10 Prompts in Current Year

These are prompts I am coming up with in my seventh year of judging "The Writer's Cramp" . I am always trying my best to think of prompts, all during the week days between my judging days.

You are free to use any of them if they will help you in your writing. I also include the number of entrants who tried writing to my prompt.

I have heard that my prompts are good and no good. Sometimes I will hear conflicting things about the same prompt.

But it is not easy to think of prompts consistently and have them all be great.

I try for prompts that inspire others to write. That is my simple goal.

One time someone even told me that my prompts were good, but this person didn't like them anyway.

Some prompts work and some do not, but if you think you can do better and be reliable to judge, I urge you to email Sophy and volunteer to be a weekly judge or a substitute judge.

It's fun and she does a great job.

Strangely, those who are most critical of my prompts seem not to want to volunteer when I suggest it. Maybe it's easier to criticize and come up with excuses than to do the work.



1. Use the following as the TITLE of your poem or story:

"Moonlight on Cows"


Pick "Animal" as one of your genres.

Have fun!

Given April 9 - 10, 2022 = 4 Entries


2. Use the following as the TITLE of your poem or short story:

"The Great Egg Shortage"

You pick the genre.

Given April 16 - 17, 2022 = 3 Entries


3. Use the following as the TITLE of your poem or story:

"Broken Places"

You pick the genre.

Given April 23 - 24, 2022 = 2 Entries


4. Use the following as the TITLE of your poem or story:

"The Mystic Rose"

You pick the genre.

Given April 30 - May 1, 2022 = 3 Entries


5. Use the following as the TITLE of your poem or story:

"The Last Ticket"

You pick the genre.

Have fun!

Given May 14 - 15, 2022 = 4 Entries


6. Use the following bolded as the first AND last sentence (or line) of your story or poem:

"Blame it on the moon."

You pick the title and the genre.

Given May 21 - 22, 2022 = 3 Entries


7. Use the following as the TITLE of your story or poem:

Last Cat at the Bar

You pick the genre.

Given May 28 - 29, 2022 = 1 Entry


8. In honor of and tribute to Queen Elizabeth's celebration of 70 years on the throne this week, use the following as the TITLE of your story or poem:

"Street Party"

You pick the genre. It doesn't have to be about the Jubilee in England. It can be about any street party you prefer.

Given June 4 -5, 2022 = 1 Entry


9. Use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"Trading Places"

Include the following words (in any order) being sure to BOLD them for judging convenience:

Electric Bike
Errand
White rabbit
Strawberries

You pick the genre.

Given June 11 - 12, 2022 = 3 Entries



10. Use the following as the Title of your story or poem:

"Knowing When to Leave"

Include the following words (in any order) being sure to BOLD them for judging convenience:

whisper
typewriter
pocket watch
blueberry muffins

You pick the genre.

Given June 18 - 19, 2022 = 1 Entry