Robert Lee Brewer - Smash Poetry Journal: 125 Writing Ideas for Inspiration and Self Exploration

WritersDigest.com
Cincinnati, Ohio

For all the poets, whether they know it or not.

I have stacks of books on my desk, by my bed, and piled in my office. Some have been there for months. This book arrived, I opened it, and I immediately took it into my Poetry Workshop the next day and the day after that and the day after that Joe Mills, author of Exit, Pursued by a Bear

Robert Lee Brewers prompts reached me at time when, after twenty years of writing, I was becoming disillusioned with the art form. The gentle and copious inspirational offers he gave reinvigorated my creative practice, and Ive continued to write, publish, perform, and teach poetry ever since. Daniel Ari, Richmond, California poet laureate and author of One Way to Ask

Robert Lee Brewers prompts stopped me staring aimlessly at a blank page and helped focus my writing in directions I would never have otherwise gone. Tracy Davidson

Robert Lee Brewers poetry prompts are tiny sparks of ideas that make their way into much of my poetry. Theyve been a constant catalyst for my poems being published in journals like Rattle and The Adirondack Review, and I go to them daily for their inspiration Richard Fenwick, author of Unusual Sorrows

After teaching about poetry and writing for years, I started taking my own poetry-writing seriously beginning with Robert Lee Brewers regular prompts. They are specific enough to get my wheels turning, while allowing enough flexibility to interpret them as I choose. Nancy Posey, author of Let the Lady Speak

Roberts prompts have brought good results for me. In fact, many poems from my upcoming chapbook resulted from his prompts. Nancy Breen, author of Burying the Alleluia, a Top 10 finalist for the New Womens Voices award

A few years ago, at a time when my writing was withering from the pressures of my work life, I discovered Robert Lee Brewers April PAD Challenge, where he provided daily prompts for writing poems. These I embraced with fervor and since then I have been hooked on his poetry prompts, which have revitalized my writing. Lelawattee Manoo-Rahming

Many of my published poemsand at least one chapbookare the direct result of Roberts inspiring prompts. Theyre the perfect jump-start for a recalcitrant muse. Bruce W. Niedt, author of Breathing Out

Roberts poetry prompts were the keys which unlocked the rusty door of my creative mind and helped me rediscover my love of writing poetry back in 2008. I just had to blow off the cobwebs and turn on the lights. Michelle Hed

The first time I met Robert in person was at a poetry festival, and shortly after that I became even more excited about his creativity, humor, and diligence, as I immersed myself in the poeming process at his Poetic Asides website. He also impresses me as one of the best teachers anywhere. Ever. Period. gpr crane

Like a good question challenges my perceptions, Robert Lee Brewers prompts nudge me in new directions, help me apply a new angle of vision to an old idea, or dare me to discover possibilities. Those prompts are catalysts for growing as a writer because they keep me thinking and moving toward greater understanding of often misplaced experiences. Jane Shlensky, author of Barefoot on Gravel

I tend to write poetry out of whats happening in my life at the time. Robert Lee Brewers prompts always inspire me to look at my life with fresh eyes. julie l. elder

A poets unique perspective may be unleashed by a single word or idea. Prompts from Robert Lee Brewer free writers to explore remote nooks and crannies resulting in poetic treasures as varied as the genre itself. Pat Anthony

Robert Lee Brewers creative poetry prompts have enriched my life. His prompts are alluring invitations that inspire me to delve inward, reflect through a poetic lens, and hone my poetic voice. Much to my delight, several of the prompt-based poems got published and some won awards in poetry writing contests. Dr. Nurit Israeli

Robert Lee Brewers poetry prompts placed me on a path of daily writing, and communicating with poets that leave me in awe. That was April 2009. Enough said. Marie Elena Good

The prompts and challenges provided by Robert Lee Brewer on the Poetic Asides website have been an amazing inspiration for me. His thoughtful themes have provided a framework and a creative starting point for some of my most interesting and fun poems. Additionally, his site has fostered and encouraged one of the most supportive communities of poets Ive ever known. RJ Clarken, author of Mugging for the Camera

Inspiration can strike out of the blue, but sometimes it needs a little nudge. Robert Lee Brewers poetry prompts are perfect for drawing poems out of you that you didnt even know were there. Nikki Markle

I had given up on poetry, thinking a writer begins with something to say, and I had no important ideas. Following (and fighting) prompts, I discover that theres more within than even I knew from the surface. Barbara E. Young

Robert Lee Brewers prompts throw me curvesunexpected ideas that encourage me to write. They improve my poetic batting average. William Preston

Lets start at the beginning.

It was March 2008 when I got an idea for my relatively new blog, Poetic Asides, on the WritersDigest.com website. After months of posting about various poetry-related topics, I wanted to try and get more interaction with my readers (if I even had any).

The idea was simple: Post a poetry prompt each day of Aprilalso known as National Poetry Monthand encourage people to post their poems in the comments. Id share my own attempt at a poem along with the prompt to get people started. But there was a small problem.

As with any new project, I had absolutely no idea how people would respond. In fact, I didnt know if anyone would respond at all. Comments on my blog posts were few and far between.

I still remember the evening of March 31, 2008, like it was yesterday.

Talking on the phone to the person who would become my wife in only four months time, I said, Ive got this poem-a-day challenge Im going to try out tomorrow morning. It should be a fun challenge, but I dont know if anyone is going to participate besides maybe one or two people. Theres a chance it may just be me.

On the next day, I was shocked to find out it wasnt just me, and it wasnt just one or two people. That first poetry prompt, which was to write a poem about a first or a series of firsts, eventually received nearly 300 comments.

And the April Poem-a-Day (PAD) Challenge was born. It was so popular that I kept the poeming going weekly after the month was over with the Wednesday Poetry Prompts, which are still going strong (458 prompts and counting as of this writing). In November of the same year, I started the first ever November Poem-a-Day Chapbook Challengewith a goal of poeming each day of November and collecting the poems into a chapbook manuscript during the month of December.

All told, Ive now shared more than 1,000 poetry prompts and example poems on my Poetic Asides blog, and I have no plans of ending that run. Partly, because it keeps me writing, and writing keeps me sane. If I dont write at any other time, I know I will write a poem each Wednesday for the blogand thats enough to keep me from going dark or drying up completely.