The April Poem-A-Day Challenge is the big daily poeming challenge each year, but it’s not the only one. We also do a poem-a-day challenge in November based around the concept of creating a chapbook manuscript of poems, and I just announced the winner of that challenge last night. Click here to learn the winner of the 2021 November Poem-A-Day Chapbook Challenge!

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “(blank) in the (blank),” replace the blanks with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “Poem in the Pocket,” “Skin in the Game,” “Money in the Pot,” and/or “A Devastatingly Good-Looking Person in the Mirror.”

Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them.

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Writer’s Digest University is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind online event for poetry writers! On April 9, 2022, our WDU Poetry Writing Virtual Conference will provide expert insights from FOUR award-winning and bestselling poets on the finer points of how to write poetry. Spend the day learning techniques for honing your craft from four different published poets, then (if you choose) you can have one of your poems (up to 40 lines) critiqued by one of our participating poets. The poet will provide you with a personalized critique of your poem.

Click here to learn more.

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Here’s my attempt at a Blank in the Blank Poem:

“the letter in the word”

the letter in the word i like the best
is the one that echoes the most near it
as if the ghost of a sound can be found
in a consonant or vowel that shows how
a word should behave by solemn letters
and begetters of the choir and the chorus
who adore us and our words and our letters.