Writing Prompts

I’ve been thinking about writing prompts lately- how helpful and infectious they are. This past March in Burlington, when I was still shaking winter’s frost-bits from my hair and slowly unwrapping myself from the blues that strings of short, chilly days bring to me, friend and poet Rajnii Eddins reminded me he was hosting a workshop in the basement of the library. It was a perfectly clear, warm, sun-filled Saturday. I hesitated, aching for Vitamin D. Then I went anyway. I had not been writing much, “saving my energy for 30-30,” I told myself. But that afternoon, I started six new poems (or so). I did not follow all of them to the final stages of poem-hood, but I enjoyed each draft, each beginning: fresh, young, and sun-filled. Suddenly, my mood lifted- better than a day at the beach.

 

This week, I began reading Glitter in the Blood by Mindy Nettifee. It’s been on my shelf since I ordered it from Write Bloody Publishing as my submission fee for their chapbook contest, (which I did not win but from which I received a very satisfying rejection letter full of humor, empathy, and listings of other publishers’ contests. I’m sending so much gratitude for the small presses who care). Nettifee meanders through her own poetic processes until she approaches what she calls “poem-cliffs-” entry points one can use to begin writing. Her cliffs include: objects, personal narrative, news/information, poetic forms, vulnerabilities, place, and one’s relationship to a higher power. I can’t seem to put this down. I’m reading and reading and reading and writing and writing and writing. At Nettifee’s urging, I’ve begun to take in more information about topics that interest me- not content absorption like trolling Facebook (though let’s be honest, still guilty), but rather intentional and inspiring content consumption. (On that note, everyone should set aside time to watch this uncut NPR interview with the Poet Laureate of NY State, Marie Howe). As a result of the prompts, and the inspiration, and the practice, I’m getting those drafts. Not just the I-journal-and-write-poems-every-day-about-what’s-around-me-so-that-I-can-stay-sharp drafts (though those are still and will always be necessary), but also the I’m-going-somewhere-with-this drafts, the I’m-excited drafts, the my-mood-couldn’t-be-better drafts. So, I decided to share the love. Here’s a favorite writing prompt from my own teaching arts arsenal. Do with it what you will. Enjoy.

 

Entry Points: The Body & The Five Senses

(Note: This activity draws heavily from life area eight of Gail Straub and David Gershon’s Empowerment Workshop and Empowerment Life Coaching Curriculum of which I am a trained practitioner).

 

1. Find a comfortable seated position, either cross-legged or in a chair with your feet on the floor. Take a few breaths. Be prepared to close your eyes between each question so that you can tune in fully to your sensations. Following your breath, notice how you are feeling in your body. Are you tired? Energized? Sore? Tight? Hungry? Thirsty? Honor each feeling before letting it go.

 

2. Focus on your feet: what do you they have to tell you tonight?

 

3. Move up the body. Slowly notice each part of you.  Notice your legs and thighs, your stomach and lower back, your chest, shoulders and upper back, your arms, your hands and fingers, your neck, head, eyes, mouth, and entire face. What messages do they have to tell you?

 

4. Ask your body, how have I been treating you lately?

 

5. How would you like me to treat you?

 

6. How has our community been treating you lately?

 

7. How would you like our community to treat you?

 

8. Open your notebook. Ask your body this final question and write down your response: if you could say one thing tonight, what would it be?

 

9. Using the answer you just wrote down, insights from the meditation, and all 5 senses, write a poem beginning with the phrase “When my body speaks…”

 

 

 

Happy Reading/Writing!