“The dog upstairs won't shut up, but I can't hate him, he's up there alone all day, making noise must be the only way he knows he's not a ghost.”-Danez Smith Writing Prompt The ghost only wants to be noticed. He'd settle for mild haunting, although he'd love to be a poltergeist. After a year …
Author: Oz Ghouls
Poet and certified cryptid.
The Worst Books I’ve Ever Read
Disclaimer: I do not claim to have good taste. The following statements are personal opinions meant to spark dialogue and introspection. If you don't like what I have to say, you're welcome to leave. Dune by Frank Herbert I know this one is going to piss people off, so let me start by saying I …
When Rapunzel Brushes her Hair
“All spring I brushed confessions out of my hair. Tore the little letters apart and locked myself in the refrigerator, until the world promised to stop birthing such soft things."― Franny Choi, Soft Science Writing Prompt What sort of things could Rapunzel brush out of her hair? Imagine, she has just escaped the castle alone and has …
Growing
“You grow. You are large.You are a 19th century poem.All of America is inside you,a catalogue of lives and landand burrowing things."-From "Catalogue” Donika Kelly, Bestiary: Poems Writing Prompt Something is growing inside of her chest. She can feel it. It's moving around now, poking at her heart and kicking at her ribs. She is terrified it's …
Suffering Boredom
It was boredom that brought me together with Cabinet 13. In fact, I was so desperately bored that I even gave my boredom a nickname. I called it an I-would-rather-eat-dog-treats-than-suffer-this-boredom boredom. -Un-Su Kim, The Cabinet Writing Prompt What would your OC do if they had I-would-rather-eat-dog-treats-than-suffer-this-boredom boredom? Imagine them in the world you've created. What …
Movie Pitch
Let’s make a movie called Dinosaurs in the Hood.Jurassic Park meets Friday meets The Pursuit of Happyness.There should be a scene where a little black boy is playingwith a toy dinosaur on the bus, then looks out the window& sees the T. Rex, because there has to be a T. Rex.-Danez Smith, Dinosaurs in the Hood Writing Prompt Write a …
Rhyme Time
You have brains in your head./ You have feet in your shoes./ You can steer yourself / Any direction you choose. / You’re on your own. And / you know what you know. / And YOU are the guy who’ll / decide where to go.-Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go! Enjoy a Friendly Little …
Let Them Feel their Feelings
Let him mind, Shori. Talk to him. Help him. Reassure him. Stop Violence. But let him feel what he feels and settle his feelings his own way.--Octavia E. Butler, Fledgling Writing Prompt Write a scene where one character has some very big news and another character has an unexpected reaction. Write this scene in first …
Unraveling
I once loved a tailor who took eager care of me/ Sewed together my loose ends with stitches neat and clean/ But now my love is gone/ And I am left unraveling/ Unraveling-Unraveling, The Crane Wives Writing Prompt Sometime in the middle of the night, Jess' parts scatter. It starts with her toes, popping off …
My Favorite Poets of 2021
As we go into 2022, I want to challenge myself, and you, to read more this year. To encourage you, I've compiled a list of my favorite poets from 2021. I wanted to reflect on my year in poetry not only to see how much I've consumed, but to remember what I've learned and how …
LAMP 