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News, Views & Clues
to Writing Success:

The Easy Way to Write
FREE Poetry E-Course


This wonderful new INTRODUCTION to POETRY WRITING comes from Dale Harcombe, multi award winning poet - sign up for the rest of this FREE e-course here:

The Easy Way to Write Great Poetry

First Name:
Email:

Dear Fellow Writer,

Welcome to this journey as together we discover the joys of writing poetry. This course has been developed not only to help you write poetry, but to have fun while you're learning.

In some ways it seems poetry has always been part of my life. I started writing poems as a child, back in the days of Jason and the Argonauts club on the radio and Charlie Chuckles in the newspapers. With the absolute confidence of a child I sent my poems off, delighting when one was read and accepted on radio and I received whatever the payment was, which I have now forgotten.

Like many people poetry disappeared from my life for quite a long while but it reared its head again a little over 26 years ago. Since then I have had a number of poems published in magazines and newspapers in Australia and overseas. In 2005 Ginninderra Pres published Kaleidoscope a collection of my poems.

I have conducted a number of poetry workshops and participated in various writing groups. A number of those who have been involved in my courses and workshops have gone on to have work published. Given the instruction and input from this course, there is no reason why the same cannot be true for you.

What is Poetry?

Poetry is the music of words or, as poet A.D. Hope described it, ‘the dance of language.’ It is also a dense yet condensed form of literature. Poetry allows for no excess baggage. Every word must count and must do its work.

Perhaps the only comparable form of literature, where every word needs to do its work, is the children's picture book. But then, picture books have a lot in common with poetry. Like poetry, a good picture book often uses poetic techniques and is meant to be read aloud, as well as work on the page.

Why Write Poetry?

Poetry in one form or another holds a special palace in the lives of many people. There's something about poetry that speaks right to the heart of human experience. I’m sure you feel that way too, since you are here, wanting to learn more about writing poetry.

There can be many reasons why a person wants to write poetry. You might simply like playing with words and arranging them in pleasing patterns. You might want to be able to express your thoughts and views on life and this seems the most natural way for you to do so. You might want to use poetry to encourage and challenge others or even to make them laugh. Or to use it to convey the emotions that others feel but can't find the words for. The reason why you want to write poetry will influence the type of poetry you write.

Think now about why you want to write and the type of poetry that you want to write.

And then we'll get on with fulfilling that dream.

If you aspire to write poetry that sings, poetry that people remember and think about after they've finished reading, you have come to the right place.

If you expect to make a fortune out of writing poetry, you might want to rethink your motives and your aim. It is unlikely you will make a fortune out of writing solely poetry. Having said that, it does not mean it is impossible to make money out of it. And I will help you with ideas about that.

However, more important than the financial side of it, is the personal satisfaction you will receive from writing a well crafted poem.

Some people aspire to write for the proliferation of literary magazines and online journals that pop up like mushrooms and often disappear just as quickly. Others are aiming at poems more accessible for the ordinary person. These might be poems which could be read at a wedding, a funeral, a party, or some other special occasion.

You might want to write verses for greeting cards. Or you might want to write poetry that children will enjoy. Each of these is a different market with different requirements.

So, think about what type of poetry interests you most. If you are thinking of poetry for special occasions or greeting card verse these are likely to be either more sentimental or more humorous than poetry written for a literary magazine or newspaper.

Poetry for children needs to focus on those subjects that would interest a child. Humour, in particular, works well for children's poetry. Rhyme, though not used exclusively, is certainly used more in poetry for children than it is in poetry for the literary magazines.

As you think about poetry for children, don't discount the educational market. Educational publishers are always on the look out for well written, concrete, child- focused, poetry to include in the Big Books used in classrooms as part of the curriculum and covering topics such as Shopping, Celebrations, Family, Health, and Friends etc.

Of course there is nothing wrong with diversifying and writing several different types of poetry. I have had poems published in literary magazines and newspapers, educational markets, as well as greeting card verse and poems for special occasions, and I make no apology for flitting from one area to the other. It's all about writing what you want to write and then knowing where to submit what you have written. In this I can help you.

Some subjects, topics and stories seem to lend themselves more to poetry than any other form. For example, a poem might be topical, written to address a perceived current social problem. Although I write fiction as well as poetry, I often find if I want to address some social issue it is more likely to crop up in a poem. Newspapers are often a good outlet for poems along these lines.

The main thing is making sure it works as a piece of poetry and does not come across as simply as a piece of propaganda or a forum for your own political or strongly held views.

Most writers at some stage have an urge to write poetry. For me it was the starting point. When I started writing as an adult, I gravitated towards poetry. After a time I wandered away from the poetry path for a while into the realm of children's and young adult fiction before coming full circle back to where I started.

Two aspects of poetry that are particularly important are rhythm and imagery. If you like playing with words and different forms, then you will enjoy this course.

Poetry has been around in one form or another almost since the beginning of time. Many early civilisations were based on an oral tradition. To make it easier for people to remember their history, myths, stories and legends were often told in rhyme. Even today children find it easier to remember poems that rhyme.

My guess is you want to lean how to write poetry or to write better poetry and in this I can help you. In this E book we will uncover the various tools available to the poet and how you can use those tools to improve and enrich your writing as well as to generate ideas that will give birth to new poems..

This course will help you unlock writer's block and find ideas in the world around you. Each lesson in the course will focus on a specific aspect of poetry and then show you how to use those tools and how to build those tools into your poetry writing repertoire.

By the end of this course you will been introduced to various methods of beginning a poem, taken through the aspects that make up a poem and been encouraged to build several of those initial ideas into poems ready to submit for publication.

A lot of people think poetry, in particular, is one form of writing where you wait for inspiration and for the muse to strike before sitting down and write a poem. It may happen that way occasionally and such poems are a joy. But let me assure you that if you sit around and wait for inspiration to come and find you, you could end up waiting a long time.

Sometimes a poem will arrive like an unexpected gift, but more often that not the art of writing poetry needs to be tackled in the same way as any other form of writing.

If you expect inspiration to strike, you need to apply yourself and show up at the computer, desk, armchair or wherever you write on a regular basis. Like all forms of writing you need to make sure your posterior is attached to a chair and you are ready to write, not noodling the hours away thinking about writing, planning to write, talking about writing, but never actually doing any.

The world is filled with people who claim to want to write but never actually get around to setting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, because they are waiting for inspiration to strike. Trust me, the more you train yourself to apply your seat to a chair and train yourself to write, the more inspiration and ideas will play their part by showing up.

PRACTICE WRITING

A lot of the information in this course will not only talk about writing poetry but writing in general. You will receive a great deal of information, tips, advice and exercises to help you.

Please remember that material in this course is copyright, which means you can't pass it on to anyone else or lend it or post it on a website without permission from me. Writing, as well as conducting workshops, is how I make my living. However I may agree to some reproduction of my material for specific purposes provided you do two things. Firstly that you contact me and enquire first, get my permission and then credit me as the author of the material,

Practice, practice, practice

The first, and perhaps most important thing, about writing poetry is that like any skill or craft it takes practice. You wouldn't expect to become a world class violinist without lessons and without practice. Or become a craftsman of fine furniture without serving an apprenticeship. Writing is the same.

You need to practice it – to serve your apprenticeship. It doesn't matter whether your practice writing is poetry, dialogue, prose, a letter, whatever, as long as you are putting words on paper every day.

I remember when my son was young he desperately wanted a bike. He seemed to think once he got the bike, his life would be complete. He would hop on and ride around on it. Of course it didn't work that way. For a time we had to support him until he got used to it. ‘Let go.’ He said after a while. We did. The bike wobbled a bit but then he straightened it up. After a time of practice he got stronger and more confident in his ability. We let him go but hovered near enough to catch him if it started to fall.

Just as you wouldn't expect to ride a bike without practice, you shouldn't expect to write poetry without practice. But people do.

As well as practice, you will require a certain talent and love of words. Talent is not enough. Neither is practice. And a love of words is not enough. You need all three. Even together these three are not enough to make you into a great poet. The other requirements are a willingness to read, to learn and to experiment.

Poetry is about experimentation.

For this reason the course will include a number of exercises. These will focus on different ways of approaching a poem or combining words, of breaking out of the rut we sometimes find ourselves in. My main aim will be to get you used to playing with words and investigating the sound of them.

I’m sure you will find the exercises fun, helpful, sometimes challenging, but most of all a good source of ideas so that you will never find yourself at a loss to have something to write.

Poets learn from others who have travelled the road before them. So good access to your local library or bookshop from which you can acquire poetry books or magazines that publish poetry is essential.

Added to reading other poets, I would stress that you need to cultivate a habit of reading. A habit of reading, not simply for enjoyment, but to study what others have done and how they have achieved the effect in their poems through word choice, imagery, line breaks, rhythm etc. Copying some of the great poets can be a starting point. But ultimately you have to find your own voice and style and you won't come to that without a lot of practice. Like the old saying ‘practice makes perfect.’

I’ve had people tell me they don't read the work of other writers in case it influences their own. I guess it depends how serious you are about writing and wanting to be published. Writing poetry is a craft like another. The more you practice it the better you will become at it. The better you will become ultimately at discovering what works and what doesn't.

For the poet, near enough is not good enough. Poets experiment and change. You will need these qualities as well as a determination to persevere till you get it right.

Exercises

Obviously you will gain more from this course if you complete the exercises suggested. For now:

  1. Make a list of four or five poets you like and try and decide what it is about the work of these poets that appeals to you.

  2. Spend some time each day reading poetry.

  3. Spend time each day on your own, without the noise of TV, radio or music. Use this quiet time simply to contemplate and relax. Allow you mind to drift where it will, perhaps to your favourite place.

  4. Then after this quiet time of say, ten minutes, write for half an hour.

If half an hour sounds a lot to you, think of this time as an investment towards your life as a poet. You'd spend a lot more time watching TV or involved in other activities. And you'll be surprised how beneficial this time of quiet, then writing, will be firstly to you and also to your work.

Welcome aboard. Enjoy the journey.

Course Contents

Introduction

Lesson 1: Starting points

Lesson 2: Generating vital images to benefit your poetry.

Lesson 3: Developing the image

Lesson 4: The poet's tools

Lesson 5: More techniques for poetry

Lesson 6: Point of View

Lesson 7: Polishing the poem

Lesson 8: Forms of poetry

Lesson 9: More forms of poetry

Lesson 10: Poetry readings and ideas

Lesson 11: What now? Last words of advice

Lesson 12: Reading and feeding - Suggested markets

Included in the course will be hints that work, examples of and links to current poetry, ways of using a poem or other piece of writing to inspire further writing, as well as issues such as leaving room for the reader's input.

As well as practical advice about the craft of writing poetry, the course includes information about poetry markets and online journals.

Instructor

Poet and freelance writer, Dale Harcombe, has been writing poetry for around 26 years. She has had poems published in many literary magazines and newspapers and has been published in anthologies and won prizes for her poetry. ‘Kaleidoscope’ a collection of her poems, published by Ginninderra Press in March 2005, is available through her website. This collection included many poems that have been previously published in magazines and newspapers.

As well as being a writer, Dale is an experienced tutor who has taught English as well as creative writing workshops through evening and community colleges over a number of years. Much of the time spent in these classes was dedicated to editing and making suggestions of ways aspiring writers could improve their work. Many of those enrolled in her classes and workshops kept coming back because they knew Dale could be trusted to help them with honest but sensitive feedback.

Dale is also a book reviewer and freelance manuscript assessor, who works for several manuscript assessment companies. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in literary studies from Deakin University.

Because people learn most effectively by doing as well as reading, each module will contain exercises or assignments for you to complete. Sometimes several shorter ones.

As well as these assignments I will give examples and technique tips on various aspects of writing poetry.

Please fill out the form below - the first lesson will be in your email inbox within minutes. All of the lessons are FREE!

The Easy Way to Write Great Poetry

First Name:
Email:

Thank you.

Dale Harcombe

Best regards and keep writing!



Rob Parnell
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Creating Successful Writers

The Easy Way to Write

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