I have found that a good way to prepare to write a poem is to do it in layers.
First layer..think about the subject matter.
Second layer..do a little research on the subject at google, if necessary.
Third layer..think about the type of poem you want to write..serious or funny.
Fourth layer..think about that all-important first verse (not necessarily the beginning of the poem but the verse that contains the key elements you want to build your poem around).
Fifth layer..summarize the poem.
This process often works best if you spend a day or two on each layer (Rome wasn't built in a day). Give your idea time to germinate (ideas often come to me when I go for a walk). When you get to the point where you're ready to put your ideas down on paper, write more verses than you intend to use. It may be hard to let some of them go but it's better to have more verses than you need than not enough.
Print your poem and read it out loud. How does it sound? Do the words slide off your tongue with little or no effort or do you feel you have some pruning to do? Editing can turn a mediocre poem into a gem..it's a very important part of the process.
I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject. I just wanted to share some techniques that have worked for me when I've got a project to do.
HAVE FUN AND KEEP WRITING!
Rome wasn't built in a day. Give your idea time to germinate. Write more verses than you intend to use. Print your poem and read it out loud. Editing can turn a mediocre poem into a gem...
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Sometimes I don't know where my poetry comes from...I'll suddenly have an idea or inspiration or great first line, then when I start writing, ideas come from some deep well and surprise me. It's like giving birth (I've got 5 kids so I know about that) and once it starts, I usually can't lay it aside or stop until it's done.
But maybe it could be like you said; after all, it takes 9 months from start to finish to have a child. I want to improve my writing, and write a lot more, so I am going to take the classes here at AP and develop some new skills, and hopefully, get a lot more creative (get a lot more writing done) instead of going through so many dry spells. So I thank you for the sharing of your method, and I like the way you described it as "layers". I feel it might be helpful; I need to stop always doing things in the same way and try the new.
I enjoyed reading your column, and it was instructive and helpful. Thank you very much! -
Wow, you put a lot of work into your poems. I just sit down and start typing. If I'm lucky the words make sense. They usually don't, lol
These are all very useful and practical ideas for writers who are interested in improving their poetry. I'm far too undisciplined though.
You forgot to mention that people ought to have a big swig of Moxie while they write. I do that one.
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Hi Maureen,
I have printed this advise out and use it now when I write...doesn't always work but I try. I have been taking several classes on AP and find that the really good teachers require this...and as I know from experience I have gone back several times and tweeked a word her and a word there...hopefully it made it better.
Unlike some poets here I can not just sit down and have a good poem, or any poem, for that matter just flow from my fingers...I have to work for every word...so appreciate all the help I can get from those much better at it them I am.
So thank you again for this wonderful teaching aid...Darlene
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i just write down my poems as they come to me
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"Fresh" Fruit Is Picked Green...!
as a former journalist, i have a habit of carrying a pocket-sized notebook with me at all times; to jot down ideas that come to me (i don't go out and deliberately look for subject-matter). from my notes, i decide direction of my inspiration and form; i write it out (first draft) with all possible thoughts; then put it away to germinate on its own. of course, it is your responsibility to know the different styles of this ART! always remember: the "fresh" vegetables and fruits displayed in your market was picked green and ripens on the way to market-shelves (to you, this means, five or six drafts to "ripen" your product for presentation). if you've ever had a green banana, you know what i mean...! -
Yes, there is great advice here, both in your article and in the comments that follow.
I have to disagree ever-so-slightly with Justplainwaynethen in the trade-off between fresh vs. polished. Like the thinking that coins have two surfaces, front and back, it's easy to overlook the third surface: the edge. And the third aspect to fresh vs. polished is the occaisional serendipity of a fresh and polished piece. One doesn't negate the other, it's just that it's that much more difficult to maintain the freshness without overworking, or else that much rarer to create a fresh piece that pours out in polished form, as is. But I have witnessed a flipped coin land on its edge once. It happens from time to time. -
Thanks for that.
Sound advice I think I'll follow. Having read your column some of my better poems have been written in this way without me realising it. -
Thank you, this has given me something to think about when writing.
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There was (is?) a contest for this- "How you write a poem"... it may still be going... I posted something there... but I'll add a few notes here (if you don't mind! )
There is a trade-off between 'fresh' and 'polished'... fresh carries with it the advantages of breathlessness, immediacy, and power; polishing a piece usually subdues things- especially the voice and the emotions, which is nice if you are trying to impress with your communication skills and sophistication rather than imparting a message with a lively voice and emotive force... it is a decision the writer must make as to what end results are desired- affecting a person or situation, or receiving literary acclaim...
I begin a piece when great inspiration is found- when I have something burning to say on an issue dear to me, then it pours out; the more experienced the writer, the less post-editing will be needed- the writer will have adequate innate tools to draw from to get the write out while the thoughts and feelings are fresh...
if the message is weak, I'll add fluff (poetic devices), which means I will let it simmer and edit the fluff in until it's 'pretty' enough to receive the literary acclaim so many writers thirst for... otherwise my editing is for message clarity and emotive force; I will add rhythm and light rhyme to make heavy subjects easier to read and digest...
writing from the heart is another matter- devices, imagery, and verbiage can often dilute what the heart has to say... that is why they say romantics prefer simple, direct writing...! (which gets poo-poo'd by the literary types) (dare I say 'heartless'?)
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I use the draft facility - write from my flash of an idea, let it cool for a while, read and edit a few times, leave to cool and when ready, post.
Always write from knowledge. If research is needed do that first. As you say ' Rome wasn't built in a day'. Even after posting I can still come back and edit again after a few weeks or whatever.
I think we all have our own techniques and whatever hints we can get will only improve what we write. -
I like this advice however I like freeverse or prose if you will better..raw and genuine. Tt may become mixed up somehow with different ideas..however...it is what you are feeling in that very moment..not a day later..but it makes sense to me still if you are working on a project poem.
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Dear Maureen,
In your usual succinct manner, you have enshrined, in this brief column, the essential steps required in writing. There are no shortcuts.
In many poems which I read on this site and elsewhere, it is all too evident that the Authors have written and posted them without following these important steps or 'layers' of creation which you so aptly list.
I think that "Print your poem and read it out loud." is an indispensable final step which, in my own case, almost always leads to further editing, 'tweaking' and honing of the final product.
You may not "pretend to be an expert on the subject" but you have written your comment on my poem "Participating in Huguenauties' Contests" very expertly and i (and others) are grateful to you for enshrining your advice in this column so that it can be read widely and, hopefully, help many to improve their writing technique.
Thankyou for sharing it with us.
Applause, love and hugs, XXX Hugh. -
Excellent advise, especially the printing and reading aloud.
John -
Great to see such an article from you Maureen! Very sound advice here. A decent notebook with a hardback cover (not easy to spoil with cigarette ash, coffee stains or rainwater, lol!) is always a good investment - for those fleeting feelings and thoughts, random moments, overheard conversational titbits, et al - one that can be taken out and about as well as sitting on one's desk at home!
Glad you have raised the import of reading aloud - as all poetry should be read, be it the author's or another's. Editing - essential, yet so many still believe a good poet should not do this!!! Whether it's the slight tweak here and there, or a major overhaul, it is integral to the creation of the finished piece!
Very much enjoyed this article Maureen
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It is very interesting to see how others approach the task of writing, for me, I like to close my eyes, find a first line and hand it over to "the voices in my head" and see what they come up with. The research and subject matter need to have percolated through first.
I hope some others give us their methodology too
Thanks for this
Jeff -
Amen...
a bit of perspiration driving the inspiration can lead to some gems... -
I'm so glad you posted this column, Maureen It's great advice and I think it will be of help to all of us. Your poetry shows that it really does work
Dee
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Good
I like this approach to writing. When I get an idea, it helps to leave it alone while I sleep on it, then the words come pretty easily. The image of layers makes the concept clear. I like the last line, because it should be fun, whatever level of difficulty makes it interesting. Cheers! M
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