5 Tips to Jump-Start a Poem

Have you ever struggled with blank page disorder?  I have.  Most writers face this issue at one time or another.

Sometimes we just need a little inspiration.  Here are five tips you can use to jump-start a poem today.

Find a spot where you can sit and observe. Observation is an effective tool for any writer. You might want to visit a coffee shop and listen to the conversations stirring around you. Or you may need to find a quiet place outside to experience nature. Regardless of where you choose to observe, be sure to find a place that will take you away from your normal routine. Take notes on everything you observe in that location, using all five senses.

Skim the recent news headlines for anything that catches your attention. Scientific discoveries, world news, and even weather reports can inspire a poet. Look for extreme events, rare occurrences, strange happenings, or moving stories that capture some unique aspect of life. Skim the article(s) for key words about the subject and then add a few of your own thoughts.

Check your social networks for interesting conversations. Find a news topic or conversation that strikes your interest. Write down key words, phrases, descriptions, images, and personality traits that you observe through the interactions. Next, start writing a poem in response to that topic or conversation. For example, you could begin with “So, you went to Hawaii for a vacation…” Continue writing in a voice that is commenting on or responding to whatever people are discussing on the social network.

Try to find an unlikely comparison, also known as metaphor. If you already have an idea in mind, write down everything you can about the subject of the poem. Then think of a concrete object (one that appeals to your five senses) that is dissimilar to your subject. Write down attributes of the differing object. Once you have all of the ideas out on the page, look for connections. Is there a way to describe your subject as if it were the other object? I recently wrote a poem where I compared automobiles to snail shells—two very unlike items until you are caught in horrendous 5:00 traffic on your way home.

Get in touch with your emotions. Over the past week, have you experienced any joy? Or maybe you encountered someone who angered you. Capture the details of your experience on paper and either write about it or focus on how the emotion affected you most. For example, if you had a fearful moment, describe what fear did to you. Was it like a monster ripping you to shreds, or was it more like a cockroach scuttling about your feet? When you use personification or metaphor to characterize emotions, they become very powerful characters in poetry.

Now it’s time to get writing.  After you take notes, simply start writing on that white page.  I know it’s difficult, but once you start writing the poem out, it will begin to take form.

Do you have any other creative tips to jump-start poetry that you can share? I’d love to hear them below.