakespeare, Whitman, Thoreau, Frost, and more, there is a running theme - Carpe Diem. As Professor Keating tells his students: Seize the day, boys... make your lives extraordinary. Write a poem... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #23 The Dog Ate My Poetry We've all told little white lies to get out of something, to avoid hurting someone's feelings, or to save our own butt. Today, write a poem made up entirely of excuses. This can be a list-like poem. But the title should be leading, an allusion to... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #22 Who? What? Where? Why? Write a poem composed entirely of directions. "Directions" can be broadly interpreted to mean anything from Mapquest directions to a recipe, a class project description or how to put together a piece of furniture. Don't take this too literally. How can you explore the various possibilities of... Continue Reading →

This week we're focusing on poet Allen Ginsberg. So, naturally, we offer up a Ginsberg-inspired creative writing prompt to get you in a beatnik, meditative, "chanty" state of mind. Note that Ginsberg was often wrapped up in the idea of "widening the area of consciousness." He did not shy away from radical elements but rather... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #21 From Bad to Worse Sometimes our biggest inspirations come from some of the most unexpected places - bad movies, cruddy reality TV shows, or just the lazy parts of our brain that aren't working very hard at original imagery. So go with it. Write the worst poem you can possibly imagine.... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #20 Thirsty Thesaurus It's a fact. We all tend to use the same vocabulary words day in and day out. Think about it - how often do you learn a new word? Your thesaurus is parched. It's desperately waiting for its pages to be thumbed. It wants you to use it for... Continue Reading →

Creative Writing Prompt #19 Getting Fancy If there is a spirited young lady in your life, chances are that child is well-acquainted with Fancy Nancy and her feather boas, sparkly crowns, and embrace of all things girly. One of the newest books in this colorful series is Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire! Just in time for... Continue Reading →