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Praise for The Whimsical Muses: Poetic Play for Busy Creatives
If writer’s block is real, then finally here’s a cure. The Whimsical Muse is a playful little book packed with quirky and thought-provoking poetry prompts. “Express your amazement with the world around you,” author Danell Jones advises. In a nutshell, that’s the joy of writing poems, isn’t it? I will use this witty and wise collection of prompts as a text for my students, and I hereby commit myself to employing these prompts in pursuit of my own new poems. To paraphrase Salmon Rushdie – A poet’s work is to help shape the world by stopping it from going to sleep. Thanks to The Whimsical Muse, I am more awake, more aware of what’s possible in poetry, and I’m amazed and enthused to realize that there is still so much rewarding creative work to be done. --Lowell Jaeger (Montana Poet Laureate 2017-2019)
“Spend more time chatting with the sun,” Danell Jones tells us. “Reel out the invented life as far as you desire.” In these “quick” and “lingering” prompts from The Whimsical Muse, Jones gives us daily sparks and insights to encourage her readers to write. Every page of this book is a potential poem, and each quotation, each suggestion for either a brief exercise or a more extended exploration is designed to get us past whatever stands in the way. What playful brilliance she offers in this light-hearted and vital book. --Tami Haaland (Montana Poet Laureate 2013-2015)
The Whimsical Muse provides eighty-four concrete reasons to write. Eighty-four exercises that you can begin right now. They require no planning or preparation. Just open the book and go. In under a minute, your creative juices will be flowing.
All of the prompts here can be adapted to suit the moment. Each one has two parts: “Quick” and “Lingering.” If you are really strapped for time, opt for a “Quick” activity that can be done in a matter of minutes. Don’t be surprised if your energy and your spirits lift as you start working. It turns out that getting words on the page ignites our gusto and fearlessness. It won’t take long for you to see your imagination for the remarkable resource it is. Remember: the more you use your imagination, the more imagination you’ll have, and the more you’ll write.
The “Lingering” part of each prompt provides ideas for extending your poem by developing it or taking it in a new direction. You can do the “Quick” and “Lingering” parts of the prompt together or separately—whichever works best for you.
If writer’s block is real, then finally here’s a cure. The Whimsical Muse is a playful little book packed with quirky and thought-provoking poetry prompts. “Express your amazement with the world around you,” author Danell Jones advises. In a nutshell, that’s the joy of writing poems, isn’t it? I will use this witty and wise collection of prompts as a text for my students, and I hereby commit myself to employing these prompts in pursuit of my own new poems. To paraphrase Salmon Rushdie – A poet’s work is to help shape the world by stopping it from going to sleep. Thanks to The Whimsical Muse, I am more awake, more aware of what’s possible in poetry, and I’m amazed and enthused to realize that there is still so much rewarding creative work to be done. --Lowell Jaeger (Montana Poet Laureate 2017-2019)
“Spend more time chatting with the sun,” Danell Jones tells us. “Reel out the invented life as far as you desire.” In these “quick” and “lingering” prompts from The Whimsical Muse, Jones gives us daily sparks and insights to encourage her readers to write. Every page of this book is a potential poem, and each quotation, each suggestion for either a brief exercise or a more extended exploration is designed to get us past whatever stands in the way. What playful brilliance she offers in this light-hearted and vital book. --Tami Haaland (Montana Poet Laureate 2013-2015)
The Whimsical Muse provides eighty-four concrete reasons to write. Eighty-four exercises that you can begin right now. They require no planning or preparation. Just open the book and go. In under a minute, your creative juices will be flowing.
All of the prompts here can be adapted to suit the moment. Each one has two parts: “Quick” and “Lingering.” If you are really strapped for time, opt for a “Quick” activity that can be done in a matter of minutes. Don’t be surprised if your energy and your spirits lift as you start working. It turns out that getting words on the page ignites our gusto and fearlessness. It won’t take long for you to see your imagination for the remarkable resource it is. Remember: the more you use your imagination, the more imagination you’ll have, and the more you’ll write.
The “Lingering” part of each prompt provides ideas for extending your poem by developing it or taking it in a new direction. You can do the “Quick” and “Lingering” parts of the prompt together or separately—whichever works best for you.
Sample Prompt:
Poetry: three mismatched shoes at the entrance of a dark alley. ~Charles Simic
Quick:
Jot down six favorite words. These can be words that evoke important memories or places (Tuolumne, dunes) or words whose sounds make you swoon (scintilla, whirly). Now start writing, weaving your words into the poem as you go. Don’t plan how you will use your words, just let your creative unconscious come up with ideas as you write.
Lingering:
Jot down five ugly words, such as coarse, rancid, dagger. Let at least one of these words enter your poem. If you like, add more favorite and more ugly words as you go along and see where each takes you.
Quick:
Jot down six favorite words. These can be words that evoke important memories or places (Tuolumne, dunes) or words whose sounds make you swoon (scintilla, whirly). Now start writing, weaving your words into the poem as you go. Don’t plan how you will use your words, just let your creative unconscious come up with ideas as you write.
Lingering:
Jot down five ugly words, such as coarse, rancid, dagger. Let at least one of these words enter your poem. If you like, add more favorite and more ugly words as you go along and see where each takes you.
