This week’s prompt is adapted from a writing exercise in Poetry Everywhere: Teaching Poetry Writing in School and in the Community (T&W Collaborative, 2005), a writing handbook now on sale on the Teachers & Writers Collaborative website.
What happens when we die? Where do noises go? How far is far? These types of questions without answers are the focus of today’s writing prompt. According to Collum and Noethe, an unanswerable question is one that causes the mind to “kee[p] on seeking.” Don’t lose sight of this objective! Allow each question to lead to the next without bothering to consider an answer. Resist the impulse to know it all.
As it may take a while to get your mind into “seeking” mode, begin with a few practice questions. Let your thoughts wander. Stare out the window… Where do birds sleep at night? How do they recognize their family members? Do baby birds ever find their fathers? Would they want to? How tall do pine trees grow? How long would it take for one to grow into outer space? Unfetter your mind: no question is too whimsical for this exercise.
Continue reading “Weekly Prompt: “Questions Without Answers””
