Writing Advice

If you’re a poet, maintaining a poetic sensibility is important whether you have all the time in the world or no time at all. But that can be hard to do when your boss is screaming for the report that was due an hour ago, the kids need to be picked up from soccer practice, and Fido just left you a gift on the living room floor.

Here are some things you can do to stay in a poetic state of mind all day, every day:

• Decorate with poetry. What better way to promote poetic thinking than to surround yourself with poetry? Try using a poetry-themed calendar or even framing and displaying your favorite poems. The more poetry you read and see on a daily basis, the more likely you’ll live in a state of appreciation for poems.
• Activate your senses. It’s hard to write consistently if you keep setting up blockades on the inspiration superhighway. Keep listening, keep seeing, keep smelling, keep tasting, keep feeling!
• Keep paper handy. With your senses engaged, you’ll need to keep track of your thoughts. When you’re already juggling homework assignments, doctor appointments, and shopping lists in your head, how can you remember that clever limerick you thought of on the subway ride to school? And what about that perfect edit to the last line in the second stanza that came to you during your lunch break?

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