Poetry Pitfalls
OK, I know there are hundreds, no thousands, of books and suggestions about how to write poetry. Treat it like maple syrup: boil it down! Try these ten thoughts on writing and let me know what you think! Cheers.
1. Focus: what is the story behind the poem? If you’re trying to tell more than one story line, perhaps break it up into two or more poems.
2. Length: follow the retail guideline: KISS, Keep It Simple, Stupid! It is easy to get too wordy, read over your material and see what can be edited out without sacrificing the work
3. Style: hot topic issue! Don’t be afraid to break out of the norm and try your own style, just admit if it doesn’t work!
4. Topic: Angst is easy to write about, I do it all the time. Try breaking free of your normal topic; maybe look at the same issue from another angle.
5. Rhyme: don’t use a word simply because it rhymes. There are resources online to help you out, or it may be a chance to reflect on that particular stanza.
6. Write it down! Keep a pen and paper by your bed, office chair, in your coat… You never know when a good idea will strike and by morning it may be lost forever.
7. Publish: Use resources like Triond; https://www.triond.com/ and poetry websites; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/poetryinyourownwords/ try out your material out on a broad audience.
8. Feedback: give and receive. Be supportive of other writers and offer positive, constructive feedback. If someone slams you, ignore it. Focus on feedback that gives you something to work with.
9. Variety: folks will tire of reading the same story told a multitude of ways. Look at something simple, say a leaf, and think of all that is behind it and write about it, silly or serious.
10. Fortitude: don’t give up. Attend workshops, read other authors, mix up your style… just keep at it!
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November 23rd, 2008 at 7:21 am
Nice tips!
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:51 am
Basic creative writing school tips but well written with great clarity. ~T
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
well written,,,thank u….im getting back into my writting again after raising my kids and watching them move out.starting over again and found the tips very usefull.
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Excellent thoughts!
November 25th, 2008 at 3:32 am
Great tips Thankyou
December 1st, 2008 at 10:40 am
Back to the basics! We all tend to forget!
December 8th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Hi plenty of good ideas in here, I also like to havea thesaurus to hand … not because i want a fancy word but sometimes another word works better than the one i originally thought of
December 8th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I also find the more I read of others work the more I want to write. It has also given me the desire to do as you mention, go out of my normal comfort zone. You did this write so smoothly.
December 18th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
i believe that true poetry, or at least, the best poetry, comes from the heart and is completely unfettered. it is a natural occurance, a result of having an overflow of emotion or thoughts or stress in your mind that explodes onto the page in a frenzied rush to scribble it down. the poet is literally forced to write it, for if he didn’t, he would be driven insane. THAT is poetry!
December 18th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
also, this entire article assumes that you are writing poetry for other people!! or to sell it! are you kidding?? art is an expression of yourself. if you don’t know how to write poetry, you should be writing poems about that! not making stuff up that you think others will like. UGH this article bothers me, sorry! anyone who is making art with other people’s interests in mind is NOT an artist! period!
December 28th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Well phrased and formatted. Not particularly deep advice, but there’s a sensation of encouragement about the whole article that I like.
July 28th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Good tips. Thanks for your encouragement to other writers.
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Don’t know if you’re still out there Clay, but this is what I needed, especially the thought of one story line in a poem.Thanks.
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Very practical and good advice
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:29 am
Nice tips