Friday, November 23, 2007

Poetry Tips Friday: Reviews

How often do you read reviews about movies and writers? I read them from time to time and don’t always agree with them. However, if you are stuck in Writer’s Block or just looking for a new spin, try writing a review or article by way of a poem.
You can describe a movie, a book, and title it as “A Critical Poem Featuring ……”


If that doesn’t sound interesting, try reducing a novel or movie into a poem. Can you make it short? Can you turn it into an epic poem? Can you make it easy to name the movie or book if you leave off the title when coming up with your own title? Can you put a new ending or spin on it? The possibilities are endless and best of all, great practice for thinking up new poems to write.

Good luck with your writing, please stop by tomorrow for another interesting poetry blog…

4 comments:

Jim Murdoch said...

The question is, is the analogy between lack of physical exercise and a lull in creativity sound? If you stop being active in the real world and move to a sedentary lifestyle it's going to take you time to get back into your stride and the longer you don't exercise the harder it will be for you. You literally have to walk before you can run.

The first time I had writer's block it lasted for three years. I honestly thought I'd never write again and then one day, having only written poetry for over twenty years, quite out of the blue I sat down and wrote not one but two novels in a period of only a few weeks. Okay it took five years to polish them up but the hard work was done.

I've read a lot of article about writer's block and all of the advice is reasonable. The bottom line is quite simple this: write, write something, write anything; you are never going to break out of writer's block by thinking about it or even talking about it.

Poet Hound said...

Jim,
I agree with you completely. The point of providing poetry tips on Fridays is just for brainstorming ideas for anyone who would like some guidance. Whether you have writer's block or not, sometimes you just need a new idea for writing just as an exercise, and that is why I provide a variety of them weekly.

Jim Murdoch said...

Understood, appreciated and, hey, whatever works for them, go for it. I was trying to underline what you were saying not undermine it.

It's just a lot of people have the if-only-wishes- were-horses mentality. If only I was thin, if only I was smarter, if only this, if only that. If you want to be thin then diet, if you want to be smarter then study and if you want to write pick up a pen. Dieting is no fun, studying can be hard but everything gets easier with a bit of practice.

Poet Hound said...

Jim,
I agree, many people wish for things without ever putting forth any effort into changing their behavior. Absolutely practice makes perfect. After all, even geniuses like Mozart recognize the importance of practice and crossing out ideas to make room for improved ones.