Embedded Files
The first National Haiku Writing Month began on February 1, 2011. On the NaHaiWriMo page on Facebook on that very first day, someone (I wish I could remember who) asked if it might be possible to have a daily writing prompt. I thought that was an excellent idea, so I provided a writing prompt each day of that first month—the very first prompt was “hands.” As the month drew to a close, the Facebook page’s hundreds of participants from around the world wanted the prompts to continue in subsequent months, and so the daily haiku prompts have continued, turning NaHaiWriMo into more of a IntHaiWriYear, or International Haiku Writing Year—or at least InHaiWriMo, or International Haiku Writing Month.). The enthusiasm and community has been wonderful (read comments about NaHaiWriMo). The following is a list of each of the prompters who have generously volunteered their time to inspire haiku on the site (most recent years listed first), linking to all of his or her prompts for the month. Prompts for the current month are added after the end of that month. You can also visit the NaHaiWriMo page on Facebook and click the monthly post pinned to the top of the page to read current prompts there. Starting in January 2014, all prompt words followed the alphabet (all January words starting with the letter A, February with B, and so on), a progression that ended with the letter Z, and the word “zyzzyva,” at the end of February 2016. Thanks to each of the following prompters for their haiku creativity, enthusiasm, and inspiration! You can read more about each volunteer prompter (starting with 2014 prompters) at Meet the Prompters.
“For anyone who is new to NaHaiWriMo, the idea is to write a haiku a day, using the prompts to help, and then to share your poem on the NaHaiWriMo Facebook page, if you want to. Interpret the prompts in any way you like and go off-prompt if a prompt comes up that you really don’t respond to. But even if a prompt doesn’t immediately inspire you, have a go anyway. I’ve sometimes found that a ‘hard’ prompt can give me a useful nudge out of my usual haiku habits. It’s delightful if you write something that you wouldn’t have written otherwise.”
—Alison Williams, Southampton, England
“Poetry is a battle against the prompter, which can only give us someone else’s lines to say. The poet has to speak his own lines, be in his own play.”
—Craig Raine, Gown, Spring–Summer 1990
The following lists provide links, where available, for prompts for all prior months. Where links are missing, currently from 2016 to the present, that content is available but has not yet been uploaded to this site.
2025
2025
January: Paul David Mena
February: Michael Dylan Welch — celebrating our Fifteenth Anniversary
March: Shasta Hatter
April: Shannon M. Blood
May: Andrea Piscitelli Narciso
2024
2024
January: Steve Ralph
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Roy Kindelberger
April: Rick Daddario
May: Robert Kingston
June: Mark Stuart Farrar
July: Verónica Marjon van Bruggen
August: Shannon M. Blood
September: Curt Linderman
October: Rowan Beckett Minor
November: Mick Mezza
December: Linda Papanicolaou
2023
2023
January: Corine Timmer
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Mark Stuart Farrar
April: Steve Ralph
May: Patty Hardin
June: Andi Nicks (now Andrea Piscitelli Narciso)
July: Sandi Ivey
August: Gillena Cox
September: Mick Mezza
October: Rick Daddario
November: Peggy Hale Bilbro
December: Agnes Eva Savich
2022
2022
January: Peggy Hale Bilbro
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Mick Mezza
April: Susan Delphine Delaney
May: Jill Calahan
June: Linda Papanicolaou
July: Steve Ralph
August: Patty Hardin
September: Paul David Mena
October: Judith Gorgone
November: Randall Herman
December: Shannon M. Blood
2021
2021
January: Anne Burgevin
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Barbara Strang
April: Randall Herman
May: Lynne Jambor
June: Deborah P Kolodji
July: Patty Hardin
August: Pris Campbell
September: Steve Ralph
October: Linda Papanicolaou
November: Roy Kindelberger
December: Gillena Cox
2020
2020
January: Kathabela Wilson
February: Michael Dylan Welch — celebrating our Tenth Anniversary
March: Barbara Strang
April: Terri L. French
May: Patsy Turner
June: Nicole Pottier
July: Tia Haynes
August: Carole MacRury
September: Patty Hardin
October: Joshua Gage
November: Rowan Beckett Minor (formerly known as Lori A Minor)
December: Paul David Mena
2019
2019
January: Margo Williams
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Randall Herman
April: Devin Harrison
May: Patty Hardin
June: Lynne Jambor
July: Kirsten Cliff Elliot
August: Arvinder Kaur
September: Nicholas Klacsanzky
October: Tia Haynes
November: Sheila Windsor
December: Peggy Hale Bilbro
2018
2018
January: Vinay Ravindranath
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Angie Werren
April: Lynne Jambor
May: Deborah B. Shepherd
June: Patty Hardin
July: Roy Kindelberger
August: Karla Decker
September: Jessica Malone Latham
October: Corine Timmer
November: Marina Bellini
December: Michael Henry Lee
2017
2017
January: Vinay Ravindranath
February: Michael Dylan Welch (see Jumble Box)
March: Aubrie Cox
April: Karla Decker
May: Andrea Piscitelli Narciso
June: Marietta McGregor
July: Patty Hardin
August: Randall Herman
September: Grace Galton
October: Hazel Hall
November: Peggy Hale Bilbro
December: Michael Henry Lee
2016
2016
January: Peggy Hale Bilbro
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Michael Rehling
April: Robert Franson
May: Shrikaanth K. Murthy
June: Patty Hardin
July: Pass-the-Baton Month: 31 different prompters, one for each day
August: Gillena Cox
September: Helen McCarthy
October: Judith Gorgone
November: Anne Burgevin
December: Devin Harrison
2015
2015
January: Chrissi Villa
February: Michael Dylan Welch — celebrating our Fifth Anniversary
March: Paul David Mena
April: Devin Harrison
May: Cindy Lutz
June: Patty Hardin
July: Shrikaanth K. Murthy
August: Vinay Ravindranath
September: Tamara Cobbiani
October: Rachel Green
November: Michael Henry Lee
December: Marion Clarke
2014
2014
January: Kat Creighton / Scott Abeles
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Laura Williams
April: Andew O. Dugas (Haiku Andy)
May: Patty Hardin
June: Angie Werren
July: Vinay Ravindranath
August: Kris Kondo
September: Karla Decker
October: Stella Pierides
November: Gary Blankenship
December: Alison Williams
2013
2013
January: Violette Rose-Jones
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Stuart Zobel
April: Carole MacRury
May: Alan Summers
June: Kathabela Wilson
July: Gillena Cox
August: Michele L. Harvey
September: Pass-the-Baton Month: 31 different prompters, one for each day
October: Patty Hardin
November: Ruthanne Price
December: Deborah P Kolodji
2012
2012
January: Annie Juhl
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Judith Gorgone
April: Linda Papanicolaou
May: Sheila Windsor
June: Alison Williams
July: Kathabela Wilson
August: 31 different prompters, one for each day (see With Cherries on Top)
September: Johannes S. H. Bjerg
October: Scott Abeles
November: Kat Creighton
December: Patty Hardin
2011
2011
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Alan Summers
April: Melissa Allen
May: Cara Holman
June: Paul David Mena
July: Susan Delphine Delaney
August: Terri Hale French
September: Johnny Baranski
October: Pris Campbell
November: Carlos Colón
December: Stella Pierides
“Many thanks to the NaHaiWriMo community and the prompters in particular. For me the prompters are the kernel of this generous and fun group.” —Alex Benedict, Kensington, California
A Dozen Tips for NaHaiWriMo Prompting
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