Prose and the Art of Poetry

I have been teaching creative writing for over twenty years, and I am often struck at how many of my students want to be published, but haven't written a full story, even in its initial draft. It's a common phenomenon for beginning writers. The desire to have a completed, published story usurps the desire to actually write it. It's much more fun to think about being published than it is to sit down and do the labor of writing a story. Because, jeepers, writing is hard and frankly not much fun. But why isn't it fun? Shouldn't it be fun? Yes, it should be fun, and it should also be hard, but I will get to that in a minute.

First, here is the sharp reality. If you don't write, you will never be published. It's how it works. You have to write a complete story in order for anyone to want to read it. Even if you write the first draft, it is near impossible that you will be published through the traditional means. And if you want to self-publish, well, and this may go down like too much cold ice cream, you really need to have a polished manuscript that has been written, rewritten, revised, reviewed, revised again, and professionally edited before slapping it up on Amazon. Even though you can easily self-publish without doing all that messy stuff, and even though you might get one or two people to read it, you risk getting some bad reviews and few if any future readers. People are quick to review what they don't like over what they do like.

So, you have to write your story. But how do you start when you have one or all of these mental blocks?

* I have tons of stories floating in my head. I can't seem to pick one.

* I've started writing my novel, but I spend so much time rewriting and perfecting the opening that I can't seem to move forward.

* I'm in the middle of writing four different stories at once.

* My kids/work/spouse/Mom take up too much of my time to write.

Here's the problem with every one of these obstacles. Your goal is too big too soon and takes up too much time. Writing a novel is not only a marathon run, it's a marathon that you have to run before running another marathon, and then you have to climb a mountain, and then swim across a Great Lake, and then... In short, it's a super long process and it's exhausting.

(Just like exhausted runners, writers also need a little help sometimes.)

So, here's my advice. After dinner while the kids are watching Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur on television, head off to your room, or the basement, or the front porch, or the back stoop, and open up a book of poetry and start reading. Don't have a poetry book? Don't know anything about poetry? Don't want to? Hate poetry? Really? You really hate poetry? Think about that while you are thinking of the last time you actually read a poem. Probably high school. 

It's time to change that. You've got that leftover meatloaf in the fridge that will take five minutes to reheat for dinner. A perfect night to drop by the library after work and ask the reference person for some advice on what kinds of poetry you might enjoy. Our local libraries are one of our greatest resources and grossly underused. Please, use it.

(Wethersfield Library, CT)

Some of my favorite poets are:

Billy Collins for a contemporary laugh or satirical smirk.

Mary Oliver for a contemporary reflection of nature.

Robert Frost and William Wordsworth for a classic reflection of nature.

Edgar Allan Poe for a good classic scare and some extraordinary rhyme and rhythm.

Edwin Arlington Robinson for a more terrestrial dark look into the human psyche and an awesome lesson on formal structure.

When reading their poetry, notice how they avoid abstract words and phrases and embrace concrete imagery and language. The use of metaphor and simile abound. ~~ Collins description of the neighbor's dog barking, barking, barking as if an instrument in a Beethoven orchestra. Oliver's swan as an armful of white blossoms. Frost's road bent in the undergrowth. Wordsworth as he wandered lonely as a cloud. Poe's silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain. Robinson's people on the pavement.

Most Anthologized Poems in Recent Years

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I would be remiss if I didn't mention my own work. If you want to read a sample of my poetry, check out The Box Under the Bed. It's one of four collections of poetry and short fiction I've published, but the only one available to sample online.

The Box Under the Bed

After reading a bunch of poetry, then pick one of those topics floating around in your head and instead of writing a novel, write a poem, using all five of your senses and those wonderful images and details that you found in those poems you read. Explore and move it around and have fun. Don't worry who will read it. Just enjoy writing it. Keep reading that wonderful poetry and keep writing your own. When you write a poem you like, share it with a friend or you dad (who may also be your friend). It will feel good and you will feel good about writing. And once you enjoy it and feel good about it, then write something longer, a short, short story for example. Nothing too complex, but use those same metaphors and images and sensory details you used in your poetry. 

And THEN, why not, go for it. Tackle that novel you've always wanted to write. Maybe take that short story and flesh it out, add a subplot, a sidekick, some back story. But don't forget that imagery and those metaphors! And I bet you'll find it fun, too! Yes, it's hard, but anything worth anything is hard. And you will discover that your writing will be more vibrant and tangible and dimensional. But maybe best of all, you will finally be able to write those two once unreachable words.

So, that's my itsy bitsy piece of advice to help you move forward with your writing. If you want to write well and enjoy the process more, dive into, or even belly flop into that great big chlorine pool of poetry. It couldn't hurt. Well, maybe a belly flop will sting a little, but it will be fun!