You may think a solid #TBT involves that killer hairdo you had three years ago, or that epic hike you took with friends. But if you think about it...there's no bigger opportunity to ~throw it back~ than thinking about your family history. Which means that if you're in need of some new poem ideas, your family is the perfect place to look.

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Yeah, you wish your family was this cool.

We've talked before about writing what you know. Writing about your family is a great way to write what you know; after all, what do you know more than your childhood, or your parents? 

We've talked about the big WHY: why do you write? Preserving part of your family's history in poetry is a great reason to write. Writing about your family allows you to strengthen your connection--whatever it may be--to your bloodline. It's a way to honor your ancestors, or address an emotional event that occurred in the past, however recent.

Have we convinced you that writing about your family and its history is a great way to generate new poem ideas? For today's short and sweet writing prompt, you've got a few options:

1. Place yourself in the shoes of a family member at least one generation ahead of you. Freewrite on their life- what were they doing? What was their view of the world? What was happening at that time in history? Do some research (aka, call your mother) if you need to.

2. Write a letter to a family member, imagining that they are the same age you are now. What should they do differently? What should they know that they don't? 

3. Illustrate the fullest extent of your family's history in a poem. Bonus points if you use a form! (Extra million bonus points if that form is something circular like a villanelle.)

Happy writing (and, perhaps, reminiscing!)

Tell us: do you find it easy to write about your family? Do you find it difficult? Is there one moment in your family's history that you gravitate towards? Is there a member of your family that appears often in your writing? Let's talk about it in the comments!

Fridays are always great, but they're even better when they're FORM FRIDAYS! And just to throw a little extra alliteration at you on this happy Friday, we're going to be talking about a fantastic form of poetry that hails from France: the Rondeau.

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Buckle up; we're going back in time!

The rondeau was popular in 13th century France, and, like most forms of poetry we love (like the villanelle), the rondeau was originally used in a musical context. Rondeaus were considered an expression of romantic feelings, spirituality, and even melancholy; essentially, they were considered an emotional form.

So, how does one write a rondeau? Let's break it down with a graphic:

so, as you can see, a rondeau is a form of poetry containing 15 lines (although they can also be written in a 10 line form; read more here). Each line is typically octosyllabic, and there are only two rhymes throughout the poem. Like the pantoum, the rondeau utilizes repetition by using a refrain.

Chaucer's "The Parelement of Fowls" is considered one of the most famous examples of a rondeau written in English. John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields" is one of the most famous American examples, written after World War I. Read McCrae's poem and the syllables and rhyme scheme:

Seems easy enough, right? Now that you've been introduced to a new form of poetry, we're turning things over to you. Try writing a rondeau, and tell us about your experience in the comments below!

Happy Word Nerd Wednesday yet again! It's one of the best days of the week, and we've got a fantastic word to get you inspired:

Definition (source):

n. [Brit. wallesia] a condition characterized by scanning faces in a crowd looking for a specific person who would have no reason to be there, which is your brain’s way of checking to see whether they’re still in your life, subconsciously patting its emotional pockets before it leaves for the day.

I love finding words to help sum up the human experience, and waldosia is definitely one of them. After all, who hasn't searched for someone they miss and felt the tangle of emotions that follows?

Writing Prompt:

1. Use the Word of the Day to inspire you. 

Freewrite for ten minutes, make a list of words with a similar appearance or sound, play with rhyming phrases, etc. You can also freewrite on a time when you've experienced waldosia. Who where you looking for? What did you feel? Who or what else does your brain look for when you aren't paying attention?

2. Edit your work.

When you're finished freewriting, you can either use the Word of the Day as your poem's title, or just edit your poem to make sure you've used the word somewhere.

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Like pretty much every human on Earth, here at Floodmark, we love music. Moreover, we love using music to inspire our writing. There's something so relaxing about unwinding and letting a song take over, steering your words across the page as you freewrite. If this sort of writing exercise sounds like it's up your alley, you're going to like today's listening prompt.

If you were to ask me how this song came into my life, the truth is, I have no idea. It will forever be one of those songs that mysteriously crept into my consciousness and never left. While you're welcome to watch the video, it's the song I find most inspiring. Let's not wait a second longer. Presenting: today's musical inspiration:

Turn up the volume and grab your paper and pen,
 because it's time to write.

Listen to this track once, twice, or as many times as you need to get some solid freewriting done. Zone out. Just let it happen. See if you can correlate any themes from your writing with themes from this song's lyrics. (P.S.: want the lyrics? Check it.)

Want more tunes? Want more musically-infused writing exercises? Check out our other musical poetry prompts:

• "Open" by Rhye
• "Paper Forest" by Emmy the Great
• "Every Other Freckle" by Alt-J
• "Miami" by Counting Crows

Who didn't love reading comics on Sunday mornings? And now, lucky you, you can enjoy some poetical humor AND get your weekly dose of comic reading, all in one place.

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P.S.: Savage Chickens has more great poetry comics. Check them out!

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So you're writing. And you're writing. And you've been staring at the poem you've been working on for what feels like hours. You have to admit it: you're stuck.

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Because there's a Spongebob for every life situation.

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We've been there. Many, many times.

As much as I'd love to tell you that the poem you've been working on will find a way to majestically unfold as a glorious finished piece, this one might not be the one.

And that's OK. 

Not every project is going to come to fruition, and if you want to succeed as a writer, you have to detect when it's time to let a poem go. Now, I'm not saying you have to throw it on the ground and never see the poem you're struggling with ever again. You can hide it deep in your notebook and find it again in a few months. Let it breathe a bit, and by the time you come back to that poem, you'll be ready to figure out how to rock it. Trust us; a forced poem never ends up being a good poem.

Here are some signs that your poem may need a break:

1. You're forcing a phrase.

A good poem isn't going to come by force. A good poem flows naturally and doesn't demand certain phrases to work where they just don't.

2. You can't tell where the poem is going to go.

Are we saying you have to have your poem planned from start to finish? Certainly not. but a good piece of writing will spark its own ideas, which will allow you to help it grow.

3. You can't commit to a theme.

Does your poem feel like it's careening out of control? Are you switching emotions or perspectives too often? Are you using language that doesn't mesh? It may be time to let the poem go.

4. You feel bored with your poem.

If you aren't excited about what you're writing, who will be? You owe it to yourself to be excited by what you're working on.

5. You feel anxious about showing someone your poem.

Don't get me wrong, I get anxious about sharing my poetry with people, too, but if you've been writing for long enough, you can likely tell the difference between feeling nervous about something you're proud of and feeling nervous about something you aren't thrilled about.

Repeat after me: it's OK to give your poem a break. By all means, keep writing! But don't push yourself to complete something that doesn't give you all the right feels. When you're ready, don't forget: we have 5 Ways to Get Your Groove Back, poetry style!

Hello, word nerds! Ready for today's installment of Word Nerd Wednesday? We've got a word that's perfect for the first day of July.

Recently, we posted a list of beautiful French words and phrases that we, well, got a little obsessed with. Today, we're going to put one of them to use in an easy writing prompt. Check it:

The definitions for flâneur seem to vary by source, but generally agreed-upon definitions are: 

a person of leisure, a stroller, a loafer, a saunterer, an urban explorer, and idler, a connoisseur of the street, or one that is deliberately aimless. 

Perfect for summer, right?  If you've been here before, you likely know how these quick writing prompts work, but in case you need a refresher, here's what you'll need to do:

1. Use the Word of the Day to inspire you. Freewrite for ten minutes, make a list of words with a similar appearance or sound, play with rhyming phrases, etc. Another option: Who do you know that is a flâneur? Write to them or about them. Construct them with words.

2. When you're finished freewriting, you can either use flâneur as the title of your poem, or work it into your poem somewhere. It's up to you!

Do you ever have days (or weeks) where you feel completely disconnected from poetry? Perhaps it's a writing funk, or perhaps it's a busy week (we've been there). Perhaps you've been writing furiously for the last month and a half and you just NEED MORE POETRY (we've been there, too). No matter the cause, if you need more poetry in your life, we have some ways to read, write, and listen your way to a more poetry-filled day. Or, well, life.

1. Carry a notepad with you, always.

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Yes, we know, we've said this before. But truly, there's no better way to keep your brain creative than by constantly having a writing outlet on your person. I'm not saying you need to carry a college-ruled notebook you can't discretely cram in your pocket- just a pad of sticky notes will do. Write down any odd phrase that pops in your head, or scribble down a piece of an overheard conversation. If you commit to this small habit, you'll end up with plenty of material for a poem.

2. Memorize a poem.

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Obviously we don't recommend "The Wasteland", but having a short poem always on the tip of your tongue is bound to make any day feel a little more special. Transcribe a poem and keep it in your pocket; then, when you're walking, driving (your editors' college professors swear by this. JUST BE CAREFUL.), or just in need of a break from work, take the poem from your pocket and start reciting it, either out loud or in your head. You'll feel more connected to the world of poetry almost immediately. Plus, you never know when being able to recite a poem from memory will help you make a new friend in a bar.

3. Stream spoken word poetry instead of music.

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Music is great. NPR is great. But why not have the best of both worlds by streaming spoken word poetry? A little talk and a little rhythm makes for a great afternoon. Create a YouTube playlist of spoken word pieces you love, and soon enough you'll know them better than your favorite song.

4. Swap your novel for a chapbook.

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One of my favorite pastimes is to go to a discount book store and take home one (OK, admittedly, more than one) chapbook from a poet I've never read. It's like having a blind date: you spend a solid chunk of time with this person, learn a lot about them through their poetry, and suddenly you have experienced a new slice of human life. Plus, if you go to the right place, chapbooks are pretty affordable, so you get to avoid the dreaded "honey I killed our bank account" confession.

5. Watch Dead Poets Society.

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Really, need we say more?

6. Attend a poetry reading.

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Ah, yes, we're going to ask you to leave your comfortable little nest and go out into the world. Reading poetry is great, and listening to poetry is great, but experiencing poetry live is one of the best ways to get inspired to write. Simply Google poetry events at your local college or in your city (both of which will likely be open to the public) and go. (P.S.: live near Chicago? Here's a list you'll need.)

7. Download some poetry-inspired quote art.

Art and poetry go hand in hand, especially when it comes to decorating. Seeing snippets of your favorite poems is the perfect way to feel more connected to writing, and you're in luck: we have plenty of free printable quote art to inspire your inner poet.

8. Ask someone to look at your poem.

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Requesting criticism is one of the hardest steps in writing a poem. You may remember our review of WritingFloor, a community for writers looking for feedback on their work; making an account is easy, and you'll likely get really prompt feedback from objective writers. Prefer to ask someone you know in real life? No problem. But you have to actually do it.

9. Sit down and write a poem, already!

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Don't mind me, just reliving how much I LOVE THIS MOVIE.

Reading and listening to poetry are two wonderful ways to spend your time...but obviously, we think writing is the best choice. Here are 5 Reasons to Write a Poem Today, in case you need any more of a kick in the butt.

Finders, Keepers.

(aka the editors of Floodmark have written found poems.)

Hello, readers! Once again we have come to the end of a very busy month. We hope you found inspiration within the pages of our blog. As you may know, at the end of every month the Editors try to "test drive", if you will, one of our prompts. Ya know, just to make sure we weren't doing anything too wacky or boring. This month, we chose to check out Found Poetry. Think of it as a collage of imagery, phrases, and words drawn from other sources. 

Don't know what Found Poetry is? Click here.

Emily has written a killer post about the various way to approach found poetry. She gives examples, helpful hints, and a step-by-step look at the most common ways poets write found poems. Plus, as an added bonus, she includes an awesome found poem as an example. 

Want to see a Found Poetry prompt? Click here.

In case you haven't noticed, Emily kicks ass when it comes to found poetry. We'll call her the resident expert here at Floodmark. She went ahead and wrote up a fun follow-up to her explanatory post about  found poetry. This one is a short and sweet prompt with plenty of inspiration. 

The Editors Tackle Found Poetry:

Let's take a look at Emily's poem, first:

Emily: One of my favorite found poems came from National Geographic (I think I reference that poem in my found poem post) so I decided to do it again! (Source text)

And here's Alli's poem: 

Alli: I've actually only provided an excerpt, here—I ended up with a three part poem. The first section is the longest, so I just included sections II and III. I have a feeling I'll go back and play around with the imagery I pulled from this wonderful article to create a series of shorter found poems, too. 

Good afternoon, poets! We're in the mood for a quick and easy poetry prompt, and chances are, you are too. Want to know what's inspiring us today? Art, as usual. But more specifically: statues.

Statues have always held such life to me, despite their stationary, often solitary, nature. Whether they're made from stone or metal, statues have this masterful way of embodying life. The best statues, of course, are the ones that lead you beyond simply what you see and into a world of possibility, history, and emotion. Hawthorne says it beautifully:

"Nobody, I think, ought to read poetry, or look at pictures or statues, who cannot find a great deal more in them than the poet or artist has actually expressed. Their highest merit is suggestiveness."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne

I could scour the internet for days and come up with endless inspiring statues...trust me when I say I limited myself to seven. If you're ready to be completely captivated, scroll down.

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So, without further aideu, your writing prompt(s):

1. Freewrite for ten minutes using one, or all, of the above photos as inspiration. Watch for repeated themes: what words, phrases, or ideas keep popping up in your freewriting? When you're ready, go back through your mass of text and find the most alive pieces of your writing; then, construct your poem.

2. Freewrite for ten minutes on the following questions:

• If someone were to create a commemorative statue of you, what would they use to make it? How would you be posed? Where in the world would your statue stand? What words, if any, would accompany your statue? (Need some ideas? Try this writing prompt)
• Recall a statue that speaks to you. How does it make you feel? What is its history?

Enjoy this prompt? Eager for more? Check out the rest of our easy-breezy poetry prompts by clicking here. And, as always, don't hesitate to share your thoughts on this prompt, or the result of it, in the comments below.

Welcome back to another Word Nerd Wednesday! We love searching for the weirdest words on the world wide web (lots of alliteration, I know), and we have another great find to inspire your writing today:

Selcouth means strange, unfamiliar, or unusual. According to wordnik, you can also use selcouth to mean marvelous, wondrous, or rare. No matter which way you slice it, selcouth is an incredibly versatile word to add to your poetic vocabulary...and now it's time to put it to use.

1. Use the Word of the Day to inspire you. Freewrite for ten minutes, make a list of words with a similar appearance or sound, play with rhyming phrases, etc.

2. Either use the Word of the Day as the title of your finished poem, or simply use your freewriting to write a poem that uses selcouth somewhere in it.

Happy writing!

Greetings, fellow poets! If you're in the mood for an easy poetry prompt, you've come to the right place. Remember our post about found poetry? We're bringing it back for today's short and sweet writing prompt.

Want to read our post on writing found poetry? Click here.

Found poetry is poetry made from carefully selected pieces of text, whether they come from a scrap of a grocery list found inside a book or a surgically rearranged article from a magazine. When I find myself strapped for found material, my favorite place to visit is FOUND magazine, which is the inspiration for today's writing exercise.

Below, you'll see ten 'found' texts, courtesy of FOUND magazine. Your prompt today, should you choose to accept it, is to use only the text in the following images to create a new poem. You can use everything, or only a few sentences. You can rearrange words or sentences in any way you choose. But, for the purpose of today's exercise, you can only use the words provided. Ready? Go!

How did the final result turn out? Share your masterpiece in the comments below, and then go out in the world and try found poetry with texts you find. Now that you've tried it once, you'll be a master of found poetry before you know it. Best of luck, writing buddies!