Writing: Poetry: Exploration And Experience

Poetry: Exploration And Experience

Written by Mary Diane Hausman

Are you ready to abandon your poems? Before you toss your newest poem away, revisit it using some exercises that have proven helpful to poets who are feeling “stuck.” If you explore some of these ideas, you may be steps closer to placing your poetry in a well-known literary journal.

You can make submissions on your own, or hire some help. Every poem, on average, must be submitted to 100 markets before it is accepted. For poets, these numbers are sad, but true. Even repparttar best poems must cover a lot of territory before they appear on repparttar 137905 printed page. A reputable author’s submission service may offer you more time to write while they take care of repparttar 137906 submissions. Remember that a good submission service screens potential writers for quality work. They don’t take everyone.

When writing poetry, a poet considers language. They also consider form, and may even consider audience. But that is not all. Though form serves as a vehicle or container, and audience can help drive a poem; and while it is language that gives voice to poetry, it is basically repparttar 137907 root of repparttar 137908 poet—the poet’s experience—that gives voice to repparttar 137909 voice. Even when poetry does not reflect repparttar 137910 poet’s direct experience, it is still filtered through her or his eyes. Both poem and poet are inextricably connected; one cannot exist without repparttar 137911 other. The material from which repparttar 137912 poet culls repparttar 137913 poem is that which has been sown, tilled, pulled, dumped, dredged, fermented, stored, and often kept hidden all repparttar 137914 poet’s life. If repparttar 137915 poet feels brave enough, or even if she is terrified beyond belief, she will excavate this treasure and use it to lay a foundation. Foundation laid, repparttar 137916 poet then uses language to form repparttar 137917 structure, build repparttar 137918 ramparts which hold repparttar 137919 poem together. Having built repparttar 137920 poem with repparttar 137921 blood and bone and truth of her, repparttar 137922 poet thus offers a monument that withstands even repparttar 137923 critic’s wind. Or, at least repparttar 137924 storm of self-doubt.

Need a Great Idea? Feed Your Brain

Written by Michele Pariza Wacek

A lot of great ideas happen when two or more other ideas collide to form something completely new.

Think of this like those old chemistry movies we used to watch in school. You had all of those atoms floating around and when two collided -- bam! A chemical reaction. Maybe something new was created. Maybe something exploded. Or maybe it all fizzled out and nothing happened.

Well, a similar reaction is going on inside your brain or muse. Except instead of atoms floating around they're pieces of information or other ideas. As they drift about, they occasionally bump into each other. When that happens, you may get a new, third idea. Or a big explosion. Or absolutely nothing at all.

Now, if you have lots of atoms, or information and ideas, you're going to get lots of reactions. Some will fail. Some will be so-so. And some will be hot -- so hot, so full of energy, they'll have repparttar power to change repparttar 137872 trajectory of a business. Or even a life.

The problem occurs when you don't have lots of random information and ideas. Fewer atoms mean fewer reactions. On top of that, you still have to weed through repparttar 137873 invariable duds. So repparttar 137874 odds of landing that one amazing idea drop considerably.

But not to worry -- there's good news. You can increase your odds of getting those great ideas. Better yet, it's fairly easy and painless. Below are three ways to get started.

1. Read, read and read some more. I know, I know, I can hear repparttar 137875 groans already. "But I already have too much to read. How can I fit more reading in?" Never fear, there are ways to do this. (Remember I did say this was painless.)

The key is to keep it wide and shallow. What does that mean? Well, read lots and lots of different things, but keep it general. Read about sheep farming, finances, yoga, cooking, traveling, dog training, etc. But keep it general -- don't read deeply. You can even skim if that's all you have time for.

Start by subscribing to a couple of different magazines and e-zines. General interest magazines are really good for this -- Walt Disney used to read Reader's Digest. Scatter them around repparttar 137876 house -- by repparttar 137877 bed, repparttar 137878 couch, even repparttar 137879 bathroom. I'd put a few in your car as well for those times when you have to wait for an appointment.

When you have a few moments, flip through them. Skim a few paragraphs. See what catches your eye.

You can also buy or rent audio books and CDs and listen while you exercise, drive, do repparttar 137880 dishes, etc.

Whatever you do, DON'T read publications related to your industry. That's for another time. This is brain-feeding time, not keeping up in your profession time.

2. Travel repparttar 137881 world. Traveling has so many fabulous benefits for your creative soul I could write an article just about that, but for now I'll limit my comments to brain food.

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