The Everything Writing Poetry Book (6 page)

To guarantee a meaningful relationship with your muse, you must embrace her every day. Don't stand her up, and don't let her learn that you're swapping her time for hours spent cleaning, studying, watching television, or chitchatting. If you do, she may not return for a good long while.

Your muse will come to you during moments of clarity. For some, these moments may occur early in the morning, and for others, very late at night. Perhaps the sunlight on your face will awaken you, and you'll feel the need to express a few thoughts or feelings. Or maybe you'll feel a sudden burst of inspiration after watching a late-night television show. Your muse could even visit you midday at the coffee shop, the library, or your office at work. No matter what the circumstances, your thoughts must be recorded before you sleep or continue the rest of your day.

Your Muse in the Moment

There are poetic stories in everyday moments. The trick is learning how to use the material you're given. If you witness a heartfelt hug between two friends, an argument between two young brothers, or even the dance of a bee around a flower blossom, think about the relationship you've seen. Even a leaking carton of milk in the grocery store can provide inspiration; it all depends upon how you look at it. However, if you don't record experiences and feelings immediately after they happen, you might lose them. What's worse, though, is that you'll lose a potential poem.

When your muse comes to call, be prepared. Even if she catches you off guard, in a public place, or in the middle of a conversation, don't ignore her. Excuse yourself from the gathering and jot a quick note to remind yourself later. The best ideas may come at inconvenient times, but you don't want to miss them!

How to Beat Writer's Block

At some point in your writing journey you will come to a screeching halt. Perhaps you will be writing late at night and lose your energy. Maybe you will come to a pause at the end of a stanza and your inspiration will suddenly vanish. Perhaps an idea will move you to your typewriter, but the sight of the blank page will shut down your thoughts. Whatever you do, don't despair! There are ways to unlock writer's block.

The first thing you should always do when you hit a mental roadblock is silence your internal naysayer. This is the voice in your head that constantly scolds you as you write, saying,
That's not the right word!
or
Those words don't rhyme!
A first draft belongs to the creative, free-spirited impulse that brought you to your writing place, and you must allow that impulse free rein, no matter how many mistakes you are making. Once you have a draft or two of your poem completed, you can switch on your internal editor again.

Free-Writing

Part of the difficulty with writer's block is that it often freezes you both mentally and physically. Not only will your brain shut down, but you might also find it hard to tear your eyes from the blank page or get up from your chair. Free-writing is a good remedy for writer's block because it forces you into the physical act of writing. It gets your hands moving again and jogs your brain back into action.

To free-write, you need your writing tool of choice, some paper, and ten uninterrupted minutes. Free-writing is a sort of rant on paper—a stream-of-consciousness exercise. You might find it useful to begin with a prompt. Write out the prompt, and then finish it with ten minutes of steady writing. Here is a list of prompts you can try:

• _______ makes me angry because …

• I like to eat _______ because …

• I'm going to talk to _______ tomorrow and say …

• The last time I saw _______ was …

You should not stop writing at any time during these ten minutes. Don't answer the door, get a snack, or pet the dog. The purpose of the exercise is to get your ideas flowing again. If you feel yourself getting stuck, write the last word you set down over and over again until you get back on track. And above all, don't stop to correct mistakes. Keep at your task for the entire time, and stop only when your clock or timer reaches the ten-minute mark.

Keeping a Journal

A journal is a private collection of writing that you add to every day. You should approach the task at the same time each day, too, and create a habit that will become more and more natural. Your mind will come to see that time as writing time, and hopefully, this will prepare your brain for creative thought.

A journal is not exactly the same thing as a diary. A diary is a companion with whom you share your thoughts, feelings, hopes, and fears. Certainly, you can write about these things in your journal as well, but the journal is also a place for you to try out exercises, experiment with ideas, or, if you wish, expand on the free-writes you have done at other times. But, in general, a journal should not be filled with free-writing exercises. It is a place for more thoughtful, careful writing that you can undertake without distraction.

The exercises that you attempt in your journal can come from this book, from teachers and friends, or from your own invention. If you have trouble starting a journal, make a list of your dreams, fears, dislikes, loves, and so on, as you would in a diary. Or you can treat your journal as a camera. Walk around your house, your workplace, or a favorite park and simply record your reactions as you go—people, places, sights, sounds, or whatever else impresses you.

Using Keywords

Another source of inspiration is a list of keywords. The keywords themselves aren't special; you can find them by opening a book, newspaper, or magazine to a random page. Go through that source and jot down every fifth or sixth word that you see, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives (avoid prepositions, articles, and conjunctions), until you have a list of about fifteen words. Then begin writing, and as you write, drop in your keywords when they seem appropriate. You don't have to use all of the words on your list—you don't have to use any words on the list—but creating the list will physically engage you in the task of writing.

Another way to create a list of keywords is to start with word categories such as colors, sounds, foods, etc. Next, jot down four or five words under each category. Once you have created your list, you can begin writing, using whichever words you please. Again, you don't have to use all the words on the list, but creating the list will get you going.

Knowing When to Quit

As a poet, your primary goal is to produce poetry. You may write poetry for publication, for sharing with friends and family, or just for venting personal frustration, but finished poems will still be your objective. While building a routine, keeping a journal, and finding a writing space are all good ways to become a more productive poet, you should also know when to simply set your writing down and walk away.

If you are not working under a strict deadline, it is important that you take adequate breaks from your writing. If you stare at a piece of paper or keep your hands on your keyboard for too long, you will likely begin to suffer from aches and pains, not to mention writer's block. Instead of forcing yourself to create something, go work on another project, fold some laundry, or take a walk until you feel refreshed. You might also want to pick up a book and read during your break. Though you'll still be focusing on a page filled with words, the words are not your own—this will help your mind relax. When you return to your writing you will have a clear perspective and perhaps some new ideas to work with.

Of course, taking too many breaks or repeatedly finding excuses not to write will not leave you with much finished poetry. So, try your best to abide by your routine and take breaks only when you really need them. Sometimes you will just know it's time to quit, but there will also be circumstances in which, if you just press on a little longer, an epiphany might be right around the corner.

Chapter 3
Important Details

P
erhaps the most vital part of writing poetry is the use of significant details. Your poems will describe your mother's callused hands, your dog's warm, soft face, the smell of your grandmother's apple pie, or the colors of a sunset through your window—any topic that inspires you to write. But to share your work with a circle of readers, you must describe each of these central images in a way that makes them come alive. Your readers should be able to see, hear, taste, feel, or smell exactly what your words describe.

The Five Senses

From the moment you are born, you learn about the world using your five senses. As a child, you make a lot of discoveries, but even as you grow older, you continue to delight in objects that appeal to your senses: the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, the feel of a warm sweater, the melody of a favorite song. Keeping these things in mind, you should try to appeal to your reader's senses with the details you include in your poetry.

Sight

You use your eyes to examine the physical environment around you. You learn how close or how far away people and objects are. You learn how small or large those objects are, what colors they are, and what shapes they take. Your first impressions of people, places, and things often depend upon your first sight of them. Sight also dictates a lot of the decisions you make. In part, you might choose a car because of how it looks, an outfit for the way it complements your figure, or a mate based on physical attraction.