308 Prompt Book

ENG 308 Prompt Book

Ball State University Spring 2013

Table of Contents John Bowers Fireplace Prompt

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David Connors Prose Poem Prompt Sunset and Shadows Prompt Celebrity Affair/Marriage Prompt Numbers 1 through 10 Prompt Hallelujah Prompt

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Taylor Fogarty Haiku Prompt Pets Prompt Google Prompt College Prompt Weather Prompt

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LeeAnn Harbert Picture POV Prompt Reflection POV Prompt Sonnet Hate Prompt “Anything You Want” Structure Prompt Best Friend’s POV Prompt

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Zachary Harrison Gender Prompt Music Prompt MLK, Jr. Prompt

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Chelsea Jackman Screw-Up Prompt Confession Prompt Intimate Experience Prompt Lyrical Prompt Mood Prompt Death of You Prompt

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Ani Johnson Wedding Prompt Conversation Prompt Family Member’s POV Prompt Hair’s POV Prompt

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Kameron McBride Zombie Prompt One Night Prompt Coffee Prompt Favorite Pajamas Prompt Indiana Prompt

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Amy Randall Sleep Prompt Memory Prompt Five Words from Poems Prompt Adventure Prompt Dystopian Prompt

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Dylan Smith Time Prompt Science Prompt Video Game Character POV Prompt Chemical Element POV Prompt Virus POV Prompt

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Mark Snyder Childhood Friends Prompt Persona Prompt Fear Prompt

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Samantha Takacs Memory Prompt Letter Prompt Nervous Prompt Embarrassed Prompt First Death Prompt

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Caitlin VanOverberghe Car POV Prompt Crime Prompt An Acronym Prompt Relationship Prompt Instructions Prompt

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Maggie Voss Sun POV Prompt Knock, Knock Prompt Computer Prompt Lie Prompt Message After Death Prompt

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Lauryn Wiseman Nightmare Prompt Tone Emulation Prompt 30 Words (or Less) Prompt Muse Prompt

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Liz Whiteacre Season Prompt Persona Prompt Un-Valentine Prompt Something New Prompt Sequel Prompt

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Acknowledgements Students in ENG 308: Poetry Writing created this book of prompts at Ball State University during the spring term of 2013. Students pulled their ideas from personal experience, course readings, others’ prompts, Internet resources, each other’s interests and poems. Each was written in the spirit of the “double-dog dare”—we challenged each other to stretch our imaginations, our talents, and our expectations of what we thought possible. In total, the class produced 178 prompts, which students used to write over 546 poems (collectively) for their poetry journals. For more information, please contact Liz Whiteacre at lizwhiteacre@bsu.edu.

It is our hope that this prompt book will continue to inspire poems.

Cover art by Hattie Whiteacre

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John Bowers Fireplace Prompt Given that it’s still pretty cold outside, write a poem about a time you lazed in front of a roaring fire, either at home or when visiting friends or family. Did you drink some hot cocoa or just bundle under a blanket and enjoy the warmth?

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David Connors Prose Poem Prompt Write a prose poem that starts with the line, “You know that one time.” ~ Sunset and Shadows Prompt Write a poem about the sunset and the shadows. ~ Celebrity Affair/Marriage Prompt Write a poem about a particular famous love affair or marriage from the past. No present couples. Pick an old celebrity couple like Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. It can either be from their point of view or from an outsider looking back on the marriage. ~ Numbers 1 through 10 Prompt Write a poem using the numbers one through ten in any fashion you want. You just have to use all ten numbers. ~ Hallelujah Prompt Write a poem based on the word Hallelujah. The sound of the word, the meaning and history, the feeling of the word. A story that involves the word or an experience.

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Taylor Fogarty Haiku Prompt Write a haiku. ~ Pets Prompt Write an ode to your favorite pet. ~ Google Prompt Write a poem using the past 10 things in your Google search history. ~ College Prompt Write a poem about your time here at Ball State University. ~ Weather Prompt Write a poem about the weather outside currently.

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LeeAnn Harbert Picture POV Prompt Write a poem from the point of view of a picture on the wall. Talk about what it sees year after year as it watches it's family change or not change. Talk about things that it feels. ~ Reflection POV Prompt Write a poem from the point of view of your reflection. What does it think, or feel? Does it have your thoughts and feelings? How does it feel when no one is looking at it? Does is exist when no one is looking at it? ~ Sonnet Hate Prompt When I think of a sonnet, I think of Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a Summer's Day" sonnet. Most are about love. Write a sonnet about something you hate. You don't have to use the word hate, but try to make us feel your hatred. ~ “Anything You Want” Structure Prompt Write about anything you want. However you must start your poem with one line. Then in the next stanza you must have two lines, in the next three, and the next four. Then the next must go back down to three lines, with the next having two and the last having one. So the stanzas must ascend in number of lines to the fourth, and then descend back to one. Enjoy. ~ Best Friend’s POV Prompt Try and write a poem about yourself in the point of view of your best friend. Try not to be biased, but think about why you are friends with this person, and what they would say about you.

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Zachary Harrison Gender Prompt If you woke up, and you were the opposite sex… ~ Music Prompt Write a poem about a song or band you loved as a child. ~ MLK, Jr. Prompt Write about the ideal world you would want to live in, your dream.

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Chelsea Jackman Screw-Up Prompt We've all screwed up before. I don't mean a mortal sin or anything, as suggested by my previous prompt "Confession." I mean just a good old-fashioned screw-up. Didn't get an assignment done/turned in. Didn't have something memorized by a certain date. Pressed the snooze button on your alarm too many times and it quit, letting you sleep through two classes. (I may or may not be drawing on my own experiences...)

Caveat: The screw-up you write about must be one for which you were called out.

Maybe it was a group of you that were called out for the same thing so you could all turn red together......or maybe your prof decided it would be great fun to rib you before your entire class about forgetting/rushing through a small homework assignment, so you had to endure that by yourself, along with the snickering from the know-it-all in the class, having to sit on your hands before you suckerpunched him. ~ Confession Prompt Write a confession. Push the edge of your envelope. We all love each other here.

Extra cool-points if you write it in the form of a letter. ~ Intimate Experience Prompt Write about an intimate experience (not limited to but not excluding sexual). It could be a long hug from a parent after an extended absence. The simple gesture of someone touching your face. One-on-one time with a close friend or sibling, especially during a difficult time. Even being in the room with someone when they pass away is an intimate experience--perhaps you held their hand.

You could write about sex, too.

Experiences not limited to those you personally have had. Fabricate one if you want. ~

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Lyrical Prompt Choose a piece of music (instrumental only....no lyrics) that moves you emotionally. As you listen to the music, several times if you feel it necessary, write the word vomit that comes to mind. Then zone out for five minutes. Now, organize said word vomit into a poem, paying close attention to the musicality of the language you choose, while remaining true to the integrity of the emotion the music evoked in you. Make the poem reflect the music. ~ Mood Prompt As a Theater and Dance student, I had the opportunity to take Theater 340: Playwriting, taught

by Prof. Jennifer Blackmer. This was one of many writing prompts she gave us to produce our plays with. She had us choose two pieces of music in contrasting moods which could produce an emotional journey or arc. The rest of her prompt was to then write a 3-5 page scene based on the poem we wrote, paying attention to the musicality of the language with which we wrote our characters' dialogue. My original music choices and ensuing poem are available on request (after our assignments. XD ) This particular exercise, among all the others Prof. Blackmer gave us, was my absolute top favorite. ~ Death of You Prompt Your prompt, should you choose to accept it: A task that you thought would kill you. School project, group project, monumental research paper/experiment, cleaning your room, etc. The list is long. But somehow, by some inexplicable miracle, you made it. You did it. You accomplished your goal and you don't know quite how you did it.

That feeling.

Write about it.

And don't just say, "I worked hard." That's the easy way out of the poem. BOR-ING! ~ Appropriate quote for such an occasion ~ "Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice.

Pull down your pants and slide on the ice."

--Dr. Sydney Freedman, "M*A*S*H"

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Ani Johnson Wedding Prompt Write a poem about a wedding. Either make it your dream wedding with lots of imagery, or maybe a wedding you attended, with a small narrative structure to it. ~ Conversation Prompt Listen to a conversation of a friend and use a sentence from their conversation to start a poem. ~ Family Member’s POV Prompt Write a poem from the point of view of another family member. Perhaps something happened recently - like a family reunion - and you have some idea of what reactions happened. Be it your siblings, parents, guardians, or distance relatives, write a poem about a family event from someone else's point of view! ~ Hair’s POV Prompt Write a poem from the point of view of your hair. Not someone else's hair, but yours. Be it facial hair, leg hair, head hair, whatever.

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Kameron McBride Zombie Prompt World War Z opens on June 21st, in celebration, write a zombie prompt! ~ One Night Prompt Write about one night, just try and capture the images and emotions that you think best describe this night. ~ Coffee Prompt Write an ode to coffee, the lifeblood of writers. ~ Favorite Pajamas Prompt Write about your favorite pair of pajamas, past or present. Maybe some experiences you had together, slugging out all of those cold winter nights. ~ Indiana Prompt Write about Indiana geography, quirks, etc.

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Amy Randall Sleep Prompt What do you think about before you go to sleep? Cats? Dogs? Pans? Chores? Daydreams?

Write a poem about it. ~ Memory Prompt Write a poem about your favorite memory. It can be life changing or just something simple. ~ Five Words from Poems Prompt Look at a famous poem and take five words from the poem and turn it into a new poem. Each word is a new line. Feel free to go beyond five words.

Credit to an old Creative writing teacher of mine from high school. (Bill Kenley) ~ Adventure Prompt Write a poem about your biggest adventure. Was it your own or did you live it through someone else? (i.e. book or movie) ~ Dystopian Prompt Write an apocalyptic, social dystopia, etc poem.

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Dylan Smith Time Prompt Write a poem about the literal reversal of time. ~ Science Prompt Write a poem about a scientific constant. ~ Video Game Character POV Prompt Write a poem about a classic video game character. ~ Chemical Element POV Prompt Write a poem from the point-of-view of a chemical element. ~ Virus POV Prompt Write a poem from the point-of-view of a virus.

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Mark Snyder Childhood Friends Prompt If you had a stuffed animal or some other inanimate object that you considered being a friend of yours when you were a kid then write a poem about it in which ever structure best fits your childhood friend. It can either be descriptive about your friend or it could be about an adventure the two of you went on. ~ Persona Prompt Pick a person and event from any person's past and write a poem from their point of view about that event. ~ Fear Prompt Write a poem about either one of your fears or a fear you're interested in.

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Samantha Takacs Memory Prompt What's your very first memory? Most people say that children don't retain memories until the age of three. That's not always true though. When was yours? First day of preschool? When you got your puppy? Your first birthday party? Write about the experience you had and how you remember it now. ~ Letter Prompt Write a letter in poem-form. This letter should be to someone that you couldn't send it to, whether it's because they're a stranger, passed away, or a touchy subject. ~ Nervous Prompt Write a poem about a time where you were really nervous to tell or ask someone something.

Start with your dialogue- the question or statement, then write any background information or feelings, then end the poem with their long-awaited answer. It can be a surprise ending if you want! ~ Embarrassed Prompt Write a poem about you most embarrassing moment. This would be a good opportunity to describe the many things that you feel when you get embarrassed, both mentally and physically. ~ First Death Prompt Write a poem about your first recollection of discovering that death happens. Could be a grandparent, friend, or a even pet.

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Caitlin VanOverberghe Car POV Prompt Personify a car. Tell us about the journeys it has been on and the people it has carried. ~ Crime Prompt Write a poem about a crime you committed, or a crime you’ve considered committing. ~ An Acronym Prompt Write a poem where the first word of each line follows an alphabetical order.

For (a bad) example: Able blah blah blah Baby blah blah blah Cantaloupe blah blah blah…and so on and so forth. ~ Relationship Prompt Write about a relationship you have been in…not necessarily someone you have been in love with, just someone you have a connection with. ~ Instructions Prompt Write a poem in the form of instructions—a recipe or how-to—similar to Newman’s letters.

Keep an over-all theme, i.e. living a healthy life, making Grandma’s soup, etc.

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Maggie Voss Sun POV Prompt Write from the perspective of the sun. How would it feel if it went out, and the Earth was left with no light? ~ Knock, Knock Prompt Write a poem that beings with a knock, knock joke. You should make sure that the poem ends up being serious. ~ Computer Prompt Write a poem about a computer, and the things that people look up, whether it’s something deviant, funny, or just random. ~ Lie Prompt Write a poem about things in your life that aren’t true. Just make up a life that you want. ~ Message After Death Prompt Write a poem/letter to someone that you would like them to read after your death.

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Lauryn Wiseman Nightmare Prompt Write a poem about a nightmare you once had. It can be vivid or fragmented, any nightmare will do. Try to make the reader feel like you felt when you woke up from it, though. ~ Tone Emulation Prompt Think of your favorite lyricist, poet, or author in general. Think about the way that they use voice in their writing and attempt to write a poem with the tone of voice that they use when they write.

If it's not a perfect imitation, don't worry about it too much; at least you made an effort! ~ 30 Words (or Less) Prompt Write a poem in 30 words or less. The goal is to be concise and specific. Write a longer piece and delete words if you have to. ~ Muse Prompt Write a poem about someone who has inspired you in your own poetry. Perhaps it was a famous poet, or just a friend who writes poetry.

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Liz Whiteacre Season Prompt With this cold weather, I've got spring on my mind...

Margaret Atwood wrote, "In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

How are you ending your days as winter ebbs? Freewrite and consider how you’d end Atwood’s thought for other seasons. Like, "In the winter, at the end of the day, you should smell like __what?___." I invite you to explore other senses too.

Write your own seasonal poem. ~ Persona Prompt Poet Tim Seibles has written a number of persona poems from the points of view of cartoon characters. Here are some examples: “Midnight: The Coyote, Down in the Mouth” print and audio “Commercial Break: Road Runner, Uneasy” audio “Natasha in a Mellow Mood” print and audio “Boris by Candlelight” print "What Bugs Bunny Said to Red Riding Hood" audio For your own poem, select a cartoon character. Create a dramatic monologue from the point of view and voice of this cartoon character. You MUST use first person and write from the character's point of view (capturing the character's voice).

I encourage you to check out at least one of the poems above before writing your own. ~ Un-Valentine Prompt Zachary's presented a prompt in the spirit of the Valentine...writing about young love.

For this prompt, write a "Valentine" to someone you don't love--an ex who's broken your heart (um, I mean the speaker's heart ;), an unrequited love that's ignored you a little too much, a family member or friend who's betrayed you, etc.

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Extra challenge...make this rant a sonnet! ~ Something New Prompt First, check out this poem by Oni Buchanan "The Madrake Vehicles." There are 3 different poems, 7 screens each. Take your time, go in order, watch the "magic." http://www.conduit.org/online/buchanan/buchanan.html If you click on the link at the top right, Ms. Buchanan talks about the Madrake form and how it works.

You may not have time or the computer skills to experiment with this type of form, especially given the limited time you have (I wanted to share it because it's innovative and pretty darn cool), but for this prompt, I encourage you to do something new. (You might try a "found poem," if you've never tried that before...learn more at http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5780.)

Write a poem in which you try something (a form, a technique, a point of view, etc.) you've never tried before. It can be about anything. ~ Sequel Prompt Write a poem in response to a poem you've already written. (You might consider it Part 2, a change in the original response--like a "redo," the same idea/event from a different point of view... play around.)

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