Poetry Instigator is happy to announce the AWP Prompt Contest winner Heidi Johnson. Her prompts can challenge a poet’s mind at the language level, as well as fuel his/her imagination.

Congratulations, Heidi!

1. Write an independent clause as a single sentence.  Then, chop up the sentence with different punctuation and insertions.  For example: “Write!  An independent clause; as (theoretically speaking) a single…sentence.”

2. Form a story in your mind, a brief, simple one and imagine the situation in which the story could take place.  Write a poem on whatever emotional theme, symbol, situation or character comes to mind.  Let the theme, symbol, situation or character speak totally for itself.