Make your own

The first 30 are published in the next edition.

Prompt Poetry asks whether a beautifully written prompt can be a poem.

The book collects the prompts as poems. Here, you can read each one and see the artwork those words inspired. A project by Dolsten & Co.

Plates from the book are drawn by the studio. Readers’ plates are machine sketches, marked as such; poems sent here may be published on this site and in Edition Two.

  1. Fiction

    Generate true love. Don’t make it too realistic.

  2. Got Away

    Shallow depth of field. Her face sharp, the whole room soft, the way I saw her.

  3. Original

    Impressionist. On canvas. One of a kind. Four options.

  4. Kickflip

    Low angle. Skateboard airborne. Faded T-shirt. Battered sneakers. Summer of 1994. Pull back to reveal a man of forty-six. Keep the confidence. Add helmet.

  5. Single

    Dating pic. Crop Steven.

  6. Stabilize

    Stabilize the wedding toast. Leave his hands shaking.

  7. Antagonist

    Low angle. Hero lighting. Make the broccoli regret nothing.

  8. Negative prompt

    Negative prompt: phones. Twelve people at dinner, all looking at each other.

  9. Moon

    July 1969. An astronaut steps onto the moon. Grainy black and white, documentary style. Make sure it looks real.

  10. Reverse

    Play it backwards. The moving truck unloads. We never left the old house.

  11. Average

    Generate a normal person. I know that’s hard for you. Don’t use me as reference.

  12. Bad choices

    Voice clone: me. Apologize to her. Write fast.

  13. Homemade

    Last credit. One shot. Anniversary video. I’m low on time.

  14. Wider

    Wider. Wider. Everyone made it this year.

  15. Version History

    Command Z Back to when it was good. Further. Further. I guess it never was.

  16. 1,000 fps

    Slow motion, 1,000 fps My grandfather’s laugh. Add to memory.

  17. Rinse cycle

    kitchen, late an old couple slow dancing to the dishwasher warm light, one take don’t change a thing

  18. Distance

    Wide shot. A man alone in the dark. Across the room: the charger. In his hand: 1%. Cut to black.

  19. Overtime

    Golden retriever at the front door. Tail still going. Warm hallway light. The keys never turn. Hold on his ears. Extend the clip. He's still waiting.

    Dolsten & Co.

  20. Crossing

    The chicken Walks Down The Road

    Anonymous

  21. cat

    cat in a hat

    hat