NaPoWriMo Writing Prompts

It's that time of year again! April is officially here, and that means so is NaPoWriMo!

If you're anything like me, coming up with a new topic to write about every single day of the month can get tedious. I often start off NaPoWriMo strong with lots of ideas in mind and then fizzle out as the month goes on. This year, to get ahead of that writers block, I created a list of prompts to return to whenever I get stumped on what to put on the page. These prompts are totally open to all of you to use, too, and I hope they help get those creative juices flowing!

Happy writing!

1. Write an "after" poem that builds on and/or argues with another poem you've read.

   
   

2. Write about a social media trend that bothers you.

   
   

3. Write a poem that centers around candy.

   
   

4. Do an act of public service and write about your experience.

   
   

5. Write a poem about your pets. If you don't have pets, write a poem about a loved one's pets or your favorite animal.

   
   

6. Write a poem that involves two contrasting elements of nature (ex. ice and fire).

   
   

7. Write about the love of your life - except the love of your life must be something other than a person (a food, an object, a hobby).

   
   

8. Write a poem about a movie that impacted you (negatively or positively).

   
   

9. Write a poem about your favorite season.

   
   

10. Write a poem about your best friend and an activity you two do together.

    
    

11. Write about a favorite childhood memory and how that memory shaped who you are today.

    
    

12. Write a poem surrounding the branding/advertising of a certain material good that bothers you.

    
    

13. Listen to purely instrumental music and write a poem based on the images that come to your mind as you listen.

    
    

14. Make a poem about what or who inspired you to start writing creatively.

    
    

15. Write a poem that involves board games (my favorites to use are Candy Land, Clue, and Monopoly).

    
    

16. Make a poem about a parent and how they have impacted your life.

    
    

17. Define love in a poem using only images.

18. Loop lock-down and covid-19 into a poem.

19. Write a poem about your least favorite romantic trope in literature and TV. Why is it your least favorite?

20. Make a poem centering around the word "hibernation".

21. Is there a celebrity that you used to like but don't anymore? If so, describe, in a poem, what changed your opinion Alternatively, write about a celebrity you didn't like at first but now do.

    
    

22. Write a poem that involves math equations and theories.

    
    

23. Personify a non-living object or an idea/concept and write in its perspective.

    
    

24. What is a tradition or expectation in your culture that you don't follow? Write what and why on the page.

    
    

25. Write a poem that centers around the definition of a simple object or food (chair, apple, etc.) and make the definition get progressively less concrete as the poem goes on.

    
    

26. Is there a character from a show or book that you feel got unnecessary hate from audiences and readers? If so, write a poem in defense of that character.

    
    

27. Write a poem that is formatted as a grocery list. Make several of the items in the list be things you wouldn't typically find in a grocery store.

    
    

28. Make a poem that revolves around cooking a favorite and/or nostalgic dish.

    
    

29. Center your poem around a particular sport. Do you dislike or like this sport? Do you play/have you played it?

    
    

30. Write a poem that involves learning how to swim.

If you create a poem with one of these prompts and put it on instagram, feel free to tag me @chris_kads in the post. I would love to read it!