Creative Prompts from the Writers Place

New from the Writers Place comes a collection of creative prompts to spark creativity in writers of all genres and all experience levels.

Edited by Missouri Poet Laureate (2021-2023) Maryfrances Wagner and poet and novelist James Benger, Creative Prompts from the Writers Place features contributions from notable writers and educators including: Joe Benevento, Tm Bascom, Jenny Molberg, John Moessner, Neil Sheperd, Mary Troy, Micheal Pritchett, Lisa Faye Coutley, David Baker, John Gallaher, Allison Josey, Hadara Bar-Nadav, Kevin Prufer, Marcia Hurlow, R.M. Kinder, Kate Neurnburger, Marcus Meyers, Melissa Fite Johnson, Jennifer Maritza McCauley, Alarie Tennille, Maryfrances Wagner, Caryn Merriam-Goldberg, Ruth Williams, Charles Harper Webb, Kevin Rabas, Lola Haskins, William Trowbridge, Terry Allen, Alice Friman, Jordan Stemplemen, Katie Manning, AE Hines, David Harrison, J Khan, Sarah Rosenthal, Julie Ramon, Tyler Robert Sheldon, Adres Rodriguez, Cam Whelr, Denise Low, Nancy Jo Allen, Elijah Burrell, Dennis Etzel Jr., Barbara Crooker, Mary Silwance, Jose Faus, Derek McCracken, Traci Brimhall, Beth Gulley, Gary Fincke, Andrea Hollander, Ronda Miller, Maril Crabtree, Walter Bargen, Pat Lawson, Mark Scheel, Jimmy Pappas, Eric Pankey, Barbara Waterman-Peters, Jamie Lynn Heller, Marjorie Stelmach, and Carl Phillips.

Our mission is to promote writers and their words, nurture an interest in writing and literature among wide and diverse audiences, and reach out to the next generation of writers, poets, novelists and storytellers.We offer workshops, readings, youth and adult programming, networking, support, and more for writers, readers, and lovers of the written word.

Maryfrances Wagner's books include Salvatore's Daughter, Light Subtracts Itself, Red Silk, winner of the Thorpe Menn Book Award for Literary Excellence, Dioramas, Pouf, The Silence of Red Glass, and The Immigrants' New Camera. Poems have appeared in many literary magazines to include New Letters, MidwestQuarterly, Birmingham Review, Louisville Review, Laurel Review, Voices in Italian Americana, Unsettling America: An Anthology of Contemporary MulticulturalPoetry (Penguin Books), Literature Across Cultures (Pearson/Longman), Bearing Witness, The Dream Book, An Anthology of Writings by Italian American Women(American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation), et. al. She and her husband Greg Field co-edited New Letters Review of Books, and she co-editeda number of anthologies including The Whirlybird Anthology of Greater Kansas City Writers with David and Judy Ray. She is President of The Writers Place in Kansas City.She also chairs the TWP programming committee where she helps sponsor and promote emerging and established writers and co-edits I-70 Review..She also served on theAmerican Poets Series board as well as on the Kansas City Creates board where she brought togethermusic, poetry, and dance. The Missouri Arts Council selected her as Independent Artist of 2020. In the words of Denise Low,"Maryfrances Wagner is a literary advocateand community builder," and she continues to help support the literary arts through The Writers Place and throughout the Greater Kansas City area.Maryfrances was the sixth Missouri Poet Laureate from 2021- 2023. Maryfrances has taught academic, expository, analytical, and creative writing at both the high school and college level, and she has taught writingworkshops at all levels (3rd grade through graduate school) and has received local and state recognition for Excellence in Teaching. She is availableto facilitate a wide variety of workshops and to give readings. She and her husband, Greg Field, live with two rescued dogs named Lucille Clifton and Annie Sexton.

James Benger is the author of several books of poetry and prose. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Writers Place, and the Riverfront Readings Committee, and is the admin of the online poetry workshop 365 Poems in 365 Days, and is Editor In Chief of the anthology series. He lives in Kansas City with his wife and children.