“Significant memories are also entryways to a poem.” – dimitrireyespoet.com
At this point, I’m hard-wired to know what brain matter makes good material for a poem but several years ago, that wasn’t the case while I was discovering what worked for me. In other blogs, I’ve often discussed my beginnings of being in search of a “voice”— in a way for writing to come “naturally” to me. This has caused me in my own discovery to write as if I was several different poets until I finally found an energy that sounded like me. Now, you can put my poem among several other poets’ work and you can point out which one is mine.
As well, I tell the poets I work with all the time that generative periods change. There are moments where poems are simply flowing out of the ink of a pen while other times we have to work for it where there are other times we just have to wait for the inspiration to strike. Considering these things, How does one Pick a Poetry Topic? I have a handful of tricks which include a couple of games and a quote known in many circles of writers. If you are still searching for extra poetry knowledge after this blog, I encourage you to also refer to the What Should Beginner Poets Write About? blog.
The Poetry Board Game
The Poetry Board Game is less of a poem developer and more of a line developer which still may get the creative juices flowing. Starting your writing session with an intricate line to work from can help boost your need to follow or precede it. This easy board game is an excellent way to generate new lines to get you started or help get you through writer’s block.
The Poetry Card Game
I encourage you to create this card game by following this list of instructions as well as watching the video for some game ideas and demos.
Prompts are important. If you are writing towards something, it pushes you to boundaries you’ve never been previously. For instance, I was recently contracted by the Berrie Arts Center at Ramapo College in NJ to perform a set of COVID-19 inspired poems. I simply had scraps and ideas, but I had a distinct vision when I applied. Upon acceptance I had to get to work by setting up a bunch of prompts for myself, some of which included form poetry I’ve never seen elsewhere.
Additionally, I had previously published a video where I wrote a poem on camera. In similar conversation to the COVID-19 prompts, I was writing a few poems to submit to an anthology. To submit to that particular anthology I actually wrote into the open call which itself acted as my prompt. Watch that video to see how I toil over a prompt until it becomes an actual submission-worthy piece.
Write What You Know
We think about something really interesting that we want to write about but then notice we don’t have the vocabulary or the experience to talk about it. This is a sure fire way to have you start writing and quickly stopping after the second or third line because you “ran out of ideas.” Writing what you know allows you endless possibilities in your composition. So make sure when you even come to the page you first start with changing your mindset by considering things you already know.
One of the easiest ways are to write about yourself. What makes you angry? What makes you warm? Or cold? Try to narrow it down to a fixation, that “one thing.” That’s what poems are made of, those smaller tidbits that we are able to magnify through language.
Significant memories are also entryways to a poem. Recounting those experiences as they’re actually happening will not only allow you to revisit those moments and rediscover different ways to experience them, but it also helps you connect with others who’d be reading or hearing you. Chances are that they, too, will find some similarities from their own life in yours.
This is a great transition into the conversation of voice, which we will discuss further in another blog.
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