Writing Prompt Four

Challenging yourself as a writer pushes your imagination and your skills. The prompt this week follows a few steps to challenge your writing ability.

One thing we’ve been thinking about during these prompts is how to find new and original ways to say things. For example, in a poem, instead of saying ‘My heart bled’ find a more unusual way to describe the pain of loss.

This week we’re going to use the prompt WINTER MORNING. And we’re going to write a poem – even if you don’t normally write poetry (I told you it might be challenging).

First, I want you to list any words that come to mind when you see the words WINTER MORNING.

Re-read what you’ve read. The words on your list are the words I do NOT want you to use when you write your poem. The words on your list are your first impressions, but I want you to dig deeper this week and find out what else you have to say. Forbid yourself the words on this first list. You cannot use them in your poem.

Write a second list of NEW words using WINTER MORNING as a prompt – this list may be shorter, but it will be more original.

Use these words to put together a poem.

Remember, you don’t have to use rhyme, but you do need to think about language and how to bring ideas together in new ways. And it doesn’t have to be long. Sometimes, less is more.