Month: October 2018

Sometimes You Feel Like a Form…

Forms are like puzzles. You need to fit the right number of syllables or a pattern of rhyme or some other word trick into your poem and still come up with a subject. They are fun to play with. Today’s form is the Terza Rima which means third rhyme. This form creates three line stanzas with lines of any length where the first and third line rhyme. The second line becomes the rhyme for the next stanza. Keep writing stanzas until you’re done with your poem. The last stanza should be two lines that rhyme.

If you’re better at reading rhyme scheme, it goes like this: ABA BCB CDC DED EE

Here’s an example :

I have a hole in my left shoe
it’s growing big and wide
and now and then my toe peeks through.

It’s damp and cold when I’m outside
I cannot wear a sock
I need new shoes; these ones have died.

Rain, snow, and cold air are a shock;
they make me dance, you see.
I cannot ever take a walk.

A shopping trip with Mom would be
the best. I need a guarantee.

Your turn!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

*Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 900 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS: A BOO-OLOGISM

Pumpkins, Scarecrows, Black Cats—and things that go bump in the night . . . Halloween’s almost here! Let’s get our BOO on! Let’s create a BOO-OLOGY (a spooky poem.)

Below is the first line, a Halloween sound list, and just for grins, a joke. Combine them to create your own BOO-OLOGISM.

First Line: IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS . . .

The Joke: Why did the vampires cancel their baseball game?
They couldn’t find their bats.

Happy BOO-OLOGIZING!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

*Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 900 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

One, Two, Three, Go!

For today’s prompt, write a poem with three words on each line. Try to write ten or more lines and see where your poem goes. If you need a starter, use: I collect…

Count those words! One, two, three, go!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

*Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 900 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Kid’s Stuff

To say “I’m writing poetry!” can feel pretentious or intimidating. At least it does to me. First thought is, I need to don a beret and feathered quill. Second thought: Who the heck do I think I am trying to write poems?

But after more than 900 days of trying, I’ve learned that my best poems come when I tell myself: “Nobody’s ever going to read it anyway,” and just have fun. Give it a try:

Grab the nearest picture book and turn to the last page, the last words. Use the last line of text as the first line of your poem. If you’d like, use the accompanying illustration as inspiration. Let the child in you run with it and PLAY!

If you’re at a loss, here’s one of the most famous last picture book lines of all, from Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are:

. . . and it was still hot

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

*Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 900 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

More Poem Stew

Time for another poem stew! Remember, you need two nouns (something you can see or touch, not capitalized if possible), a color, a place (not capitalized), an adjective (a word that describes), a verb (an action), and an abstract noun (a word that you can’t touch that names an idea: beauty, hope, justice, chance).

Come up with your own words or use the following:
negligee, mannequin, pink, garage sale, awkward, refrain, subterfuge

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

*Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 898 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.