Tip #1: Read, read, and read some more!
The quickest and easiest way to get better at writing is to read – for inspiration, to study style and form, to observe and learn so that you may begin to mimic what you find works in other people’s poems. Your own writing will progress much faster if you read a lot than if you read only sporadically or not at all.
Tip #2: Let go of your preconceived notions about what poetry is!
Poetry is an art form. As such, there are no ‘right answers’ or quick-fix short-cuts, as there might be in a math problem. There’s no right or wrong way to write poetry. You might be familiar with poetry from high school classrooms, where the teacher is the sole proprietor of The Answers (TM). In your own work, you and you alone (and eventually, your readers and audience) serve as the judges of what works and what doesn’t.
Tip #3: Experiment.
All great poets experiment with style, form, meter, rhythm, rhyme, and all the other various elements of poetic forms. If you’re in a rut, try writing a prose poem or a villanelle. If those don’t work, try experimenting with shape, or with line breaks.
Tip #4: Learn to edit what you write.
Your poetry will rarely come out onto the page fully formed and wholly edited. You will need to learn editing techniques to improve your writing. They say the most essential stage of writing is editing.
Tip #5: Love the process of writing.
In order to be successful at writing, you must love it – even when it becomes difficult, or your muse falters, or you are feeling uninspired. Loving the process of writing will help you get through the rough patches that inevitably arise.
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