Scattered Notes from a Creative Writing Lecture

 

Immediately locate 

The reader.

You are here,

Inside a poem.

Avoid trite language. 

Cliches are sacred

Consecrated by human usage.

Rhyming at all costs

-Yoda language-

Financially viable it is not.

“Very” is the worst word

In the English dictionary. 

Find a cure for

Adjectivitis, 

An inflammation of the weakest

Tool in the English language, 

AKA apologies for not knowing nouns. 

Don’t be vague. 

Reference, allusion 

Don’t be pretentious. 

Poets are not known 

for their desire to be unknown. 

So find a box to put your ego in, 

But don’t be afraid of your negative emotions. 

Engage all the senses all the time.

Like diamond rings are cheap,

And the world is made of wedding halls.

Choose raw over beautiful.

Open a file called ‘manure’ 

In it, plant your notes  

Of undeveloped language. 

This is where flowers grow. 

When in doubt repeat yourself.

The essence of music is repetition.

When in doubt repeat yourself. 

The worst reason to pursue poetry 

Is to make money 

Rather, pursue poetry 

to make sense 

Of yourself, your soul, your world.

Poems are not gift boxes

Which require a silk tied-bow 

Conclusion.

Oftentimes,

Cut your last lines.