Monday, February 22, 2010

Prompted: from Prose to Poetry

If you stop by here regularly, you may know about the Prompts Projects. During January and February, about 60 writers signed on to receive a daily writing prompt via email. Along the way, some let me know how they were using the prompts to invigorate writing routines. Susan, a prose writer, found that one day's prompt, "Required Reading," lead her to poetry.

Susan writes, "I don’t usually write poetry, but by taking a different path for this prompt, I was reminded how much story could be told in a few carefully chosen words."

Here is Susan's prompted poem, inspired, on January 24, by the Haiti news coverage.

Required reading
Bodies bleeding
People pleading

Required reading
Children needing
Love and feeding

Required reading
Hope receding
Helpful heeding

Required reading
Some still breathing
Not conceding

Required reading
Plans proceeding
Time impeding

Required reading
New news leading
Superseding

Susan even kept another blog, SFD (S*#ty First Drafts), to chronicle her prompt writing experience.

2 comments:

fullsoulahead.com said...

Very moving poem.

Susan Bearman said...

So strange to see this exercise presented as if it were a real poem. I've been knocked out of commission on my free writing blog, but am keeping all of your prompts and hope to get back to it later this week. Thanks for the inspiration and for spurring me to stretch myself as a writer.