9:00 a.m. — Walnut Creek
Hello everyone. I hope all is well going into the weekend.
We start with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and a prompt that says in part: So this week, do some reading. Find a poem that is radically different from your writing. (If you write imagistic free verse, find a tightly-metered rhyming poem. You get the picture.) Then follow the steps above to create your own poem that goes against type… To find out the steps and read the whole prompt head over to the Tow Truck and check out the rest of the prompt. It’s a challenge worth trying.
This is the last week for Writer’s Island and many of us feel the wrench. Losing two loved sites in a matter of weeks has cast a bit of a pall. But over on the island there is celebration of life. The final prompt says: So it is simple this week, please meditate on your vision of the future, be it for yourself, or loved one(s), or for the world — then share it with us… or let the image above spark your muse. Sail to the island for the farewell and to see the image and relax on the shores one more time.
The next site is The Sunday Whirl. Visit to see Brenda’s wordle and to read up on how it works, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. This week’s is from three poems. And be sure to go over to see what others have done.
Poetic Bloomings, hosted by Maria Elena Good and Walt Wojtanik, whom many of you know, have a form to follow this week: The Monchielle is a poem consisting of four five-line stanzas where the first line repeats in each verse. Each line within the stanzas consist of six syllables, and lines three and five rhyme. The rhyme pattern is Abcdc Aefgf Ahiji Aklml. Visit the site and look it over, read the prompt and the poems by the hosts in response.
The line chosen by Carry on Tuesday is: Is that all there is? from Peggy Lee. The question is interesting and might work as a repetition, so play with it before going over to the site to see what others have written and for a link to read the lyrics and hear the song.
Sunday Scribblings’ prompt is: give, or a form of the word. And One Single Impression offers us a celebration of tau day. To find out more go over to the site. You might check out some of the participants’ offerings.
At Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Sunday Snaps’ Susan May James has two photographs ready for you to look at. If you use one, consider submitting your creation to ‘Sunday Snaps: the Stories’ a collection of 52 photos and stories/poems. Susan is finalising submissions for her next book and has posted a deadline. Head to the stories’ link to read up on it.
Whether you like to read them or want to try writing one, this site is the place to play with limericks. I enjoy the whole site more every week. It is plain fun to browse. Go to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for her Limerick-off Mondays and a lot more besides.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us Saints, Monks and Meditation. Remember to pop by and check the image that accompanies the prompt and also a new feature that involves music. Next week they are giving us Siblings, Cousins and Friends.
Visit Magpie Tales for our other image prompt. The photograph is visually intriguing. I’m not sure what I will do with it; I know I want to try something. I will need to think of the illustration as a metaphor…
For you alliterists out there, here is ABC Wednesday‘s letter for this week: X. That is all I am giving you. The intro writer has been particularly creative to use the letter x. You should visit to enjoy the creativity. Read it for fun, if you don’t play.
The three words this week for Three Word Wednesday are bump, knuckle, and transfix. As always, visit them for their definitions. They have a particularly good source. These three words made me laugh, for some reason and I will try to get back to see what people did with them.
Part the curtains, swing the windows open wide! Take a fresh breath of sky, prepare to greet something old and make it new again! That’s our way to say with a flourish, take some older poem of yours, something you thought might be better expressed somehow, someday – that day is today! Revise or rewrite that poem. That is how We Write Poems starts its prompt. Head on over and find out what else is suggested. I dug my poem out this morning.
Poets United asks us to think and write about freedom: I would like to point out that freedom is so much more than a country or mind set. One can experience freedom in a million ways. You can be a free spirit. Freedom is being eleven years old and experiencing the first time your parents trusted you enough to leave you home alone. Freedom is the ability to have silence in a bustling household because dad decided to take the kids to the park. They always have more, to help us choose possible paths, so go over and read the rest of the prompt and view the photographs.
Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays‘ is taking a small break but Susan assures us she will be back after a brief vacation to continue the challenge.
And, while not a prompt, I want to remind people to check out Elizabeth Crawford’s new discussion site Writers Speak where she asks writers of all genres to stop by and talk about the life of a writer. She will post new topics every week around Friday.
That should keep you busy and writing. If you think anyone else would enjoy these, click on the buttons below. If you have questions ask. If you write in response to any of these, both the people whose blogs you visit and I would love to read your responses. So, post!
I shall see you Tuesday for another open prompt, Thursday for a discussion of sites worth visiting, and next Friday for more of the same. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: ABC Wednesday, alpha to omega, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, Mad Kane's Humor Blog, Magpie Tales, One Single Impression, Online Writing, photographs, poem, poems, Poetic Bloomings, poetry, Poets United, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, Sunday Snaps, The Poetry Tow Truck, The Sunday Whirl, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Wordle, words, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writers speak, writing, Writing Exercises
9:00 a.m. — San Antonio
Hello everyone. Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you all? No? I didn’t think so. Well, I do. Now let’s see what we have to play with this weekend.
We start our going into the weekend with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and a prompt that says: For today’s prompt, we are going to use some song lyrics about summer as jumpstarts for new pieces.…. Donna gives us several songs to get us in the mood, as well as possible directions we might take. Head over to the Tow Truck and check out the rest of the prompt.
We sail to Writer’s Island next where the word of the week is threshold. Head to the island to read their definitions, which I found fascinating. This is the penultimate prompt from the island which will be closing down in one week.
The next site is The Sunday Whirl. Visit to see Brenda’s wordle and to read up on how it works, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. This week’s is from one poem. Go on over to see what others have done.
We have a new entrant for your delectation: Poetic Bloomings, hosted by Maria Elena Good and Walt Wojtanik, whom many of you know. They have a poetic prompt every Sunday. Visit the site and look it over, read the prompt and the poems by the hosts in response.
The line chosen by Carry on Tuesday is: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, from Muhammad Ali. The line is fun, so play with it before going over to the site to see what others have written and for a link to read other quotes from Ali. I have seen several of the responses and enjoyed the writers’ creativity.
Sunday Scribblings’ prompt is: opportunity. And One Single Impression, offers us wind. I noticed that they say in their about: One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing haiku and other poetic forms.You might check out some of the participants’ offerings.
At Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Sunday Snaps’ Susan May James has two photographs ready for you to look at. If you use one, consider submitting your creation to ‘Sunday Snaps: the Stories’ a collection of 52 photos and stories/poems. Susan is finalising submissions for her next book and has posted a deadline. Head to the stories’ link to read up on it.
Whether you like to read them or want to try writing one, this site is the place to play with limericks. I enjoy the whole site more every week. It is plain fun to browse. Go to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for her Limerick-off Mondays. and a lot more besides.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us Void, Loneliness and Sorrow. Remember to pop by and watch the video with which they accompany their prompts. Next week they are giving us Saints, Monks and Meditation.
Visit Magpie Tales for our other image prompt. The photograph is visually intriguing. You can do a portrait poem, or focus on the included details of the image.
For you alliterists out there, here is ABC Wednesday‘s letter for this week: Did you have some winnings this weekend playing whist? Maybe you have read Wuthering Heights? When did you last enjoy a whiskey sour? Were you watching the US Open golf tournament, all the while wishing you could golf as well as Rory McIlroy? Do you love the Wookies of Star Wars? Are you interested in World War I or World War II? Of course, you can find something on the world wide web!. Go on over to enjoy the rest of the alliteration. The author of the prompt had so much fun with W that we have an essay. Go read it for fun, if you don’t play.
The three words this week for Three Word Wednesday are gag, maintain, and omit. As always, visit them for their definitions. They have a particularly good source. These three words are an interesting pick.
This is part two to last week’s prompt. In that prompt we asked you to stay close and simple, observe and describe. That is now the foundation for the prompt this week. This week we’d like to suggest you move your observations farther out into the world, go out the door, maybe down the road – both physically and as how you relate to your observations. That is how We Write Poems starts its prompt. Head on over and find out what we are to observe and what we are to do with what we observe, this week. It was such fun reading everyone’s contribution to this.
Poets United asks us to: Pick an inanimate object from anywhere and write from its perspective. It could be anything anywhere. Look at the things around you and imagine what poetry they would write. They always have more, to help us choose possible paths, and this week’s suggestions are particularly provocative, so go over and read the rest of the prompt and look at the charming and funny illustrations
For our last prompt we have Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays‘. We should be onto ita this week, but as of post time the word had not been changed, so if you are keeping up with this, head over and track down the latest. I have given you the link to this past week and if you look at the left sidebar you’ll see the Greek letters listed. They are also the links.
That should keep you busy and writing. If you think anyone else would enjoy these, click on the buttons below. If you have questions ask. If you write in response to any of these, both the people whose blogs you visit and I would love to read your responses. So, post!
I shall see you Tuesday for another open prompt, Thursday for a discussion of something I have yet to decide, and next Friday for more of the same. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: a wordling whirl, ABC Wednesday, alpha to omega, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, Mad Kane's Humor Blog, Magpie Tales, One Single Impression, photographs, poem, poems, Poetic Bloomings, poetry, Poets United, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, Sunday Snaps, The Poetry Tow Truck, The Sunday Whirl, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Wordle, words, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises
10:00 a.m. — San Antonio
While you read this, I am on the road, driving up to Fredericksburg, Texas, with our son and his wife, to eat chicken fried steak and peach cobbler. Or, I have already eaten. Yum! The magic of calendaring a post!
We start our going into the weekend with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and a prompt that says: for today’s prompt, we will use the number eleven as our magic number for creating a new draft or two. Let’s start with possible topics…. Donna gives us several possible topics to get our brains in gear and one of Donna’s own creations as her example. Head over to the Tow Truck and check out the poem and the rest of the prompt.
We sail to Writer’s Island next where the word of the week is incomparable.Head to the island to read their definitions. But, also to read the farewell message. The island will be closing down in two weeks and we will be sad to see it disappear.
The next site is a wordling whirl of Sundays at a new site and renamed The Sunday Whirl. Visit them to see Brenda’s wordle and to read up on how it works, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. This week’s is again a challenging collection. Visit to see what others have done.
The line chosen by Carry on Tuesday is: Slipping through my fingers, the title of an Abba song. The line has all sorts of fun possibilities, so play with it before going over to the site for a link to hear the song.
Sunday Scribblings’ prompt is also fun: the next step. I see possibilities combining that with Carry on Tuesday‘s line. And One Single Impression, offers us miss. I noticed that they say in their about: One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing haiku and other poetic forms.You might check out some of the participants’ offerings.
At Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Sunday Snaps’ Susan May James has two photographs ready for you to look at. I find them both lovely in their colours. If you use one, consider submitting your creation to ‘Sunday Snaps: the Stories’ a collection of 52 photos and stories/poems. Susan is finalising submissions for her next book and has posted a deadline. Head to the stories’ link to read up on it.
Whether you like to read them or want to try writing one, this site is the place to play with limericks. Go to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for her Limerick-off Mondays. and a lot more besides.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us Dictatorship, Autocracy, and Despotism. Remember to pop by and watch the video with which they accompany their prompts. They have a cartoon and poems as well, this week Next week they are giving us Void, Loneliness and Sorrow.
Visit Magpie Tales for our other image prompt. I love shells so am partial to their image this week.
For you alliterists out there, here is ABC Wednesday‘s letter for this week: Wednesday, a day that we all love because we get to share so many great things with each other. Time to lift the Veil of secrecy and come up with a Variety of items, ideas, words or even food that begins with the letter V. Go on over to enjoy the rest of the alliteration.
The three words this week for Three Word Wednesday are grip, prefer, and thread. As always, visit them for their definitions. They have a particularly good source. These three words have a nice resonance to them. I may be back.
Observe, that’s the key, essential for any writer to do. That is how We Write Poems starts its prompt. Head on over and find out what we are to observe and what we are to do with what we observe.
Poets United asks us to: Escape the day’s worries and visit the beach on paper and with your pen. They always have more to help us choose possible paths, so go over and read the rest of the prompt and look at the gorgeous photographs that accompany it, and enjoy a song by the Beach Boys.
For our last prompt we have Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays‘. We are onto zeta this week: The zeta words are zeal/zealot and zoology Visit for a look at the root meanings of the words.
That should keep you busy and writing. If you think anyone else would enjoy these, click on the buttons below. If you have questions ask. If you write in response to any of these, both the people whose blogs you visit and I would love to read your responses. So, post!
I shall see you Tuesday for an open prompt, Thursday for a discussion of poetic inversions, and next Friday for more of the same. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: a wordling whirl, ABC Wednesday, alpha to omega, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, Mad Kane's Humor Blog, Magpie Tales, One Single Impression, photographs, poem, poems, poetry, Poets United, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, Sunday Snaps, The Poetry Tow Truck, The Sunday Whirl, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Wordle, words, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises
9:00 a.m. — Atlanta
While you read this, I am on the road, suitcases packed, Starbucks to hand. Posts may be shorter over the next few weeks, but I will be around.
We start our going into the weekend with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and a prompt that asks: For today, try to write about an injury, one of your own or one of someone close to you. Donna gives us two examples to read, a Sharon Olds’ poem and one of Donna’s own. Head over to the Tow Truck and check out the poems and the rest of the prompt.
We sail to Writer’s Island next where the word of the week is contingent. An unusual word with interesting possibilities. Head to the island to read their definitions.
The next site is a wordling whirl of Sundays. Visit them to see Brenda’s wordle and to read up on how it works, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. This week’s is a challenging collection. Visit to see what others have done.
The line chosen by Carry on Tuesday is : Beware thoughts that come in the night, from William Least Heat Moon’s driving memoir: Blue Highways, one of my all-time favourite reads. The book got me through a killer flu. The line has all sorts of fun possibilities.
Sunday Scribblings is back to their single word this week, with sweet and One Single Impression, offers us endure. I noticed that they say in their about: One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing haiku and other poetic forms.You might check out some of the participants’ offerings.They offer us an illustration and tanka for inspiration with this week’s word.
At Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Sunday Snaps’ Susan May James has two photographs ready for you to look at. I find them both compelling. If you use one, consider submitting your creation to ‘Sunday Snaps: the Stories’ a collection of 52 photos and stories/poems. Susan is finalising submissions for her next book and has posted a deadline. Head to the stories’ link to read up on it.
Whether you like to read them or want to try writing one, this site is the place to play with limericks. Go to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for her Limerick-off Mondays.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us the opportunity to be inspired by song. Remember to pop by and watch the video with which they accompany their prompt. Next week they are giving us Dictatorship, Autocracy, and Despotism.
Even if you don’t usually, go visit Magpie Tales. They have posted a hysterical photograph with the opportunity to take yourself and a poem in a variety of directions. I might even suggest you try writing different poems, in different voices with this one, including the object in the photograph.
For you alliterists out there, here is ABC Wednesday‘s letter for this week: I’m going to go spare you my list of U words. UGH! They were ugly and unbefitting of this ubiquitous meme. Go on over for the rest of the intro which is presented in haiku.
The three words this week for Three Word Wednesday are alter, fond, and tranquil. As always, visit them for their definitions. They have a particularly good source.
This week a cocktail of prompts! That is how We Write Poems starts its prompt. Head on over and find out what goes into the cocktail.
Poets United asks: When you see the word “Animal” what is the first creature that pops in your head? They always have more to help us choose possible paths, so go over and read the rest of the prompt and look at the stunning illustrations that accompany it.
For our last prompt we have Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays‘. We are onto epsilon this week: The epsilon words for my ‘Alpha to Omega’ challenge are Ego and the ancient Archimedean shout of discovery, eureka! Visit for a look at the root meanings of the words.
That should keep you entertained and writing. If you think anyone else would enjoy these, click on the buttons below. If you have questions ask. If you write in response to any of these, both the people whose blogs you visit and I would love to read your responses. So, post!
I shall see you Tuesday for etherees, Thursday for more bookmarkable language links, and next Friday for more of the same. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: a wordling whirl, ABC Wednesday, alpha to omega, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, Mad Kane's Humor Blog, Magpie Tales, One Single Impression, photographs, poem, poems, poetry, Poets United, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, Sunday Snaps, The Poetry Tow Truck, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Wordle, words, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises
8:30 a.m. — Atlanta
Hello dear readers. Another week until summer vacation starts officially. Not that my status changes, except that as my husband works and is a teacher, he wants a real vacation, i.e. we go somewhere. Over the next few weeks I will be in different places, but still bringing you your weekly measure of fun and games.
We start with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and a prompt that some of you may have already come across and written to and that is an in memoriam prompt. Donna suggests: consider the soldier, current or veteran. But, if you want to change that, you can write about anything, in memory of. Head over and see what she says.
We sail toWriter’s Island next where they are changing their modus operandi. They are going visual for this prompt and ask us to: Please consider this fascinating image above from German surrealist, Michael Maier. To see above, disembark on the island to see the visual and to read their suggestions for approaching it.
The next site is a wordling whirl of Sundays. Visit them to see their wordle and to read up on how they work, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which usually come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. This week, Brenda has chosen words from her favourite Wallace Steven’s poem. I admit, I am having tremendous fun with her wordles.
The line chosen by Carry on Tuesday are the last words spoken by explorer Cecil Rhodes. Visit the site for the words and a link to other last words spoken.
Sunday Scribblings offers flock as their word for the week. Remember that it can be used as a verb, or noun. And, our other single word site, One Single Impression, offers us manifest. They are both popular sites for contributors, so do visit if you are ever curious to see how others have used a word.
At Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Sunday Snaps’ Susan May James has three diverse photographs ready for you to look at. I find I am liking her black and white photos, in particular. If you use one, consider submitting your creation to ‘Sunday Snaps: the Stories‘ a collection of 52 photos and stories/poems.
Whether you like to read them or want to try writing one, this site is the place to play with limericks. Go to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for her Limerick-off Mondays.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us Thunderstorms, Floods and Water Fury. Remember to pop by and watch the video which accompanies their prompt. Next week they ask us to be inspired by a song. Check their site for their suggestions, but the possibilities for this one are endless.
Magpie Tales is taking a break, but as one of my favourite types of graphic prompts is over at Magpie Tales, I am posting them again. They have posted Banquet Scene with a Lute Player by Nicolas Tournier. This type of painting offers many possible roads: focus on a single person, on the story of what is happening with the group, on a detail. But start by jotting down every single thing you see [as well as any comments or connections your brain is making].
For you alliterists out there, here is ABC Wednesday‘s letter for this week: TODAY it’s Time for “T”. T is TERRIBLY important. Go on over for the rest of the intro because they are such fun to read.
The three words this week for Three Word Wednesday are erratic, luminous and omen. I hadn’t thought about it before, but read in someone’s comments that they think of TWW as a mini-wordle. As always, visit them for their definitions. They have a particularly good source.
Think of a child’s painting (like something on the refrigerator). What creatures might there be? I do love how We Write Poems starts its prompts. How can one not head over and find out what else is said?
Everyone seems to be going visual this week. Poets United is planning to offer a visual prompt on the first Thursday of every month. For their first they ask: What insight arrives when you see a photo, what memories speak to you, what do you see beyond the image, what words arrive? Visit to see the image and read the rest of the prompt.
We have Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays’. We are onto delta this week: The delta words for my ‘Alpha to Omega’ challenge are demon and dendrology. Visit for a look at the root meanings of the words.
And the final entry is a new one for us, Haiku Friday on Patricia K. Lichen’s blog. Yep, that would be today, so if you want to post on this blog, you need to revisit it later today when she posts the prompt for next week. To give you an example of what to expect, last week’s prompt is: Write a haiku featuring one of the subjects discussed here in the past seven days: burying beetles, goshawks, or something from Monday’s nature quote. Feel free to mine the comments, too. Visit the site to read some of the haiku posted. As they are short they appear in the comments below the prompt.
That should keep you entertained and writing. If you think anyone else would enjoy these, click on the buttons below. If you have questions, ask. If you write in response to any of these, both the people whose blogs you visit and I would love to read your responses. So, post!
I shall see you Tuesday for the diamante form [doesn't the name sound like something you want to try?], Thursday for the last words that clutter, and next Friday for more of the same. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: a wordling whirl, ABC Wednesday, alpha to omega, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, haiku friday, Jingle Poetry, just write, Mad Kane's Humor Blog, Magpie Tales, monday potluck, One Single Impression, photographs, poem, poems, poetry, Poets United, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, Sunday Snaps, The Poetry Tow Truck, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Wordle, words, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises
9:20 a.m. — Atlanta
Another weekend, another show…yes, it does sound like I am ready for summer, doesn’t it? And here I thought retirement would be peaceful. My mother did keep saying: “Just wait!” You would think I had learned to listen to her by now.
We start our going into the weekend with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and a prompt that some of you will fall on with glee, and some will throw up defensive shields. But, I promise you that this kind of prompt will take you unexpected places. Remember that it is ultimately, your poem. If part of the prompt doesn’t work, change it. You are allowed. Donna includes her attempt at it and I find with this type of prompt it is helpful to have an example to hand. No, I haven’t shown you anything…you’ll have to visit.
We sail to Writer’s Island next where the word of the week is sizzle. Think of all the connotations the word holds for you and what a wonderful sound it makes. Head to the island to read their associations.
The next site is a wordling whirl of Sundays. Visit them to see their wordle and to read up on how they work, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. Fun!
The line chosen by Carry on Tuesday is : What if god was one of us/Just a slob like one of us/Just a stranger on the bus/Trying to make his way home, from a Joan Osbourne song. Go to the site for a link to hear the song.
Sunday Scribblings has changed their modus operandi this week and offers a phrase: better late then never.
Our single word site, One Single Impression, offers us rambling. I noticed that they say in their about: One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing haiku and other poetic forms.You might check out some of the participants’ offerings.
At Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Sunday Snaps’ Susan May James has two photographs ready for you to look at. The one with the parasols is particularly inviting. If you use one, consider submitting your creation to ‘Sunday Snaps: the Stories‘ a collection of 52 photos and stories/poems.
Whether you like to read them or want to try writing one, this site is the place to play with limericks. Go to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for her Limerick-off Mondays.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us Sketches, Images, and Impressions. Remember to pop by and watch the video with which they accompany their prompt. Next week they are giving us Thunderstorms, Floods, and Water Fury.
One of my favourite types of graphic prompts is over at Magpie Tales. They have posted Banquet Scene with a Lute Player by Nicolas Tournier. This type of painting offers many possible roads: focus on a single person, on the story of what is happening with the group, on a detail. But start by jotting down every single thing you see [as well as any comments or connections your brain is making].
For you alliterists out there here is ABC Wednesday‘s letter for this week: Say! This is Sylvia and guess what? It’s the S day and Sam Schnauzer and I are ready to climb into our Sailboat with a bouquet of Sunflowers, a bowl full of Salad, a Salami Sandwich or two to Satisfy our appetite and, of course, a pitcher of Sangria to Sip on as we Sit Safely on the Sand at the beach! Go on over for the rest of the intro and to see the lovely illustration of S.
The three words this week for Three Word Wednesday are grin, jumble, and naked. As always, visit them for their definitions. They have a particularly good source.
So many times we sweat over our poems – and that’s good, but sometimes it’s also good to kick off your shoes and dance, to write for the sheer joy of it. So grab your rhyming dictionary. Time to play! That is how We Write Poems starts its prompt. Head on over and find out what we are dancing to.
MMMMM chocolate just saying and thinking about it makes my mouth actually water. Yep! That’s all I am giving you of the Poets United ‘Thursday Think Tank’ prompt. How can you not go see what that is about? You know you want to look at photos of chocolates and read more about chocolate. And, just say the word slowly: cho…co…late.
For our last prompt we have Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays‘. We are onto gamma this week: The gamma words for my ‘Alpha to Omega’ challenge are gynarchy (a government run by women) and graphics. Visit for a look at the root meanings of the words.
That should keep you entertained and writing. If you think anyone else would enjoy these, click on the buttons below. If you have questions ask. If you write in response to any of these, both the people whose blogs you visit and I would love to read your responses. So, post!
I shall see you Tuesday for a relaxing prompt [i.e. no form], Thursday for more words to avoid, and next Friday for more of the same. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: a wordling whirl, ABC Wednesday, alpha to omega, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, Mad Kane's Humor Blog, Magpie Tales, One Single Impression, photographs, poem, poems, poetry, Poets United, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, Sunday Snaps, The Poetry Tow Truck, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Wordle, words, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises
8:55 a.m. — Atlanta
Hello, all. Ready for the weekend? I know I am. Let’s see what we have to take into the weekend with us and keep us writing.
We start with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and an even more intriguing invitation to play, than her already intriguing prompts. Donna says: So, in a twisted marriage of something I love with something I used to despise, today’s prompt asks you to use the periodic table to write a poem with a little romance. I dare you to resist visiting the tow truck to find out what that is about. And, she offers two options.
We sail to Writer’s Island next where they start with: Whether we are or are not personally superstitious, we probably each know the typically accepted list of bad omens — black cats, walking under ladders, opening umbrellas indoors, broken mirrors, spilled salt, etc. So today let’s write from the perspective of one of these heralds of bad fortune. Then there is a So and a Perhaps. Beach your boat and disembark for long enough to read the rest of the prompt.
The next site is a new entrant to my collection: a wordling whirl of Sundays. Visit them to see their wordle and to read up on how they work, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which, come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. Fun!
The line chosen by Carry on Tuesday is : After all, tomorrow is another day, from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. Go to the site for a link to the movie trailer.
Sunday Scribblings offers an interesting word: surrender. They offer another possibility for meaning than the one associated with the word most often, so take a quick look in. Our other single word site, One Single Impression, offers us exhibition.
At Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Sunday Snaps’ Susan May James has two photographs ready for you to look at. If you use one, consider submitting your creation to ‘Sunday Snaps: the Stories‘ a collection of 52 photos and stories/poems.
Our second new entrant is a limerick site. Whether you like to read them or want to try writing one, this is the place to play. So go to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for her Limerick-off Mondays.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us Fortresses, Castles, Palaces and Royal Houses for this week and next week they want us to look at Sketches, Images, and Impressions. Remember to pop by and watch the video with which they accompany their prompt.
If you read my blog you are probably a book person, so stop by Magpie Tales to gaze fondly at their photograph and to see if your brain starts kicking out ideas in response.
The three words this week for Three Word Wednesday are damp, incensed and skid. As always, visit them for the definitions. They have a particularly good source.
Write a poem about how the universe began! That is how We Write Poems starts its prompt, so you know you want to find out how that turns out. Head on over. After I finish this and post it I am heading to Google to start researching!
This week we offer you the simplest most difficult nearly impossible a child can do it prompt. Yep! That’s all I am giving you of the Poets United ‘Thursday Think Tank’ prompt. How can you not go see what that is about?
For our last prompt we have a new offering from Scribble & Scatter: ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays‘. She started last week with alpha, so if this interests you head over and don’t fall behind. This week is the beta words for my ‘Alpha to Omega’ challenge are barbaros and bios. Barbaros is ancient Greek for ‘non Greek speaker’ and is where the word barbarian stems from. Bios means life and gives us words like biology and biography. Visit for the rest.
That should keep you entertained and writing. If you think anyone else would enjoy these, click on the buttons below.
I shall see you Tuesday for cinquain madness, Thursday for more words to avoid like the plague, and next Friday for more of the same. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: a wordling whirl, alpha to omega, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, just write, Mad Kane's Humor Blog, Magpie Tales, One Single Impression, photographs, poem, poems, poetry, Poets United, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, Sunday Snaps, The Poetry Tow Truck, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Wordle, words, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises
8:11 a.m. — Atlanta
Good day everyone. I don’t know about you, but it has been a particularly tiring week. I’m beginning to think that retired means just that: tired again. Let’s see if we can find some poetry exercises to rejuvenate us.
One piece of sad news from our perspective: The three wonderful ladies who kept the Big Tent going have folded the tent and are no more. They are hoping to focus their efforts on their own work, but collaboratively. We shall miss the circus, but wish them all our best.
We start with The Poetry Tow Truck. Remember that if you like the prompt and want to post a poem in response that you have to be quick about this one, because a new prompt goes up tomorrow. Donna says: We are surrounded by signs everyday, signs that tell us how and when to drive, signs that tell us what and where to consume, and signs that tell us how and what to think.
Head on over to the Tow Truck to find out what Donna would like us to do, to watch a slide show of signs, and to read Donna’s fun poem with some signs she has come across. I listed all the signs from here to Washington D.C. along Highway 85, so I am in good shape for this one.
I’m smiling because the Island is back after being off for April, and I do love to visit the Island. Writer’s Island ends their prompt with : And remember, season can have meanings beyond that of the cyclical calendar periods. Visit the Island to read the first part of the prompt and to see the gorgeous graphic they are using.
Next we have Carry on Tuesday with the beginning of the poem “Phillida and Coridon” by Nicholas Breton. Visit Carry on Tuesday to read the lines which have to do with the month of May and to link to the whole poem, if you wish to read it.
One single word site this week: Sunday Scribblings which offers us May. Everyone seems a little May mad this month.
And, the first of our image prompts can be found over at Scribble & Scatter. Susan May James has a lovely landscape and a closeup for us to work with. Remember that Susan offers a chance to submit any poems, to accompany the photos in a book that will come out at the end of the year. Head for her site to see the images and read more about the book.
The Big Tent has one final prompt for us and it is, of course, fun. The prompt starts : Look over your recently written poem pile with the idea that giving is both noble & fruitful. Find a line or two from a poem and hand them over to the Big Tent community. Doesn’t that make you want to race over and see what next? I’m going as soon as I leave you all.
And we have Jingle Poetry with Color, Spring and Rainbow with an accompanying video and if you like a look ahead, next week will be Fortresses, Castles, Palaces and Royal Houses . Visit their Poetry Potluck to watch the inspirational videos that always accompany their prompts.
Poets & Writers is in this week with Choose a sentence from a newspaper whose meaning gets larger and stranger when taken out of context. Use it as the first line of a poem. Head over to them to read the rest of the prompt. This kind of prompt can work well as a spur.
Visit Magpie Tales to see the sculpture they have chosen. It could lead to a portrait poem or a story. For those unused to using images, try looking at the picture and without thinking, or making judgments, jot down every single thing you see. Then leave the picture and look at your notes and fill in what isn’t there.
For those who participated in the A to Z challenge and are missing your alphabet, or those who didn’t participate but enjoy this site, visit ABC Wednesday, even if it’s just to read their alliterative intro. Here is part of it: As swift as QUICKSILVER, no QUESTION about it, the week has turned, so QED, it’s time to QUEST for the letter Q.
I love the combination of words over at Three Word Wednesday this week: brandish, forbid and manage. You will need to visit them for the definitions because they use a particularly good dictionary and I find that often takes the prompt in unusual directions.
The prompt for We Write Poems takes a different direction this week. We are told This time we’d like you to be the source and seed for a poem writing prompt. Head over to find out where this one is going.
That’s it for this week. Now get out there and write. If you know anyone who would enjoy these, click on the buttons below.
Have a wonderful weekend. I shall see you Tuesday when we will learn to cascade. Next Thursday, I will be back to words to avoid. Gird yourselves. And, we all know what happens on Fridays.
Happy writing everyone.
Tags: ABC Wednesday, Big Tent, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, Magpie Tales, photographs, poem, poems, poetry, Poets & Writers, posting, prompts, Sunday Scribblings, The Poetry Tow Truck, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Writer's Island, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises
8:14 am — Atlanta
All kinds of things happening today. I am going to focus on National Poetry Month first and then if that doesn’t take too much space, I shall do my usual roundup. The month really is international in nature because a lot of you from all around the world participate in one of the write a poem a day for thirty days challenges. I will point you towards a couple of choices and a couple of things going on.
One of our regular sites, Big Tent Poetry, offers a choice: Some people will be writing a 
poem-a-day in April in celebration of National Poetry Month, and some people won’t. Whatever you intend to do, we will be right here on our regular Monday-prompt / Friday-poems schedule. If you want to write a poem-a-day using Big Tent prompts, our weekly prompts from March 28 through April 25 will include seven choices. Write to them, one each day, if you like. But if you prefer to ignore all the poem-a-day madness and just want to keep doing what you’re doing, simply pick one from the list and go with it! So if you are going to try a poem a day, head over and look for their prompts for this past week, or start with today’s.
Another regular that is offering a month of poems is Writer’s Island. But they are not offering prompts. They are offering a place to post your poems if you wish. They will not offer their usual weekly prompts again, until May.
Robert Lee Brewer’s Poetic Asides challenge is well-known and ends with the submission of five poems [if you wish]. I will give you two places to look. The first is the guidelines. And, the second is today’s prompt.
For those of you who have dreams, or want to learn how to make dreams a resource for writing, the blog site Inkseeds offers a prompt from an intriguing month of prompts that are based on our personal mythologies. I don’t, as a rule, dream, but I am going to see if I can learn to tap into that. Today’s prompt starts: Whether it was a vivid nightmare or simply the first one you ever told someone else, whatever dream came to mind when you read the question above is probably significant and the one you should use for this exercise. It may contain elements that have since carried over into subsequent or recurring dreams, and possibly offers images that still haunt or amaze you. Now visit the site for what to do with the dream.
The last site I want to point you towards for National Poetry month is the Poem in Your Pocket Day, which happens during the month, April 14th. It started as a New York thing but has caught on in a huge way. For information on this and on a Twitter challenge, visit. The Twitter challenge says in part: To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Mayor’s Office is holding its second annual Twitter poetry “Poetweet” contest starting on Friday, April 1. So start scribbling, and tweet us your best rhymes, verses and haikus using #poetweet. Submissions received by April 13 will be considered for publication in Metro on Poem In Your Pocket day (April 14), but Poetweet to your heart’s content throughout the month!
The poem in your pocket challenge says: Brought to New York City in 2008 by the Poetry Society of America, participants are given an envelope with a famous first line on the outside, which they use as a starting point to write their own verse. For this year, we are given a chance to participate online and the first lines we have been given are from Emily Dickinson poems.
As this has taken more space than I thought, I will offer a prompt from one of our regulars, We Write Poems, so those of you not participating have something to work with this weekend! They ask us to consider fire: Fire is elemental. Fire is a state of change. Write a poem about the art of making fire. Fire means many things. We suggest perhaps you study and consider the actual attributes of fire (maybe do a little internet search). They also provide two interesting sites to watch fire videos for those of us with a little pyro in our souls.
And, last, don’t forget this is Poetry Giveaway month, as well, Visit my post here to see what I am giving and for a list of participants, go to Kelli Agodon’s site. The list of participants, where you can throw your hat in for a chance to win a book of poetry, is on the left.
Have a wonderful weekend and I shall see you Tuesday for a new exercise. Perhaps we shall start exploring form. And, Thursday come see what words you should be avoiding using, in any writing. Happy writing!
And, if you know someone who would enjoy one of these, press one of the buttons below.
Tags: Big Tent, creative, exercises, Kelli Agodon, National Poetry Month, poem, Poem in Your Pocket, poems, poetry, Poetry Giveaway, prompts, We Write Poems, Writer's Island, writing, Writing Exercises
9:16 am, Friday Freeforall — Atlanta
Okay. here we go with the regular Friday post.
First up the Poetry Tow Truck. Donna suggests we go closet shopping…in our journals. We are going journal shopping. Pull out some old journals (or, if you write exclusively on the computer, pull up some old files). Spend about fifteen minutes pulling out lines that you like and writing them on a new sheet of paper. That is a pullout. To read the entire prompt, visit the tow truck.
The first of our single word prompts comes from Writer’s Island and is inseparable. Head to the island to discover the definitions they have found.Second is Sunday Scribblings with free, or freedom. The last is from One Single Impression with sarcastic. Pop over and look at the etymology they offer. Consider that the word shares roots with sarcophagus…intrigued?
Next up, Carry on Tuesday with, This week, the first words from the final paragraph of Crime And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: But that is the beginning of a new story…Head over to the site for a link to information about the novel.
The first of our two regular photograph/illustration offerings comes from Scribble & Scatter’s Sunday Snaps and offers us beautiful photos of the perigee moon from last week.The second site is Magpie Tales and their photograph is interesting because of its fantasy possibilities, or the beauty intrinsic to the weapons [all of which types I have handled and conserved in my other life as a Curator].
Wait until you see Big Tent’s offering this week, if you haven’t visited already. This week we are going to try 
bending, maybe even breaking & re-stitching words together. And we’ll use Big Tent Poetry’s latest resource page: Poetry Toys! which offers all kinds of fun resources for writing, including an automated erasure site.Go over and play.
If you remember, Jingle Poetry’s Monday Potluck asked us to focus on lies, deceptions and misrepresentations this week. Next week, to get us in the mood for summer, how about trips, travel and vacations? Head to Jingle to watch their accompanying videos.
Jumping Jehoshaphat before you can say Jack Robinson its time to play ABC Wednesday again. Instead of the blog’s usual badge, I am going to give you their Letter J as an illustration because it is so lovely.
Dual, identical, volley. An interesting threesome from Three Word Wednesday. Head on over to learn their definitions.
Musty Minutes. Where do these two words take you? Memory? Past experience? Dream images? We Write Poems wants to know. Go over to their site to read the rest of the prompt. In a serendipitous manner, I already have a poem for this one. More when I post next Thursday.
Here is a pullout from Poets United and their Thursday Think Tank: Whatever your pleasure write something that 
has to do with someone in uniform. Maybe as a child you wanted to reach for the stars and be an astronaut. Maybe you dreamed of being a knight in shining armor; that too was a uniform. Head on over for the rest of the prompt, as they always provide useful directions to get us started.
And that’s another week. Have a wonderful weekend. Stop in Tuesday for Dialogue Poems part 4, and Thursday for the next in our revision series [or maybe I will break things up with a review of one of my writing bibles]. Happy writing, everyone.
Tags: ABC Wednesday, Big Tent, Carry On Tuesday, creative, exercises, Jingle Poetry, Magpie Tales, One Single Impression, photographs, poem, poems, poetry, Poets United, prompts, Scribble & Scatter Sunday Snaps, Sunday Scribblings, The Poetry Tow Truck, Three Word Wednesday, We Write Poems, Writer's Island, writing, Writing Exercises
We start with Donna’s Poetry Tow Truck and a prompt that says in part: So this week, do some reading. Find a poem that is radically different from your writing. (If you write imagistic free verse, find a tightly-metered rhyming poem. You get the picture.) Then follow the steps above to create your own poem that goes against type… To find out the steps and read the whole prompt head over to the Tow Truck and check out the rest of the prompt. It’s a challenge worth trying.
This is the last week for Writer’s Island and many of us feel the wrench. Losing two loved sites in a matter of weeks has cast a bit of a pall. But over on the island there is celebration of life. The final prompt says: So it is simple this week, please meditate on your vision of the future, be it for yourself, or loved one(s), or for the world — then share it with us… or let the image above spark your muse. Sail to the island for the farewell and to see the image and relax on the shores one more time.
The next site is The Sunday Whirl. Visit to see Brenda’s wordle and to read up on how it works, if you wish to post responses. Otherwise, enjoy a weekly wordle, the words of which come from responses to the previous week’s wordle. This week’s is from three poems. And be sure to go over to see what others have done.
Jingle Poetry’s ‘Monday Potluck’ offers us Saints, Monks and Meditation. Remember to pop by and check the image that accompanies the prompt and also a new feature that involves music. Next week they are giving us Siblings, Cousins and Friends.
Visit Magpie Tales for our other image prompt. The photograph is visually intriguing. I’m not sure what I will do with it; I know I want to try something. I will need to think of the illustration as a metaphor…
Part the curtains, swing the windows open wide! Take a fresh breath of sky, prepare to greet something old and make it new again! That’s our way to say with a flourish, take some older poem of yours, something you thought might be better expressed somehow, someday – that day is today! Revise or rewrite that poem. That is how We Write Poems starts its prompt. Head on over and find out what else is suggested. I dug my poem out this morning.
Scribble & Scatter’s ‘Alpha to Omega Thursdays‘ is taking a small break but Susan assures us she will be back after a brief vacation to continue the challenge.
