“In the revision process, I’m always thinking where the poem can expand and illustrate itself with more clarity.” – dimitrireyespoet.com
I’d like to think I have a better understanding of sci-fi because I’m a poet that has freed themselves from sticking to the facts. That it is okay to tell a story (my story) with healthy balances of fact and fiction. In a similar fashion how science fiction films have their audience believing that an individual can get their arm chopped off with a sword of light, readers have to trust in what the poet is saying— not being a skeptic and seeing the work for what it is.
From my fascination with sci-fi entered the Wormhole theory I began formulating while a professor at Rutgers University. It’s basically the idea of taking one idea and expanding it into something bigger by cross examining it with other details in the poem. The name comes from the idea of black holes; big abundances of mass and they’re so dense that not even light can pass through. That’s why it appears black. What you can see at the top of it is called a horizon and within that horizon no one knows what’s inside but they’re assuming that time is infinite once you’re inside.
Thinking about this in terms of our poetry, a Wormhole allows us to jump to different spots in a poem, this help makes a shorter poem longer or allows a moment to last longer too. In the revision process, I’m always thinking where the poem can expand and illustrate itself with more clarity.
This is an example of a wormhole opportunity. Keep in mind that the wormhole can be several stanzas or a few words long. This depends on what the poem is calling for.
So when do you need a wormhole?
This is arbitrary as each poem is it’s own situation. What I will first suggest is to voice record yourself reading the poem. See if there’s anything that needs more clarification. If you don’t have a lot of experience revising (or even if you do) you should read the work for someone else and allow them to give you feedback. Have them explain to you what the poem was about. For certain there may be some of the story that they missed. It will then be your decision to see if revising into the work will help them better understand the intentions of the poem.
Where in the writing process do you insert a Wormhole?
The best time to create wormholes are after the poem is done. When you’ve had a bit of time away from the poem, coming back will allow you to revise with a clearer head. With a clear mind, it’s easier to make those tough decisions which may include removing or reorganizing spots that would’ve been important to you when you first wrote it.
Queer Your Work
Lastly, your Wormhole can be created to alter or change the perspective of the piece. Maybe this Wormhole has you going back in time to another moment, maybe a different perspective is introduced, or a memory is introduced? Here is a piece of my work as an example as well as the accompanying video to this blog that explains the Wormhole method with more detail.
Teespring
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