I found a treasure trove!
With poetry.us.com, Mark Thalman — teacher, poet, and one-man poetry promoter — shines a light on his favorite writers with a website featuring their books, poems and advice.
Sometimes a writer just needs a little nudge. Sometimes a well-timed keep on really does make a difference.
Here, a few of my favorite tips:
It’s been said over and over, but truly it’s the best advice I can give: Read poetry widely and deeply for joy, for love of it, for what it can teach you about how to write, and for what it can teach you about being human in this beautiful and difficult world.
Keep writing. (Threshold took me more than ten years to write.)
Keep submitting. (Before it finally won, Threshold was a finalist in twenty-five national book contests).
Never give up.
As for advice for others, it is really simple: Read! Read! Read!
People talk about being writers, dream like writers, travel like writers, party like writers, but don't write much. We need experiences, sure. But the writers are home writing.
Advice I often give to my students: Don’t tell a poem what to do; listen to what it wants. If you don’t understand this, get a cat.
Your turn! Do you have a favorite piece of advice, or a tip to share with other writers?