1001 Rules for writing Poetry (Humorous or otherwise)

UnderYourSpell · May 29, 2016

Please add your own.

1. You put it out there but not everyone is going to love it or even understand it, take it on the chin and move on.

greenmountaineer · May 29, 2016

Thanks for doing this, Annie. I think the thread has tremendous potential for generating ideas about how to write better, whether we agree or not.

I have a lot more ideas about this than when I first came here which I think speaks well of the skills among those who contribute to PF&D and how they've influenced my writing.

For starters, I think alliteration can be overdone and more often than not is. My own opinion is alliteration should add more than a pleasant sound. If the words seem incidental to the narrative, the seem trite to me.

Neonurotic · May 29, 2016

3. As I said elsewhere, "The brilliance in a great poem is the editing."

Neonurotic · May 29, 2016

4. Kill your darlings, ya know, the unnecessary adverbs/adjectives.

butters · May 29, 2016

5: write each poem as its own truth - even if every iota of it is fabrication

GuiltyPleasure · May 29, 2016

6. Rules are there to be broken.

butters · May 29, 2016

7: never shoe-horn a poem into a form.

'tis better to write a different poem for that purpose, and free the other to be what works best for it. that works in reverse, too.

greenmountaineer · May 29, 2016

#2

Don't use a word for an absraction when an image can convey the abstraction. Poetry, as any art, is a medium of expression. Make the reader or listener work at it, but not so much he or she is confused and therefore loses interest in what the sender has to say.

UnderYourSpell · May 29, 2016

Great rules folks and certainly making me think!

UnderYourSpell · May 29, 2016

8, Please DON'T Yoda speak just to make a rhyme fit!

GuiltyPleasure · May 30, 2016

9. Subtlety is always more effective when writing erotica, better the velvet glove than the barbed-wire whip......unless it's BDSM......even then I think the softer approach works best,

UnderYourSpell · May 30, 2016

9. Just because your dirty ditty is full of cocks and cunts it doesn't make it erotic, subtlety wins every time.

GuiltyPleasure · May 30, 2016

GuiltyPleasure said:
9. Subtlety is always more effective when writing erotica, better the velvet glove than the barbed-wire whip......unless it's BDSM......even then I think the softer approach works best,

UnderYourSpell said:
9. Just because your dirty ditty is full of cocks and cunts it doesn't make it erotic, subtlety wins every time.

JINX!!!

Grt minds.....

UnderYourSpell · May 30, 2016

GuiltyPleasure said:
JINX!!! Grt minds.....

Ohhhhhh I say! How clever is that?!

ishtat · May 30, 2016

Read a lot, including some that you don't like overly much.

todski28 · May 30, 2016

Question why you do or don't like somethjng in a poem, you may find something you can incorporate into your own writing

Neonurotic · May 30, 2016

12 a, b and c

a. Realize that you don't have to put in action every bit of constructive feedback, take it in and learn.

b. Not all criticism is correct for your poem.

c. Sincere feedback on your poem is not a personal attack.

UnderYourSpell · May 30, 2016

Neonurotic said:
c. Sincere feedback on your poem is not a personal attack.

WickedEve taught me that one. I didn't like her at first but quickly learned she had so much guidance to offer when I shut up and listened!

HoneyAdored · May 30, 2016

......

UnderYourSpell · May 31, 2016

HoneyAdored said:
*Waits patiently with a mahooosive notebook in hand, for the other 989 rules to appear*

That's up to you lot, I was interested too see how far this could go!

GuiltyPleasure · May 31, 2016

HoneyAdored said:
*Waits patiently with a mahooosive notebook in hand, for the other 989 rules to appear*

Give it time......sheesh

Angeline · May 31, 2016

ishtat said:
Read a lot, including some that you don't like overly much.

^This. Read poetry every day. Read about poetry, too. Immerse yourself in poetry.

13. Write every day, even if it's only for ten minutes or so and even if what you write doesn't look so good to you. You will definitely improve over time.

Angeline · May 31, 2016

14. Use resources like a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary. Use any resource you can find to help you learn and improve. Look up words you don't know and read about poetry concepts that are new to you. The little tips and tricks add up.

butters · May 31, 2016

if you receive critique, remember this:

a) this may well be the best poem you have ever written and you are allowed to be excited about that

b) in 5 years' time you might look back on it and wince, seeing things that could be improved on you couldn't see before

c) ALWAYS consider the source of the critique

legerdemer · May 31, 2016

This is more a corollary to some of the rules others have put up, but I'm too "young" a writer to be spouting off rules.

If you can take advantage of a situation where you can see the cycle of writing, critique, and revision proceeding with both your poems and especially those of more experienced poets, take advantage of it. First, it is incredibly instructive to see how people react to a poem and how the poet responds (or not) with changes. Second, it makes you feel better to see that even the experienced can benefit from a second, third, and fourth pair of eyes.

1001 Rules for writing Poetry (Humorous or otherwise)

Gerund Whore

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Literotica Guru

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Share some skin

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