read write prompt #17: dream prompts for a long winter’s nap*
by Christine Swint
A lot of writers try to develop an authentic, original voice. We read the work of other poets for inspiration and guidance, but when it comes time to call forth our own words, we want them to come from our own inner spring.
Dreams can provide the writer with a never-ending source of original images, feelings, characters and conversations. Your nightly dream stories flow from you. What better way to find unique material? By remembering even one dream a week, countless personal and archetypal themes can be explored in the form of a poem.
If your life is hectic, and you barely have time to whip through Starbucks, let alone remember and record your dreams, don’t despair. Tarot cards can provide a source of dream-like inspiration through their symbolic, intricate drawings. The following writing prompts work equally well with your own dreams, or with a tarot card.
Writing prompts
- Recall a character from a dream. Sit quietly for a few minutes – go back into the dream space in your mind’s eye until you have a strong impression of the character. Ask your character questions, and free write the character’s responses, without censoring. Your poem can be the whole conversation, or part of it.
- Write a letter from your dream character to anyone you choose. Or you write a letter to the character.
- Have your dream character show you an imaginary world.
- Remember an object from a dream. What importance does it have to you? It might be a car, a train, a wallet, a key, whatever you remember. Write a poem describing the object. The poem might explore the relationship between the object and another person.
- What worlds do you dream about? Maybe your dreams inhabit the modern world of highways, malls, classrooms or a version of your own home. Are there secret places you’ve discovered, rooms you never knew about until your dream revealed them to you? Maybe you dream about underwater worlds or mountain lakes. Travel back to your dreamscape in your mind and free write about the place. Turn your free writing into a poem.
- Do you have super powers in your dreams? Maybe you can fly, jump very high or breathe under water. Write a poem about this super power and the significance the power implies.
- Do you ever dream about a celebrity? What does that person mean to you? Why do you dream about that particular person? The answers to these questions can form the foundation of your poem.
- Record the essence of a dream as an American Sentence. Group a week’s worth into one poem or list them individually.
- Turn a dream fragment into a haiku, also known as a dreamku. Patricia Kelly’s website, Roswila’s Dream Poetry, provides insight and inspiration about dreamku.
Collaboration ideas
- Agree with a friend at the beginning of the week to dream about the same place, object or event. Record your results, and write a poem. Then combine the two poems, alternating verses or stanzas.
- You and a friend, or even several people, choose the same tarot card and free write about it for ten minutes. Phrase your free writing into a poem. Don’t read what the others have written until you combine your results. You can write about how the tarot card relates to your present life, or simply describe what you see in the card.
* Or summer, if you happen to be in the southern hemisphere.
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get the read write poem badge! 
Wear it loud, wear it proud! Display the Read Write Poem badge on your site. Just click here or on the image above to get the code! read write poem news- yes, yes, here’s another virtual book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 6, 2010 | 11:37 amFind the latest tour stop for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace at Jillypoet, Jill Crammond Wickham’s blog, where you can find an interview with Pamela that discusses how she creates manuscripts.
Previous stops include Daniel Romo at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies and James Brush at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- the best of the web is in our ranks
February 6, 2010 | 11:35 amSarah J. Sloat’s poem,”Attending the Tasting” (published in The Literary Bohemian) has been selected for Best of the Web 2010. Congratulations, Sarah!
- another (w00t!) read write poem member on the joe milford poetry show
February 6, 2010 | 11:34 amOn the Joe Milford Poetry Show tomorrow (Feb. 6): W.F. Roby at 9 AM (PST). Find the show here!
Joe describes Will as a “great language poet and bad-ass.”
- ‘literary podcasting made simple with wordpress.com’
February 6, 2010 | 11:33 amDave Bonta has published a how-to article that might be of interest to WordPress users: “Literary Podcasting Made Simple with WordPress.com,” based on his and Beth Adams’ experience at Qarrtsiluni.
Thanks, Dave, for continuing to help make the community aware of technological resources that can expand our art.
- the latest (virtual) book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 3, 2010 | 3:53 pmThe latest tour stop has been posted for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace. Find out how Daniel Romo responded to the work at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies.
James Brush provided our first tour stop at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- planning for napowrimo in april, and you are invited!
February 2, 2010 | 6:12 pmHello, hello dear Read Write Poem community members! We are in the planning stages for NaPoWriMo. (What? Is that a groan I hear, or an excited exclamation?)
We are planning another prompt-every-day for those folks who love to write a daily poem in April (which is, as most of you know, National Poetry Month in the United States — although there is an international following of writing poetry every day in April, too, so it is not just about the States).
Anyway! This is a call for prompts because we want to run your ideas, one every day, in April. So here’s what to do:
- Prompts must be no more than 250 words, and we will take the first 30 that we receive.
- Include “NaPoWriMo Prompt” in the subject line of your email as well as your username (e.g., the name you use when you log in) so we can match you up with your prompt and give you the link love.
- Email your submission (in the body of the email — no attachments please) to prompts (at) readwritepoem (dot) org!
We’ll let you know when we’ve got the 30, but don’t delay because it takes a lot of time to format the posts and we want to be ready come April Fools’ Day. Woohoo!
- new senior contributors at read write poem
February 2, 2010 | 11:51 amWe are thrilled to announce that Ren Powell and Dave Jarecki are moving into the senior contributor role at Read Write Poem. Both have been writing feverishly for the site, as well as providing ideas for content and for the community as a whole. In short, they make this site a more lively, and better, place.
Ren and Dave will fill the roles vacated by Carolee Sherwood and Jill Crammond Wickham, who have moved into the manager role.
Everyone please thank Ren and Dave for their hard work and commitment to Read Write Poem.
- rounding out the virtual book tour of sarah j. sloat’s ‘in the voice of a minor saint’
January 31, 2010 | 1:53 pmOur last stop on the Virtual Book Tour of Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint is with Ren Powell. Find Ren’s review at More Babel.
Joseph Harker provided our first stop in December, and you can find David Moolten’s review at Edible Detritus. David’s was followed by Dave Jarecki’s. Dave’s review is at his blog. Find Jill Crammond Wickham’s at Jillypoet: Mom Trying to Write.
In case you missed the introduction, we are (virtually) hosting Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint. For complete tour information, such as how you can get your own copy of the collection or how you can get involved in future tours, read this post.
- make your own book: get off the computer and onto the paper
January 30, 2010 | 4:19 pmBeth Adams has posted her latest project at The Cassandra Pages. “A Handmade Book” may not explicate all the details of bookbinding, but Beth shows readers the “Secret Belgian Binding.” It’s a beautiful as well as inspiring post.
If you would like more detailed instructions, Google “secret Belgian bookbinding” and find sites such as this one. Or look for a local book arts class for hands-on instruction.
As Beth says, ” … it did me good to get away from the computer and feel my hands at work!”
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Christine: I am so excited about this! I frequently have bizarre dreams and remember them in vivid detail. Great prompt.
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