The Exquisite Prompt
This contest is now closed.
The Exquisite Prompt is a series of monthly writing challenges designed as a classroom activity for kids in grades K-12. Teachers can engage their students by selecting just one of the monthly challenges or try a new challenge every month.
Our writing prompts are inspired by the 18 authors and illustrators participating in the Exquisite Corpse Adventure (what's that?), a rollicking new serial story that launched on September 26, 2009 — sponsored by the Library of Congress and the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.
While Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, Kate DiCamillo, Megan McDonald, and other favorite authors and illustrators are bringing you the latest installment in their adventure story, you can give your students the chance to have some writing fun of their own with our Exquisite Prompt challenge.
Learn more about our Exquisite Prompt challenge:
The prompts
The monthly prompts are inspired by the authors and illustrators themselves — their distinctive genres, styles, themes, and influences. The prompts are accompanied by author/illustrator biographies, bibliographies, interviews, and many resources specifically related to each prompt (for example, a prompt that asks for students to write an original poem will include links to great online poetry resources).
The Exquisite Prompt Writing Challenge is now closed
The winner's circle!
Congratulations to all our talented writers — we're proud to publish your creative work here on our website. We'll be adding a new list of winners each month, so be sure to visit again.
About Exquisite Corpse
What's an "Exquisite Corpse?"
It's a kind of writing game, where one person begins a story, then passes it down through a chain of writers to continue the narrative.
What's "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?"
It's a year-long serial adventure story that offers young readers an opportunity to get to know the hilarious side of a crew of award-winning, talented, and versatile authors and illustrators — sponsored by the Library of Congress and the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.
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