Some days, writing instructions feels easy—until you actually try to explain something step by step to young children who take everything literally! Along the way, I’m also sharing a few wonderful W-words and bookish finds to spark your curiosity.
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W is for Waffling Wisdom & Whelmed Wordsmiths
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt is inspired by Robert Fillman’s poem, “There should always be two.” The challenge is to, like his poem, write our own poem in which all the verses contain the same number of lines (whether couplets, triplets, quatrains, etc.) and in which we give the reader instructions of some kind.
When Life Gives You Lemons, or Ways to Dole Out
advice, here is what you need to do,
make a list first—just the numbers on the left,
one through whatever you think you need
so your words make sense to the reader
when they read what you put down.
Oops, I forgot to say, after those numbers
on the left, you do need to put down
what the numbers are actually for—
the actual steps, what needs to be done
first, like open the box—if there is one.
What comes next? Am I waffling—did I forget to say
what comes next depends on what came before,
which you may not have written yet,
the materials required for it
before you even get to the first step—
which you cannot start without them?
I did. Oh, sorry about that,
so let us go back a couple—or five or nine—lines,
before those numbers on the left.
Done—ready to move on?
You need to know what is needed?
Well, it depends after all
on what the instructions are for—
which I have not yet decided.
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites
Writing this instruction poem reminded me how tricky clear directions can be—especially when we think we’ve covered everything, only to watch tiny literalists dismantle it. I speak from experience—now even more so as a teacher!
Wandering through Wonky Words
- Wabbit(informal; Scottish dialect): Feeling tired, worn out, or slightly unwell.
- After a long day, I was completely wabbit.”
- Waffle(informal): To speak or write evasively or indecisively.
- “He kept waffling instead of giving a clear answer.”
- Waftage(noun): Transportation or conveyance through water or air.
- “The gentle waftage of the boat carried us across the lake.”
- Wayzgoose(noun; historical/traditional): A festive outing or celebration once held by printers and publishers, often marking the end of summer or honoring their craft.
- “The team revived the old tradition with a modern-day wayzgoose.”
- Whelm(verb): To engulf, submerge, or bury beneath a mass (often used in “overwhelm” or “underwhelm” – and to think I never thought there would be a word called whelm!)
- “The waves seemed to whelm the small boat in seconds.”
- Wonk(noun): Someone deeply interested in a niche topic.
- “He’s a total data wonk.”
- Wowser(informal; Australian/New Zealand): A person who is overly strict about morals and disapproves of fun or indulgence; sometimes used more lightly to mean a prude.
- “Don’t be such a wowser—have a little fun!”
- Wunderkind (noun): A child prodigy. The reason why it is wunderkind (think kindergarten!)
- “The young pianist is a true wunderkind.”
A Wondrous Wordarium
- Washed Ashore: Making Art from Ocean Plastic by Kelly Crull (ages 6–10). A creative look at ocean pollution through sculptures made from beach trash.
- Watch Me Bloom: A Bouquet of Haiku Poems for Budding Naturalists by Krina Patel-Sage(ages 4–9). A vibrant collection of haiku celebrating flowers, growth, and the natural world.
- Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems by Kate Coombs, illus. by Meilo So (ages 1–12). A beautifully illustrated poetry collection celebrating oceans.
- Welcome to the Wonder House by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard , illus. by Deborah Freedman (ages 7 and up). A poetic invitation to explore curiosity, imagination, and everyday wonder.
- We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America by Joanna Ho, illus. by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (ages 4–8). A lyrical celebration of Asian American history, identity, resilience, and pride.
- Whatever Comes Tomorrow by Rebecca Gardyn Levington, illus. by Mariona Cabassa (ages 4 – 10). An empowering SEL read.. tomorrow can bring changes and chances!
- When You Love a Book by Kaz Windness, illus. by Heather Brockman Lee (ages 3–7). A joyful story about how books become meaningful companions.
- Wild Dreamers by Margarita Engle (ages 12 and up). A novel-in-verse about a girl connecting with endangered animals and finding her voice. As is Engle’s Wings in the Wild.
- Woods & Words: The Story of Poet Mary Oliver by Sara Holly Ackerman, illus. by Maria Mola (ages 4–8). A gentle biography showing how Mary Oliver found inspiration in nature.
- Words Apart by Aimee Lucido, illus. Phillippa Corcutt & Rachael Corcutt (Ages 8–12): A verse-style, word-rich graphic novel about two sisters navigating their parents’ divorce and finding their way through change together.
- Words with Wings and Magic Things by Matthew Burgess, illus. by Doug Salati (ages 5–9). A playful celebration of imagination, words, and storytelling.
And Now, the End of This Post
Dear reader, which of these W-words or W-reads caught your eye? Any recommendations from you for wondrous words or books? Do you prefer following instructions, or giving them?
I am linking up to A-Z, Blogchatter, UBC, NaPoWriMo
And you can find all my A-Z posts (this year and previous years’ as well) here:
