How To Overcome Writer’s Block As A Poet
We’ve all felt it. That musty sense of gloom when we go for weeks and months without writing a poem. They call it writer’s block, but I often refer to it as a “poetic paralysis” because when I can’t write, I feel powerless to express myself.
While there are quite a few online resources on writer’s block for authors, there are fewer tips for poets.
How can you overcome writer’s block as a poet? There is no single, perfect solution, but here are a few approaches which have worked for me over the years. Some of these tips are also applicable to writers of any kind, while others are poetry-specific.
Read other poems
Reading other poets’ work can be a great way to expose yourself to new ideas and poetic approaches, especially if you read poetry that is very different to what you usually write. I prefer poetry anthologies containing a range of poets, such as The Golden Treasury by Pan MacMillan, because I can easily leaf through and get a taste of many styles. Instagram and Youtube are also great places to scroll through a range of visual and spoken word poems, especially by contemporary and up-and-coming poets.
When reading other poets to combat poetic paralysis, don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself, your style, or your poetry output to theirs. Read lightly, and make sure you’re enjoying what you read. Chances are, even if you don’t immediately feel the urge to pick up the pen, you may still find the influence of those poets creeping through once you do return to writing.
Experience new things
This one’s pretty self-explanatory, and applies to all kinds of writers. If you do and see new things, you’ll have more to write about. It’s as simple as that!
As a New Zealand-based poet, my go-to source of inspiration is the astounding nature around us — you can’t go wrong with beaches, forests, and mountains as sources of poetic inspiration. But if you’re a city-dweller, some things you might like to try are visiting public gardens, art galleries, museums, and even concerts. Seeing art in different art forms can provide plenty of inspiration for poetry (I will be writing a blog post on ekphrastic poetry in the future), and if all else fails, at least you spent a pleasant couple of hours!
Carry a notebook
Take note of anything, and I mean anything, that catches your poetic eye. This can be single words, events and experiences, or even a particular phrase someone has used in conversation that strikes you as particularly harmonious (I have been guilty of jotting down a phrase used by a lecturer and later using it in a completely different way!)
You can use a physical notebook, loose sheets of paper (the backs of receipts hold particular appeal), a Word document, or a note-taking app. You could also take photos of inspiring views, aspects of nature, or anything else that you would like to write a poem about later. (Read more about using photos for poetic inspiration and why you shouldn’t photograph sunsets).
By jotting things down during times of poetic productivity, when you may not have the time to work on another poem, or any at all, you are creating a “bank” of personalised prompts to return to in times of writer’s block. However, you should also continue taking notes even when you are experiencing writer’s block. This can help you stay connected to your writing.
Attend a poetry workshop
I am biased towards this one, having been part of the UoA Poetry Club for several years. But I can honestly say that I have come away from every workshop by this and other groups with a stack of poems that I have remained happy with.
Poetry workshops are all about getting the creative juices flowing — there are usually so many prompts and exercises that you would be hard-pressed to get your poems to completion during the brief writing time. So don’t get hung up on having a completed poem ready for sharing time — sharing is usually optional at such workshops, and attendees are often eager to hear and share even a snippet of what they have created.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the buzz of being surrounded by other people who love poetry as much as you. That is what makes poetry workshops, especially in-person ones, so special. If you are struggling to make progress with your writing, a poetry or writing workshop can be a great environment to ease back into the space.
Use poetry prompts
While poetry prompts are a big part of workshops, there are also many websites and Instagram accounts dedicated to poetry prompts. “Prompt” can mean anything, from a word, to a sentence, to a photograph, to a prescribed formula, word length and all. You can use these in any way you wish, and may often find that the final product deviates greatly from the original prompt. That’s the beauty of poetry prompts — every poet will produce something vastly different. There are even times when you might write several pieces for one prompt!
If you are looking for Instagram prompts, check out hashtags such as #poetryprompts to get a taste of the options! I’ll be writing a dedicated post on Instagram prompts and contests later in the year, so keep an eye out!
Edit your old poems
If you experience writer’s block, try revisiting old, unfinished drafts for other works. These may even be remnants from a previous episode of writer’s block!
While some poets like to finish a poem before even thinking of starting a new one, I am always working on several poems at once. Sometimes, I abandon a draft for months, or even years. This means I always have several poems to fall back on if one doesn’t seem to be working for me.
If you are someone who typically likes to write one poem at a time, try starting on several poems at once during the times you do feel inspired, and see if that helps with your writer’s block later down the track.
Just leave that poem alone!
Just because you started a poem does not mean you are bound to finish it. Maybe your emotions and beliefs have changed since you started the poem, or maybe the poem’s content is something that you need to spend more time processing before you put it on paper.
And sometimes, a poem is just not meant to be. That doesn’t mean the time you spent on the poem was wasted — you probably learnt a lot about yourself as a poet!
My advice would be that if you’re really stuck on one particular poem, the best thing might be to set it aside and work on something else, or start on something new entirely. Leave it in the bottom of your desk drawer, and one day, perhaps you’ll come across it and feel ready to finish it after all.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are various techniques for overcoming writer’s block as a poet. There’s no quick-fix remedy, but hopefully over time, you’ll find out what works best for you.
And remember, if you do find you need to just take a break from writing poetry, whether due to writer’s block, other commitments, or any other reason, you shouldn’t feel like it makes you any less of a poet. Being a poet is more about your attitudes towards the world than about the number of words you get onto a page.
So don’t pressure yourself — let poetry take you where it wants, view any detours as a chance to explore other aspects of your life, and just enjoy the journey!
Happy writing!
Want more tips? I found these articles helpful when writing this post:
https://writingcooperative.com/how-poets-can-beat-writers-block-d33074acfadb
https://powerpoetry.org/actions/6-tips-eliminating-writers-block