2014 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 9

For today’s prompt, look to the news and write about something recently reported. It doesn’t have to be something today, but something in the past week or month would be…

For today's prompt, look to the news and write about something recently reported. It doesn't have to be something today, but something in the past week or month would be ideal. There's always good and bad things happening in the world, and poetry is a powerful way to document events.

*****

Write a Poem for a Chance at $1,000!

Writer’s Digest has extended the deadline to their Writer’s Digest Poetry Awards competition to November 21. As you may have guessed from the bold statement above, the winner will receive $1,000 cash!

The winning poem will also be published in a future issue of Writer’s Digest magazine. And the winning poet will receive a copy of the 2015 Poet’s Market.

Even poets who don’t win can win, because there are prizes for 2nd through 25th place as well.

*****

Here's my attempt at a News poem:

"Bomb Cyclone"

When my boy started talking about a typhoon
in the Pacific, I thought what's that got to do

with anything over here. I mean, we got autumn
myth season in full effect and a Southern sun

to keep us warm. But darn it, that super storm
flew straight at the arctic making winter born

of circumstance and soon we'll claim back our
love of heaters, blankets, and hot cocoa to pour.

*****

Like writing newsy poems?

There's a unique publishing opportunity available with Rattle to write to the news for a chance at publication on their website every single week. It's called Poets Respond and is dedicated to poeming up the news each week.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He has a baby brother who chases storms (tornadoes, ice storms, and hurricanes--o my!), but Robert's perfectly happy staying indoors during inclement weather. Today's prompt was inspired by the cold air mass headed toward the U.S. caused by Typhoon Nuri.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.