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Posts tagged ‘poetry’

Feb 3

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How getting organized can help you be a better writer

I set big writing goals last year, but somehow the year got away from me. I did accomplish many of my goals but not some of the most important ones. Why? Life happened. Tragedies small and large. More happened last year to pull me off track then the previous several years combined. But I learned from those experiences–“grist for the mill” as they say. One of the things I learned was that I need help staying on track.

This year, I’m investigating and implementing different ways to keep my writing projects organized and keep me heading toward my goals. Don’t worry–I’m not one of those people who’s constantly rearranging paper clips to the detriment of actually writing. But I do find that planning to be successful helps me become more successful. Between my business and my various writing projects (poetry manuscript, memoir, and fantasy book) things slip by. I can go for days getting bogged down in one area while losing track of the big picture. Read more

Feb 2

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Craft a Valentine’s Day poem for your beloved

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and it’s a perfect occasion to craft a love letter or poem for your beloved. Ted Kooser, U.S. poet laureate from 2004 to 2006, began a tradition in 1986 of sending a Valentine’s Day poem on a postcard to 50 women (with his wife’s understanding).

When he stopped in 2007, he was mailing postcards to 2,600 women, including actress Debra Winger and author Louise Erdrich. He closed with a final poem dedicated to his wife Kathleen.

His book Valentinesfeatures all the poems. Here’s the first one he wrote: Read more

Jan 30

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How to put together a poetry manuscript, part 2

Unlike visual artists or sculptors, poets don’t often talk about the way individual pieces fit into the whole of their work.  Maybe the reason some poets hesitate to talk about this process is because, like writing a poem, they are following the instincts of their inner voice. Maybe their process is too close to them to place into words.

Fortunately, in Ordering the Storm: How to Put Together a Book of Poems (Imagination, No. 11), edited by Susan Grimm, there now exists a collection of essays by poets who’ve done just that–put together their own books of poetry and survived.

All of the essays were invaluable in helping me order my own storm. I liked Liz Rosenberg’s advice, “I try to start a book with what I think of as a beautiful poem, and to end with a powerful philosophical poem. I think we do begin with beauty and end with wisdom….” I also liked Jeff Gundy’s idea of ending a collection of poetry with a poem that offers some “intimation of hope, some glimpse of shelter and safety in this dangerous world.” He includes the poem that ends his most recent book of poems, Deerflies, as an example. Read more

Jan 26

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How to put together a poetry manuscript, part 1

I’m putting together my first poetry manuscript: gathering and editing poems, organizing and reorganizing them into some kind of order. Since I’ve never done this before, I wanted a little help.

I found an excellent article by Jeffrey Levine, an award-winning poet, and Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Tupelo Press. In Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Poetry Manuscript: Some Ideas on Creation and Order, Levine gives an overview of the entire process from what font to use to how to find an effective title to tips on ordering the poems.

For me, ordering the poems was the biggest challenge. What seems as if it should be so simple, is not.

Levine advises: “Spread all of your poems out on the floor, a floor that does not need to be disturbed, and look at them. Read them. Live with them. See what relationships seem to be developing between the poems. Which poem wants to talk to that poem?” Read more

Jan 16

Writing inspiration: Interviews with poets

Have you ever wanted to ask a poet about their process? Where they get their ideas? Where they write? What they do besides write poetry?

At Poetry.org you can watch short interviews with different poets who answer these questions and others. What I like about the interviews is that you can click on each question separately and get a one- to two- minute clip. Great for our busy lives.

I discovered something new while watching Brian Moses answer the question, “What part does music play in your poetry?” He shows off two musical instruments—one I’ve never heard of called the spring drum that sounds wonderfully mysterious, reminding me of wind and rain howling through a forest. I think it will make a nice addition to the growing collection of inspirational props in my writing room—for those days when I need a little nudge of inspiration.

For more in-depth interviews with poets, check out Grace Cavalieri’s website. She has interviewed over 2,000 poets, including some of the world’s best.

Dec 29

Narrative Magazine: the PBS of literature

Looking for some good free reading? Check out Narrative Magazine—an online journal dedicated to great literature. The magazine publishes poems, short stories, nonfiction, fiction, six-word stories, novel excerpts and more. Narrative even pays its contributors and is free for anybody to read (although donations are greatly appreciated to maintain the Narrative mission).

I just finished reading Joseph Stroud’s poem “Provenance” about the winter he lived in Madrid and mourned his father. Everywhere he goes in the city, his grief follows. His pain is reflected in artwork, cobblestone streets, a Gypsy violin, even a bowl of tripe soup.

I love how the poem goes on and on with no stanza breaks, how it wraps around itself as the poet wanders the streets of Madrid and the depths of his love for his father. If you want to see how a great poem is put together, study this poem. Read it out loud. Allow the words to wrap around you, feel their weight on your tongue, in your heart.

Writing about strong emotions, particularly about the death of a parent, is a difficult task to do well. The key is to use specifics to evoke the emotions. Stroud is a master. Read more

Dec 28

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Create a personalized reading list for your writing projects

Something magical happens when I’m reading analytically. I’m jolted by bursts of insight and inspiration for my own writing. Because I’ve seen the power of reading for myself, I advise other writers to create their own reading list for whatever projects they’re working on.

If you’re looking for inspiration on an element of craft, such as dialogue or structure, read how another writer pulled it off. One of the mind-altering effects of studying for an MFA came from reading and analyzing so much literature. Even reading stories that had nothing to do with my memoir sparked ideas for my own writing.

Here are several tips for creating a reading list:

Read books from multiple genres. If you’re writing a memoir, read fiction, memoirs, and poetry. Reading poetry helped me raise my consciousness of words and meaning. This carried over into my prose and spurred me to write poetry of my own. Read more

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