April is quite the month for writers! Not only is it the first Camp NaNoWriMo session of the year, but it’s also National Poetry Month!
We have focused primarily on writing fiction on this blog, but we’d argue that any and every writer should engage in exercising the poetry-writing muscles every once in a while. (You might just see a blog post on this soon…) This month, we’ll be sharing thirty prompts provided by poet, editor, author, and more Heather Lang-Cassera to help you get in touch with your poetic side. We’ve also included a few ways you could use the prompt if you’re feeling stuck.
Prompt #6: Describe your favorite springtime plant through metaphor alone.
- Your first thought might be flowers, but what about in-season fruits and veggies?
- If you don’t have a favorite springtime plant, here’s a website where you can find out what plants grow native to your area.
- Whether you’re struggling with the prompt or not, try writing it outside!
Prompt #7: Write an acrostic poem in which the first letter of each line spells out your name. However, write only about your birthplace, not yourself.
- How literal can you get with this prompt? Try writing about the specific place you were born—the hospital, the house, or wherever it might’ve been.
- If you don’t know your birthplace, write about the first home you remember.
Prompt #8: Write 3 sentences about unrelated things. Choose a title that ties them together!
- Selecting three unrelated things is a tougher task than it sounds! If you’re looking around wondering what to write about, start with something in your home, then select two things from entirely other locations you visit regularly.
- Remember playing 20 Questions? The first question asked is usually, “Animal, vegetable, or mineral?” Select something from each of those categories, and there you go!
Prompt #9: Write about two paintings you admire as if they were one painting combined. What conflicts arise?
- If you are not well-versed in the world of art, try using this random painting generator to find pieces that speak to you.
- Do you have a favorite painter? Select their first and final (or most recent) paintings.
- You need not limit yourself to classical artists! There are many, many talented artists on Instagram, TikTok, Etsy, and other platforms you can check out. If you post to social media, tag them!
Prompt #10: What’s something you’d love to do but shouldn’t? Write about it in couplets.
- Put the bucket list away! Try not to select something you have plans to do.
- If you’d like, spend ten minutes brainstorming or free-writing on the topic of things you’d love to do but shouldn’t before you start. You might be surprised what you think of!
About Heather Lang-Cassera
Heather Lang-Cassera lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where she served as Clark County Poet Laureate (2019-2021) and was named 2017 “Best Local Writer or Poet” by the readers of Nevada Public Radio’s Desert Companion. Heather holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Graduate Certificate in Literary Translation. She serves as an Editor for Tolsun Books and World Literature Editor for The Literary Review. Her chapbook, I was the girl with the moon-shaped face, was published by Zeitgeist Press. Her collection, Gathering Broken Light, was published by Unsolicited Press. At Nevada State College, Heather teaches College Success, Composition, and Creative Writing. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter and find out more via her website.
