30 Poetry-Writing Prompts to Power Your Writing

Photo by McGill Library on Unsplash

Update: Hi Reader! I’m now publishing new essays, writing prompts, and updated lists of poetry publishing opportunities on my Substack, Effing the Ineffable. Subscribe for free!

Happy National Poetry Month! Long time no see. I have a bigger update coming, but first: some prompts I wrote!

A while ago, I decided to challenge myself to create a poetry prompt every day and share it on my Instagram. With everyone buzzing about poetry, what better time to publish these in a better format?

Here’s a collection of every prompt I wrote, plus a couple extra that I didn’t get to post.

Whether you’re new to writing or have been at this for a while, prompts are a great way to loosen up, flex those creative muscles, and get in the zone. Sometimes, of course, prompts lead to new poems—but I don’t like to put that pressure on them. I’m grateful for a line or two that makes me feel that feeling. You know the one.

30 Poetry-Writing Prompts

1. In 2010, Serbian conceptual artist Marina Abramović created an art installation called “The Artist is Present” in which she spent all day sitting across a table from participants, one at a time, and sustaining minutes of eye contact with them. Abramović would have a “silent conversation” with each one…