Written by Emily Harstone October 30th, 2014

Writing Prompt: Poem Around A Word

Everyone has a favorite word, or words. They are ones that easily come to mind and that we use a lot, generally. Although occasionally the word is one you really like but is not particularly useful, like Parabola or cloisonné.

I want you to pick one of those words that belong to the second category. A word that you love but that you don’t often use. Write that word down at the top of the page. It is the title of your poem.

Then I want you to approach the word in two ways, the first is to approach it for the associations you have with the word, what you think about when you think of it. The second is to approach the word and focus on the literal meaning of the word.

You should give yourself about 10 minutes to write the prompt. It is fun and can equal some interesting results.

 

We Send You Publishers Seeking Submissions.

Sign up for our free e-magazine and we will send you reviews of publishers seeking short stories, poetry, essays, and books.

Subscribe now and we'll send you a free copy of our book Submit, Publish, Repeat

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: May 2025

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: May 2025

Authors Guild Sues to Bring Back Grants; Major Newspapers Use AI to Recommend Books that Don't Exist; Plus Publishing Opportunities, Success Stories, and Editing Jobs

Scavengers: Now Seeking Submissions

Scavengers: Now Seeking Submissions

Seeking flash, poetry, artwork, comics, experimental writing, and mixed-media.

How to Get Back Into Writing

How to Get Back Into Writing

Took a break from writing? Here are some tips to get back in the game.

Guppy Books: Accepting Contest Submissions

Guppy Books: Accepting Contest Submissions

Guppy Books is a respected publisher of children’s fiction. Founded in 2019 by Bella Pearson, the books they have published have been finalists and winners of a number of awards. They also have excellent distribution. You can learn more about the company and their track record, here. They are based in the UK, and generally…