Advice I WISH I'D BEEN Told (1999)
4 hours ago
- #writing advice
- #poetry craft
- #creative process
- Advice on writing: avoid abstractions, use vivid specifics and images to make poems powerful.
- Good poems use emotional language that implodes with meaning, unlike utilitarian language that merely informs.
- Poetry is about invention and discovery, not just recounting facts; trust the imagination to uncover deep resources.
- Resist temptations like sloth, greed, envy, anger, and flattery that hinder a writer's progress and discipline.
- Hold all poems, including formal ones, to high standards of imagery, rhythm, and intensity; 'spend it all' in writing.