So much is happening now—violence and oppression, genocide and fascism—that it is difficult to think of anything else. If you can to write about the current horrors, please do. Your voice is needed. If you have to step away for a moment though, to gather your breath and strength, then Ross White’s poem may take you elsewhere for a bit.
For the first prompt, choose the perspective fairytale or mythical villain to write from in a story or poem.
For a second, make a list of animal pairs that are traditionally enemies or are predator and prey (fox and hen, cat and mouse, etc) and a second list of professions and their opposition (or again a predator/prey dynamic, perhaps such as police officer and peaceful protester). Now mix those lists and see what sparks your interest.
The third prompt is to write a list poem of what is in your or perhaps a character’s nature.
The last is to write a poem or story using the following list of words from the poem: “fable,” “nature,” “current,” “brush,” “parched,” “strokes,” “faith,” “carry,” “mercy” and “sting.”
Bonus prompt: write whatever this photo, taken with an app, makes you think of.
Good luck. Have fun writing!