Tips on a whim

As we get more into the mechanics of writing poems here are some things we should always keep in mind:
Sometimes the mechanics of writing get in the way of creativity. It helps to put the following "rules" on the board:

1. Don't plan in advance how the poem will end. This could potentially mess up the path your poem is meant to take. Just like life, poems need to be written as it goes.
 

2. Write quickly—don't censor—include everything! By overthinking things we can leave out our real emotion in the poem.
 

3. Don't rhyme, unless it's accidental. People have this stereotype that all poems rhyme when in reality they don't have to. Sometimes it just happens but don't waste your time being stuck on a stanza because you don't know what to rhyme it with. Just write and don't overthink your rhyme schemes.

Now lets try a writing exercise. Write down the first three subjects that come to your mind. These could be things like a relationship that went bad or good, your best friend, what you fear the most, the person who means the most to you, or just simply the lunch you ate today.

Now try to find a way they all connect together and just write about it. Don't worry about rhyming or the mechanics. Just write about 15 to 20 sentences describing your subjects as one entity. This will help joggle your thought process allowing you to not worry about how to write it but simply just doing it. When you're finished you should have a really interesting free style poem.