Daily Prompts
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.
2024
January: Steve Ralph
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Roy Kindelberger
2023
January: Corine Timmer
February: Michael Dylan Welch
March: Mark Stuart Farrar
April: Steve Ralph
May: Patty Hardin
June: Andi Nicks
July: Sandi Ivey
August: Gillena Cox
September: Mick Mezza
October: Rick Daddario
November: Peggy Hale Bilbro
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
December: Gillena Cox
November: Roy Kindelberger
October: Linda Papanicolaou
September: Steve Ralph
August: Pris Campbell
July: Patty Hardin
June: Deborah P Kolodji
May: Lynne Jambor
April: Randall Herman
March: Barbara Strang
February: Michael Dylan Welch
January: Anne Burgevin
2020
December: Paul David Mena
November: Lori A Minor (now known as Rowan Beckett Minor)
October: Joshua Gage
September: Patty Hardin
August: Carole MacRury
July: Tia Haynes
June: Nicole Pottier
May: Patsy Turner
April: Terri L. French
March: Barbara Strang
February: Michael Dylan Welch — celebrating our TENTH ANNIVERSARY
January: Kathabela Wilson
2019
December: Peggy Hale Bilbro
November: Sheila Windsor
October: Tia Haynes
September: Nicholas Klacsanzky
August: Arvinder Kaur
July: Kirsten Cliff Elliot
June: Lynne Jambor
May: Patty Hardin
April: Devin Harrison
March: Randall Herman
February: Michael Dylan Welch
January: Margo Williams
2018
December: Michael Henry Lee
November: Marina Bellini
October: Corine Timmer
September: Jessica Malone Latham
August: Karla Decker
July: Roy Kindelberger
June: Patty Hardin
May: Deborah B. Shepherd
April: Lynne Jambor
March: Angie Werren
February: Michael Dylan Welch
January: Vinay Ravindranath
2017
December: Michael Henry Lee
November: Peggy Hale Bilbro
October: Hazel Hall
September: Grace Galton
August: Randall Herman
July: Patty Hardin
June: Marietta McGregor
May: Andrea Piscitelli Narciso
April: Karla Decker
March: Aubrie Cox
February: Michael Dylan Welch (see Jumble Box)
January: Vinay Ravindranath
2016
December: Devin Harrison
November: Anne Burgevin
October: Judith Gorgone
September: Helen McCarthy
August: Gillena Cox
July: Pass-the-Baton Month: 31 different prompters, one for each day
June: Patty Hardin
May: Shrikaanth K. Murthy
April: Robert Franson
March: Michael Rehling
February: Michael Dylan Welch
January: Peggy Hale Bilbro
2015
December: Marion Clarke
November: Michael Henry Lee
October: Rachel Green
September: Tamara Cobbiani
August: Vinay Ravindranath
July: Shrikaanth K. Murthy
June: Patty Hardin
May: Cindy Lutz
April: Devin Harrison
March: Paul David Mena
February: Michael Dylan Welch — celebrating our FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
January: Chrissi Villa
2014
December: Alison Williams
November: Gary Blankenship
October: Stella Pierides
September: Karla Decker
August: Kris Kondo
July: Vinay Ravindranath
June: Angie Werren
May: Patty Hardin
April: Andew O. Dugas (Haiku Andy)
March: Laura Williams
February: Michael Dylan Welch
January: Kat Creighton / Scott Abeles
2013
December: Deborah P Kolodji
November: Ruthanne Price
October: Patty Hardin
September: Pass-the-Baton Month: 31 different prompters, one for each day
August: Michele L. Harvey
July: Gillena Cox
June: Kathabela Wilson
May: Alan Summers
April: Carole MacRury
March: Stuart Zobel
February: Michael Dylan Welch
January: Violette Rose-Jones
2012
December: Patty Hardin
November: Kat Creighton
October: Scott Abeles
September: Johannes S. H. Bjerg
August: 31 different prompters, one for each day (see With Cherries on Top)
July: Kathabela Wilson
June: Alison Williams
May: Sheila Windsor
April: Linda Papanicolaou
March: Judith Gorgone
February: Michael Dylan Welch
January: Annie Juhl
2011
December: Stella Pierides
November: Carlos Colón
October: Pris Campbell
September: Johnny Baranski
August: Terri Hale French
July: Susan Delphine Delaney
June: Paul David Mena
May: Cara Holman
April: Melissa Allen
March: Alan Summers
February: Michael Dylan Welch
“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