Poetry Prompts

For today’s prompt, write a creepy poem. Then, get some rest, because the November PAD Chapbook Challenge begins tomorrow. Here’s my attempt at a creepy poem: “Right Back: The Cabin Poem” The … Read more

For today’s poetry prompt, write an answer poem. That is, imagine a question (or think of a question you’ve been asked recently) and use your poem to answer that question. Here’s my … Read more

For this week’s poetry prompt, I want you to take one of the following lines and make it the first line of your poem. All these lines are taken from my personal … Read more

For this week’s prompt, write a sudden poem. The poem could be about something that suddenly happens. Or it could be just whatever words suddenly spring from you. Or… I’ll let you … Read more

First off, I’ve had a person or two ask about the April PAD Challenge results. Just want to let everyone know those are still coming, and I want to apologize for taking … Read more

Sorry for the late prompt this week. I was judging the haibun competition–and yes, I know who won. But that announcement will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s poem! … Read more

For today’s prompt, write an interview poem. Maybe it’s an interview for a magazine or TV show. Maybe it’s a job interview. Or something more creative. Who ever or what ever you … Read more

For today’s prompt, write a memory poem. The poem could be about a personal memory, someone else’s memory, or even play with the fact that some people lose memories. Just remember to … Read more

For this week’s prompt, write an appointment poem. Could be a doctor’s appointment, an appointment with a literary agent, or a dentist’s appointment (which is enough to get my boys scared stiff). … Read more

For today’s prompt, write a discovery poem. That is, write a poem in which you (or your narrator or a character in your poem) discover something. Maybe it’s a box of kittens … Read more

Before I get into today’s prompt, I just want to touch base on the results of the April PAD Challenge. I mentioned aiming to have the results ready around the beginning of … Read more

Before getting to the prompt today, a few notes. First, it’s the final day to submit a pitch for the 2014 Poet’s Market book. Poets who want to submit poems for the … Read more

Before I get into today’s prompt, I just wanted to mention that I’ve got a call out for submissions for the 2014 Poet’s Market. Read the submission guidelines here. For this week’s … Read more

For today’s prompt, write a plea poem. Of course, a plea can mean a few different things. First, a plea can be an allegation leveled at someone. Second, a plea can be … Read more

I don’t know if my birthday has ever fallen on a Wednesday Poetry Prompt previously, but it has this year. It’s kind of nice to write a poem first thing on your … Read more

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “This Is What (Blank) Looks Like,” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write … Read more

For this week’s prompt, write a patriotic poem. Whether you live in the United States or any other country, write a poem that pays tribute to your country. Or if you’re not feeling … Read more

For this week’s prompt, write a good vs. evil poem. If that doesn’t appeal to your writing sensibilities, then make it a dog vs. cat poem or humanity vs. aliens poem. Pit … Read more

For this week’s prompt, write a straight line poem (yes, I’m playing off a 180-degree angle for the 180th Wednesday Poetry Prompt). There are several ways to tackle this prompt, including writing … Read more