inspiration

Write a poem attempting to find meaning in visual artifacts, a short story about a world in which memories can be manipulated, or a nonfiction piece about the season’s soundscape.

Write a poem exploring the idea of slipping into another’s skin, a story inspired by your school days, or an essay that attempts to decipher a deeper meaning in a piece of literature—three prompts to get you started. 

The author of eight books, most recently the story collection Suicide Woods, on turning career pitfalls into successes, the truly amazing things that can happen when someone says no, and how the only true failure is to stop trying.

Write a poem that uses illogical language, a short story inspired by a historical figure’s words, or an essay based on a photo—three prompts to get you started. 

A poet and essayist meditates on the importance of making time to write—whether it’s hours or days or just a few minutes at a time. 

Write a poem that flows like a river, consider food in your fiction, or create a catalogue of objects in an essay—three prompts to get you started.

Write a poem inspired by emptiness, explore your characters’ perceptions of love, or write about your interior self—three prompts to inspire you in the New Year.

Sally Wen Mao, Hanif Abdurraqib, Morgan Parker, Esmé Weijun Wang, Ross Gay, Yiyun Li, and Chigozie Obioma share their thoughts about creativity, the transformative power of writing, and the infinite potential of the literary imagination.

A psychologist and writer explores how writers can tap into the twilight stage between sleep and waking to discover the most creative parts of our minds.