This is courtesy of our good friend, The Girl Genius. Special thanks to her for always coming up with really great prompts.

Notes:

• Some will have context, some won’t. 
• Can be done in any order.
• If you use any—please tag my FB or my IG @apoetcalledgenius or use #genius3030 (I’d like to see some of your poems, if you’re inclined to share)
• Also tag @sweetturtleberry or @turtleberrypress on IG

1. Write from the perspective of an abandoned building or lost object
2. Observe your surroundings for 5 mins. Write about an “invisible” part of your surroundings (things others hadn’t noticed, a sound you hear that you previously tuned out, etc.)
3. Start with a question (no matter how “ridiculous”) you’ve always wanted to know and try to answer it.
4. How to say “goodbye” without actually saying goodbye.
5. Take a word (ex: hunger, joy, tired, luck) and redefine it
6. Take 3 minutes and freewrite 
7. What do you want more than anything right now?
8. “Why are you here?” 
9. Write about or from the perspective of a background character (tv show, video game, movie).
10. Write about how a celebrity’s death impacted you.
11. How you learned to ______________
12. What’s in your bag?
13. Any subject—but go somewhere outside of your normal writing spaces to write this poem. Bonus: incorporate the place into the title or the actual poem
14. What are you still trying to heal/fix? Name it.
15. Use a social post (any platform) as the topic or the first line. Alt: use one from “memories” 
16. Take a selfie. Use yourself in the moment as the topic. What does it look like you’re thinking (not your actual thoughts)? What would you say to that person in the picture if they were a stranger?
17. Write about how YOUR brain works.
18. Something or someplace that was overhyped or a huge letdown.
19. The space before the news came… [waiting for results, the second before you hear good—or bad news] 
20. “I had an argument with…” [something ridiculous or inanimate. Ex: Alexa, my dog, an empty chair]
21. The setting is any mode of transportation.
22. Retell a historical event either a) with an opposite ending or b) in reverse 
23. A “love” story without using the word “love”
24. “This isn’t what I signed up for…”
25. Break up with something
26. Begins with laughter…ends with silence (or the opposite)
27. Robins signal spring, what signals the end of something?
28. Pick an obscure, but interesting fact to start or center your poem  
29. Find an old slang word and advocate for why we should bring it back
30. Keep it short and cute—write a 1 min poem

P.S. If you aren’t a poet, feel free to take these prompts and flip them in whatever area of creativity that you love.