2016 NaPoWriMo prompt book

NaPoWriMo Prompt Book 2016: #Bars Edition Because even his Excellency is writing hotter sh*t than you

Welcome to NaPoWriMo 2016….#Bars Edition.

It’s time to dust off the pens and keyboards and start writing again. If you’ve used any of my previous three prompt books, welcome back. You already know how this works, but for the new people… This year’s version of the book contains 120+ prompts. Use what works. You can bend and modify anything that’s here. And by all means share with anyone who’s taking on 30/30 or just needs a good starting place.

I may post some of these and/or teasers to finished pieces on Instagram or Tumblr as well as we’re going along. If you want to follow along there my social links are below. If you’re following me on any of the social media channel and want to tag me I’m happy to see what comes of your poems.

Have fun…

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GO! Danielle Aka Girl Genius FB/theladygenius IG and Tumblr: @apoetcalledgenius

1. Write a piece that includes a post script or an addendum (it doesn’t have to be at the end of the poem)

2. Take a line from the last book you read and use it as the basis of a poem

3. Take a piece of relationship advice and advocate for or against it (i.e.: once a cheater always a cheater)

4. Pick an event or a place you would never go (i.e.: a Donald Trump rally; Baghdad in the summer; McDonald’s if you’re a vegan). Write a poem in the style of a tourists’ guide about the event or place. You can even title the piece “a tourists’ guide to _____________”

5. Write a poem that starts with one word and ends with the opposite of that word. I challenge you to pick really interesting antonyms.

6. Make a short list of basic characteristics about yourself (race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) Take one of those characteristics and choose the opposite. Write a poem about yourself from that opposite perspective.

7. Write a poem about or foreshadowing the apocalypse.

8. Write a poem about a family member without using their name or mentioning their relation to you.

9. Spend 10 minutes in a dark, quiet place (physically dark and quiet). Make yourself aware of all of your senses. Let your eyes adjust to the dark of the room. Pay attention to the sounds you hear. Once time is up write down any thoughts or feelings you had while you were self sequestered—did it make you anxious? calm? sleepy? disconnected? uncomfortable? Use whatever came from that 10 minutes as the basis of a piece or you can take it as an extended metaphor.

10. Write about whatever you want, but without using technology—no phone apps, no computers or tablets. Yes, I actually want you to write longhand.

11. Collaborate with another writer or writers and write a group piece one line at a time.

12. Start a poem with a first… (the first time I…; the first day of school; the first visit to… etc.). Using the same topic, write about the last… (the last time I…; the last day of school; my last visit to… etc.). Take both part of the experience and pull them together for the last section of the poem. What differed from first to last, what insights did you get?

13. Freewrite whatever is currently on your mind. Then, condense it down to a single line.

See how much you can convey with as little as possible.

14. Write from any of the following lines: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

Well that was a mistake…

Not exactly what I was hoping for…

He/she didn’t quite fit the stereotype of a typical ______ You have a choice…

That doesn’t make any sense…

There’s a special place in hell for…

That’s not enough time to…

Today was a bad day to quit…

No one bothered to ask me if I wanted…

I can’t put my finger on it but something about him/her is…

15. Write a poem about some part of yourself (physically or personality) that you either love or despise in the style of a review on Yelp or Amazon

16. Write a poem about a love affair or a marriage (doesn’t have to be yours)

17. Write a poem about milestones

18. It’s really funny to look back on movies such as Back to the Future or Terminator and see the vision of what they thought the world would be. Imagine a world far into the future…what do you see it looking like, what would you like to see happen

19. I watched this crazy show about people entering into arranged marriages for 6 weeks.

Write a piece about or involving a wedding…or a failed attempt at one

20. Take on a subject that you’ve been avoiding.

21. Take on your senses: write about the taste of something off putting (like medicine), the smell of something (like cheap cologne); the sight of something (like a house burning down); the sound of something (like a car accident) or the feel of something (hitting your funny bone)

22. Think of a time when something painful happened—by this I mean physically painful (i.e. you’re getting a shot at the doctors, or you trip and scrape your leg). Rewind the scene to the moment just before the pain—what are you telling yourself in that moment

23. Think of something you love and something you hate. Juxtapose the two things throughout a poem… i.e. I love____ but I hate_____

24. Write about a dead thing (interpret “dead” how you wish)

25. What do you have to do to really live?

26. DIY: take a reality or DIY type show and change one of the words in the title. Use it as the starter line or title of your piece (ex: Cupcake Wars; Love and Hip Hop; Flip or Flop; Man vs. Food)

27. Write a poem that involves you carrying something with you (in the literal or metaphorical sense i.e. hurt feelings)

28. Write a piece composed entirely of news headlines

29. TRIGGER WARNING: This is inspired by a post I saw on Postsecret. What message would you send to someone contemplating suicide

30. Write a poem in the form of advice to someone famous

31. In this crazy election season, politicians have kept us entertained with their wordsmithing of certain facts and perspectives. For this prompt you can either a. write a poem on any subject in the voice/style of any of the current presidential candidates OR b. write a poem composed entirely of quotes and soundbites from any presidential candidate.

32. On the heels of #31, write a poem from the perspective of President Obama chucking the deuces on his last day in office

33. Take instructions/steps for something (ex: how to change a tire, how Twinkies are made, how to chew gum…). Flip the instruction list in an unexpected way (ex: explaining to someone how to chew gum could turn into an erotic poem). The goal is perhaps no one actually knows what you are describing—so your step by step is actually an extended metaphor.

34. Write a poem of any length incorporating every word from your latest Facebook status.

35. Two things to do with an otherwise great quote. Find a quote that makes a great observation about people or life and Run the quote through at least 3 languages in Google translator and then back to English (or the original language). Use the new modified version of the quote to write the poem

36. Write a poem consisting entirely of things you'd like to say, but never would, to a parent, lover, sibling, child, teacher, roommate, best friend, mayor, president, corporate CEO, etc. (sn: I want to start with “you suck!”)—you don’t have to name the person specifically

37. If you’ve played with previous versions of my prompt books you know I love experimenting with forms. This year’s form choice is a renga. A renga is a Japanese form very similar to haiku, but it contains multiple stanzas linked by a single idea. Usually it is written by two people but you can attempt this solo. A renga has at least two stanzas (traditional has 100)—for this challenge, if you are doing it solo, aim for 36. The first 35 will be 5-7-5 as a traditional haiku each building off a singular idea and the last is two lines of 7 syllables.

38. Write an unrequited love poem to someone or something that is incapable of loving you back

39. Write a piece that starts with “goodbye” and ends with “hello”

40. Imagine yourself in front of a closed door. You could be anywhere. You reach your hand out to open the door…what’s behind the door? Do you hesitate before you open it? Does it open immediately or is it locked? What are the consequences of opening the door? The door could be physical or a metaphor.

41. Write a piece about what you are currently wearing.

42. Write a poem about a secret—either something you’ve been holding from someone or something you weren’t supposed to know

43. I always say the word “no” is a complete sentence (and also the shortest complete sentence in the English language). Compose a piece where each line or stanza begins with the word no or, alternatively think about the first or last time someone told you no and write from there.

44. I recently attended a 1920s themed event (shout out to Be Free). Put yourself in a different era—you can go forward or backward. Write to what you might have experienced or how things might be different or the same based on the now. (In framing this prompt I thought about times when I’ve been told I have an old soul or when I’ve felt like I was born in the wrong time)

45. Take a current song from the radio. Look up the lyrics (if you don’t know them). Rewrite it as a poem in your own words.

46. Write a poem about something you’ve experienced recently, from a third person perspective

47. Last night I accidentally put a hole in the middle of a wine bottle (don’t ask. Lol), write about something that could only happen to you

48. I have a favorite little convenience store I go to. I always have the most interesting experiences there. Write about your last trip to a convenience store.

49. Why can’t I quit you.

Write about a bad habit or vice that you know you should quit but haven’t. You can use the obvious ones like smoking or caffeine, but I challenge you to dig into bigger issues (ex. falling in love with the wrong person or self sabotage…you get the idea)

50. Upcycling.

Take a poem that’s already finished that maybe is old or has outdated references in it, or maybe even one that was ugly and revisit it. Give it a fresh update or a new life.

51. There’s a saying about learning to accept the apology you never got. Write about an apology you think you should have gotten or the person who should’ve apologized and never did.

52. Write a poem using a ridiculous headline from today’s news—the poem doesn’t necessarily have to be about the article itself or the subject of the story. Take the poem in any direction you’d like

53. objects in mirror may be closer than they appear Write about something that is looming closer than you realized

54. Think of an object that is associated with a superstition (a ladder, a mirror etc.). Use the object itself (not necessarily the superstition it’s associated with) as a symbol throughout the piece

55. Ace of Base Write about a time when you’ve asked for a sign and it has appeared. What was the sign?

56. Turn on your voice recorder and record 5 minutes of your life. Run it back later and take a line from the audio you have or revise the entirety of the conversation (with or without context) into a poem

57. I’m going back into the music realm. Take a popular song… find an instrumental version (use YouTube). Write to the music—whatever it makes you feel or whatever your first thought was upon hearing the song without the lyrics

58. I’ve seen and used prompts where you write in the form of a recipe. Use the recipe format but write the recipe for something abstract (ex: how to evoke anger, or how to fall in love)

59. Write a poem in the form of a multiple choice quiz…a life quiz. Think about questions you wish you’d known the answers to a long time ago. You can include an answer key

60. Sleeping arrangements. Write about where you sleep

61. You have an empty suitcase. Think about a moment when you’ve left a situation (a bad job, a marriage) or left someone. What do you pack in the suitcase?

62. Invent a new periodic element. What is it called and what are its properties?

63. Ekphrasis.

User one of the following 3 pictures as the catalyst for your poem

64. Take some element of yourself (physical trait or personality trait) that you actually like.

Imagine it changed drastically. Write about the change and why it happened.

65. Watch a video…any video…with the sound on mute. What’s happening?

66. Trash day.

Take out the garbage. What’s in the bag? What do you wish you could throw away?

67. Allergies.

Write about something you are allergic to.

68. 3 min drill. Set a timer for 3 minutes and write. Don’t worry about what comes out, just get something down. After 3 minutes go back and work with whatever you have

69. Pictionary.

Take about 90 seconds and draw or doodle something. Don’t worry if you’re not an artist, it doesn’t have to be pretty. Use what you draw as the starting point or inspiration for a poem

70. Squad goals.

Think about a goal you have or something you’d like to accomplish this year and write about it

71. Write about the “monster in your closet”…however you choose to interpret it. Be visceral in your description

72. Look at job ads. Find a job you would apply for and read the description and the qualifications. Write in the form of a job ad for someone who is looking to date you.

What would they need to have? What goes in the application package? What are the benefits?

73. Write about the moment you wake up or the moment just before you fall asleep. Frame it with something dramatic (ex: you just won the lottery or you just had a horrible dream…what happens in the moment you try to go back to sleep)

74. Speaking of dreams…write about a bizarre dream you’ve had as if you are still experiencing it

75. Write about or in the form of a backhanded compliment

76. Take something that is important to you and imagine you have to give it up in exchange for something else. What did you give up and what did you exchange it for?

77. Write about your birth or death (literally or figuratively)

78. Write a piece using the rules of your favorite game

79. Go through your phone and pick a random picture. Use it as the basis of your poem

80. Dogs. Write about dogs. Note: When I wrote this I was sitting in a park watching several people walk their dogs. Some of them were rather funny looking—the dogs not the owners…lol. But, you can go anywhere you want with this topic or use the word dog in any sense you’d like

81. MTA shenanigans.

Think about the last time you took public transportation (any kind…bus, subway…).

Where were you going? What did you see along the way? Did something or someone catch you attention? Did something odd happen?

82. Build your own prompt.

Take a topic you have written about or want to write about and instruct someone else on how to write that poem (i.e. How to write a poem about [insert topic])

83. Someone is building a statue in your honor. What does it look like? What is it made from? Where is it located?

84. Rap song. Write in the style of a rap song or rap artist. The piece must have 16 bars and rhyme. Pick an usual topic (make it interesting). You can write to an instrumental if it helps.

85. Write a “corner” poem, i.e. “at the corner of” two cross streets. (I did one a few years ago about standing at the corner of Pennsylvania and Minnesota Aves. in southeast DC). Talk about the character of the streets and who’s there if you need a starting point.

86. Inspiration is literally everywhere. So go sit somewhere you’ve never been (a restaurant, a park, a museum). Start with what’s around you and use it to write a piece

87. Write about the scene of an “accident” (any kind of accident)

88. Onomatopoeia.

Sit quietly for 60 seconds. Make a quick list of everything you hear around you. Take the list and narrow each item down to the sound word (i.e. “dog barking” would just be “barking” or “bark”). From here do one of two experiments: a. Take your narrow word list and use all of the words in a single poem (it doesn’t have to be about where you currently are) or, b. mix the sounds words with odd things to change the sensory perception (i.e. instead of “dog barking,” use “car barking”—you can also mix and match from your original list)

89. Write about a weird weather phenomena (ex: a 30 degree day in the middle of summer).

Think about it in terms of why it happened and the shock to your senses. Use it to build on another topic (ex: I’m talking about the weather, but this poem is actually about how I felt when __________ happened)

90. Write a poem with “a left turn at Albuquerque” i.e. a sudden surprise turn that no one expected

91. Try any prompt from this list, but… the poem can only contain 7 lines.

92. Write a short poem (any subject) with a long title (if you want the title can be longer than the actual poem)

93. Write in the form of a “to-do” list, but add some surprises (i.e. wake up (check), grab coffee (check), murder my boss (check, check)…just kidding. By the way, this doesn’t have to be your to do list. You can use a fictional character, take on a persona piece or use a real person)

94. Write a chant. Use it throughout the poem to summon someone or something.

95. I was talking to a friend of mine who told me about an article she’d read. It told the story of an old couple who showed up to an expensive hotel in their finest clothes and driving an expensive car and had what seemed like a wonderful evening. The next morning as staff came to clean the room, they found a note asking them not to come in. They eventually called the police to discover that the couple were both terminally ill and had ended their lives after one last night out. The twist came when my friend asked: what if only ONE of them knew the plan? This is your prompt… what if only one of you knew the plan? You can go anywhere you’d like with that question.

96. Write a valediction. A valediction is how you say goodbye to something, be it a situation or a person.

97. Form and function Write a form poem (sestina, sonnet, your pick) about two specific people that share a common link. Use one half of the poem on each person. They can be related to you or each other or through a common factor (they're both actors on the same show)

98. Random Assortment.

Pull in two or more of the following random items into one piece: a pair of jeans, a pizza slice, Wolverine, a red light, tunnel vision, a poetry slam, the number 97, Hitler's mustache, a six pack of root beer, a deck of tarot cards, a mixtape, a store receipt from 1982

99. Motherly advice Think of something your mother told you as a kid that didn't make sense at the time that makes sense now. Write about what she told you.

100. Conspiracy Theory.

Take a real person and a made up character, mythical creature or someone everyone assumes is dead. Imagine one is the other but you're the only person who knows.

Convince the world. (Ex: Donald Trump is actually an alien that escaped area 51 or, your mother is actually a 300 year old vampire)

101. I can't make this shit up "this dude smelled like poor life choices" (this is from my current FB feed). Use this quote or one equally as descriptive in your poem 102. I Was a Tree in My Former Life So, I read an article titled "11 weird objects you can have your ashes made into after you die" Pick any of the objects (listed below) and write about your existence after death (ex: if you pick "tree" where would you be planted, who would be next to you).           

tree an hourglass a tattoo bullets a vinyl record a diamond a glass sculpture a painting a reef fireworks a dildo (yes, an actual dildo)

103. If it ain't broke...

"Fix" what's broken. A relationship, your heart, the system...whatever "it" is, fix it. Is it a temporary fix?

104. Playtime Here is link for magnetic poetry. Go play and see what you come up with. www.magneticpoetry.com

105. Word Association Think of two words that are typically associated (peanut butter/jelly, heart/brain ... they can be opposites as well). Write a persona poem in which one thing is speaking to the other (as a twist you can chose not to personify the second object essentially making it a one sided conversation)

106. It That Shall Not Be Named Write around the idea that there is a word (any word you choose) so singularly powerful that saying it out loud can change things for better or worse. What specifically does the word do? Try to write the poem without using the word. Alternatively, use the word but go back once the poem is finished and blackout every instance of the word (so no one else can conjure things with it).

107. Write your gratitude

108. Write a concrete poem. A concrete poem is written in the shape of whatever the subject of the poem is... So a poem about a square would literally be in the shape of a square.

109. I ____ You Write a love poem... Wait, you didn't think I'd let you off that easy... After you finish, go back and change the "love" words to their opposite. Your love poem is now essentially a "hate" poem or highly tongue in cheek. Have fun

110. Break the Internet What is your social media pet peeve (ex: I despise those share and type "amen" posts).

Anyway, write THAT poem. What irks you the most and what do you want to tell the people who commit these faux pas.

111. Let's use another function of FB for a poem. Take these 3 questions and incorporate the answers into a piece: "what's on your mind?" "What are you feeling?" "Would you like to tag your current location?"

112. Write 7 different ways to say "I don't love you anymore"

113. Take the title of the last book you read, or the book closest to where you are currently sitting... That is now the title of your poem

114. Waiting is always uncomfortable. Write about waiting for something... Or build up your topic and make your intended audience wait for something

115. Tour Guide Write a poem in which you give someone a museum tour of some aspect of yourself that they didn't know.

116. Write about something or someone who has disappeared.

117. Write about anything you'd like but... The entire thing must take place underwater.

118. Think of a negative feeling: bitterness, jealousy, anger... Now imagine it's taken on human form. Describe it.

119. Write a six word poem. Convey as much as possible.

120. Expand on the phase: "If it was for that ONE thing..."

Bonus Prompt: Murder the clichĂŠ.

Take a clichĂŠ, turn it upside down then use it. Ex: if these walls could talk, becomes... If only these walls would STOP talking.