Transition help?

  • Steven Topaz
    14 years ago

    Ive been writting a novella for about 3 months now and ive gone without writting a single poem, how ever the story is very descriptive and uses the same aspects as I do in writting, I cant write a poem that seems to be me, I got two good stanzas that didnt really feel like what I would write, it wasnt forced because i wrote it really fast but not ive rewritten 3 entirely different stanzas for the third stanza i need some help to get me back into writting freely and getting back into my swing, because i know i could write poetry and write but when I do one for to long, :/

  • Ed or Ian Henderson
    14 years ago

    If you've been writing a novella, think about how you write that. Do you start with an idea and not know how it ends? Or do you have the whole start/end in mind, and then fill in the details as you go along? I say this as I write poetry and stories, and in neither case do I put pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard) until I know exactly what direction I want the piece to take. It's better to develop it either as notes, or in my head.

    Some poems are stories. That's worth bearing in mind if you've got a couple of stanzas and are struggling with an additional one or more. Try to think about what you want to say in the context of how you're writing that novella, rather than as a poem as some very different beast.

    You may also find it helps to just set that poem to one side for a while and give it no thought at all. Because an unfinished poem can easily be gone back to and recreated when you're more comfortable with it.

    It sounds to me like you're forcing yourself more than you're comfortable with. That stifles creativity, I assure you. Give yourself a break and you'll come back to it as a leisure pursuit: right now I think you're viewing it as a chore.

    I hope this helps, even if it's just a bit!