Month: September 2022

Although it might still feel like summer in some cities, the autumnal equinox (Sept. 22) signals that fall has officially arrived. To help you get into the fall spirit, we’ve compiled a list of seasonal poetry prompts. Reference these ideas throughout the season to spark your creativity!

 

Draw inspiration from fall gardening.

 

If you’re growing vegetables and herbs this season, you can easily find writing inspiration from fall gardening. Whether you’ve placed a few pots on your windowsill or cultivated a couple of plots in your yard, observe your plants’ behavior. For example, notice how squash and pumpkin plants trail on the ground, contrasting with summer tomato plants, which stretch toward the sun. What broader themes can you pull from such differences? 

 

Consider how these seasonal plants may parallel experiences in your life. Do you feel more grounded during this season compared to summer? Looking to the natural world can provide a wealth of creativity for your poetry practice.

 

Write about seasonal foods and family.

 

Harvest soups, pumpkin bread, and hot apple cider. Need we say more? Fall is known for cozy, warm foods and drinks. Celebrate the season by writing about your favorite fall food or beverage. Food often serves as a vehicle to bond with loved ones and create joyful memories, so think about how you can connect this subject to a beloved experience or emotion. 

 

Cooking and eating food is also incredibly sensory. In what ways do rich, layered smells and flavors transport you back to meaningful moments? Capture this in a poem by describing your senses in detail: how the aroma of a fall dessert baking in an oven wafts through your house, with smells of cinnamon and pumpkin lingering in the air.

 

Alternatively, is there a fall recipe in your family that’s been passed down through generations? Imagine your great-grandparent baking your family’s favorite pie, for example. Write a poem from their perspective. How might their experience be different from but still connected to your own? Use this theme as an opportunity to consider the ways in which your culture and heritage influence your life.

 

Explore how natural landscapes change.

 

As summer comes to a close, natural landscapes transition for autumn. Leaves change color and fall to the ground, slowly decomposing and nourishing the earth. The air around us cools and becomes less humid. 

 

Many poets find inspiration in these changes, drawing parallels between the natural world and one’s own individual experiences. Use nature metaphors, such as falling leaves, to illustrate a life change or transition. To help you choose a theme to explore, reference both modern and classic fall poetry. 

 

Whether you’re a beginner poet writing for self-care or an experienced writer searching for inspiration, fall provides numerous poetic avenues to explore. From life changes to seasonal foods to beloved family memories, let autumnal themes guide your poetry this season.

The post Poetry Prompts to Inspire You this Fall appeared first on Read Poetry.

Poetry can be a complicated and arduous field to get into. There’s the stress of balancing writing with all the other commitments in your schedule, plus the challenges of imposter syndrome and rejection. One of the best ways to navigate these difficulties—as well as fully appreciate all of the art form’s joy—is to make advocating for yourself a regular practice. This means expressing yourself with confidence, honoring your work, and staying true to the writer that you are. But how does that manifest into real, concrete action? Here are some ideas for stepping into the role of self-advocacy and embodying it in your daily life. 

 

1. Protect your writing time.

 

Simply put, you aren’t going to create work that fascinates and inspires you unless you carve out regular time for it. That doesn’t mean neglecting friendships, hobbies, or other important components of your life. Instead, it simply means that writing should be a regular part of your routine. Maybe that means free-writing for 30 minutes every morning or before bed, having a writing day at a coffee shop or the library once a week, or setting aside time to revise previous drafts. Try to make this a regular, predetermined date with yourself.

 

2. Know when it’s time to step away. 

 

All writing is a constant balance. While anyone committed to poetry life should be writing regularly, try not to let it take over or become overwhelming. For example, say you’ve set aside two hours of writing time on a Saturday morning—set an alarm and stick to those boundaries. If you need a few extra minutes to finish your train of thought or put the final touch on an amazing stanza, go for it, but don’t find yourself still in front of your laptop hours later. Like anyone else, writers need time with friends and family, as well as time to devote to self-care and their other interests, in order to avoid burnout. Plus, working on one draft for too long can result in tunnel vision. Continue on with your day and return with fresh eyes and more energy. 

 

3. Understand that your work isn’t for everyone—and that’s one of its strengths.

 

Feeling pressure to get published in a specific journal, be admitted to a certain MFA program, or sign a book deal with a prestigious press? While these goals aren’t always unhealthy, it’s important to note that different literary institutions have varying tastes and aesthetics. For instance, some journals have a focus on experimentative, avant-garde poetry—not exactly a fit for more traditional forms like the sonnet. First, develop a deep understanding of your work and what literary traditions inform it. Then, keep a running list of publications that have published similar writing or some of the writers you look up to. Remember that it’s positive for writing to have a distinct perspective or sense of voice—but this also requires a more curated approach.

 

4. Make genuine connections with other writers.

 

One of the best ways to be your own advocate is to ensure that you aren’t totally on your own in the literary world. It’s incredibly important to have a strong relationship with yourself—but in a career that can so often be isolating, it’s equally essential to reach out and find mentors and friends. Try forming a writing workshop, attending readings or spoken word events, or even reading contemporary poetry collections with a group of like-minded friends. 

 

5. Keep setting realistic, satisfying goals. 

 

Goals help writers find momentum and purpose. Maybe you want to submit to a different journal every week, attend a literary event near you every month, or commit to a regular writing workshop. Setting these goals and sticking to them whenever possible is the best way to be your own advocate. 

 

Now that you’re committed to being an active part of your own support system, there’s no limit to how far your work can go. Happy writing!

The post 5 Tips for Being Your Own Best Advocate as a Poet appeared first on Read Poetry.