Ethereal Moments The Poetry of Donavon Scott Vinson
Insights on How I Write Poetry
I am writing this to help the younger writers out there,
and to provide a little insight into the way that I write.
Many times over the years younger,less experienced writers
have asked me how I write poetry,so here are some insights
that I hope will be helpful.
1. Envision the setting of your poem, and think about why
you are writing it.
2. Use colorful words and word pictures to make your poetry
more interesting.not just plain Jane words.
3. Build vivid pictures that show the range of emotions that
you are trying to portray.
4. Think about the words that you want to use, make sure that they flow.
5. Live the poem/see the poem in your mind:watch it unfold in your consciousness.
6. Be passionate and daring, don't worry about what it looks like.
It is a good exercise in creative expression,and will let you see ways
to better the poem. Editing and constant going over your work will lead
to more complex and creative poetry.
7. Be honest to your inner self, and to your belief systems.Don't write what
others want you to write, be yourself. You can take ideas and thoughts from others
and incorporate them into your poetry. But always try to be true to your idea and
vision of the poem.
8. Use your personal experiences to give meaning and insight to the poem.
9. The complexity of poetry is there to make the reader use their minds and think
about what you've written and what the poem is saying.
10. Think outside of the box, be creative and unique.
11. Sometimes a few short lines say more than long complex poems, so don't
think that everything you write has to be a short story.
12. There are times when a longer more complex poem is needed to truly relate
what you want to say.Be creative and have fun with your writing.
13. Clear and easy to understand language can be dull, so use stronger words.
A thesaurus,dictionary, and encyclopedia are helpful tools for this.
14. Reading about things,music,and TV shows can provoke useful ideas.
15. Do not be afraid to practice it makes for better overall writing
and builds skill and confidence, not to mention creativity and style development.
16. Write down your ideas, and think about what you are trying to say.
17. Make notes on things that you see when you are out and about.
18. Don't always be tied down to a particular style of poetry.
For instance I don't use haiku's,sonnets or lyrical poetry, but let them
all meld into one unique style that is my own.Free verse is great for this.
19. Talk to other poets and writers and gain insights into how they write,
and incorporate those things that are helpful to you.
20. Never plagiarize another's work. Be yourself,and write with your own unique style.
21. Here are some of the tricks that I personally use to improve my writing:
Use a series of words and write a poem around them. Practice rhyming, start with
one word and continue to rhyme it until you can't think think of any other words.
do it several times, then write a rhyming poem for practice. Another thing that I do
is use a specific item such as the ocean and think of everything that is in it.
This gives you a vision and builds a mental picture, that can give you ideas.
Think about a specific subject such as love,hatred,passion,romance or war, write down
your ideas on these subjects.
My friends, I hope that my thoughts on writing poetry has been helpful.
I just want to help you gain confidence and build your own creative style.
God Bless!!!
Donavon Scott Vinson
and to provide a little insight into the way that I write.
Many times over the years younger,less experienced writers
have asked me how I write poetry,so here are some insights
that I hope will be helpful.
1. Envision the setting of your poem, and think about why
you are writing it.
2. Use colorful words and word pictures to make your poetry
more interesting.not just plain Jane words.
3. Build vivid pictures that show the range of emotions that
you are trying to portray.
4. Think about the words that you want to use, make sure that they flow.
5. Live the poem/see the poem in your mind:watch it unfold in your consciousness.
6. Be passionate and daring, don't worry about what it looks like.
It is a good exercise in creative expression,and will let you see ways
to better the poem. Editing and constant going over your work will lead
to more complex and creative poetry.
7. Be honest to your inner self, and to your belief systems.Don't write what
others want you to write, be yourself. You can take ideas and thoughts from others
and incorporate them into your poetry. But always try to be true to your idea and
vision of the poem.
8. Use your personal experiences to give meaning and insight to the poem.
9. The complexity of poetry is there to make the reader use their minds and think
about what you've written and what the poem is saying.
10. Think outside of the box, be creative and unique.
11. Sometimes a few short lines say more than long complex poems, so don't
think that everything you write has to be a short story.
12. There are times when a longer more complex poem is needed to truly relate
what you want to say.Be creative and have fun with your writing.
13. Clear and easy to understand language can be dull, so use stronger words.
A thesaurus,dictionary, and encyclopedia are helpful tools for this.
14. Reading about things,music,and TV shows can provoke useful ideas.
15. Do not be afraid to practice it makes for better overall writing
and builds skill and confidence, not to mention creativity and style development.
16. Write down your ideas, and think about what you are trying to say.
17. Make notes on things that you see when you are out and about.
18. Don't always be tied down to a particular style of poetry.
For instance I don't use haiku's,sonnets or lyrical poetry, but let them
all meld into one unique style that is my own.Free verse is great for this.
19. Talk to other poets and writers and gain insights into how they write,
and incorporate those things that are helpful to you.
20. Never plagiarize another's work. Be yourself,and write with your own unique style.
21. Here are some of the tricks that I personally use to improve my writing:
Use a series of words and write a poem around them. Practice rhyming, start with
one word and continue to rhyme it until you can't think think of any other words.
do it several times, then write a rhyming poem for practice. Another thing that I do
is use a specific item such as the ocean and think of everything that is in it.
This gives you a vision and builds a mental picture, that can give you ideas.
Think about a specific subject such as love,hatred,passion,romance or war, write down
your ideas on these subjects.
My friends, I hope that my thoughts on writing poetry has been helpful.
I just want to help you gain confidence and build your own creative style.
God Bless!!!
Donavon Scott Vinson
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Insights on How I Write Poetry
Insights on How I Write Poetry
