by Jessica Fox-Wilson
There are times in my life when I don’t crack open my journal. When I don’t read poetry. When I don’t even think about poetry. I wish I could say that those times were few and far between, but to be honest, they happen frequently. I can go for weeks without writing anything. During these times, I’m not particularly happy or pleasant to be around. My thoughts are soft and gray, like I’m a television set that’s stuck on a static-y channel.
Of course, everyone experiences writer’s block, but for me, I seem to have extended visitations. Because of this, I’ve developed an addiction to writing books. You know the kind, the books that promise that just by doing the prescribed exercises, you’ll never feel blocked again. You’ll write all day every day, and you’ll crank out full manuscripts. I love the promise that a new writing book brings, but there are only a few that I’ve used more than once, and here they are:
Inspiration Sandwich, by SARK
For those of you who have never read SARK, her books are different. Her books are set in her own scrawled handwriting, interspersed with water colored pages. Inspiration Sandwich is arranged in 2- to 3-page chapters, all of which explore the necessary tools to be a writer in the context of the author’s experiences. Reading SARK gave me my first push into writing. I learned that it was not only OK, but essential, for writers to draw from their personal experience.
The Practice of Poetry, edited by Robin Behn and Chase Twitchell
Sometimes, blocked writers just need to trick themselves into writing. If you find that you have absolutely nothing to write about, I would strongly recommend The Practice of Poetry. Editors Robin Behn and Chase Twitchell gathered tried and true writing exercise from working/teaching poets. Whenever I’m seriously blocked, I open this book to a random page and force myself through an exercise. The beauty of this book is the diversity of poets and exercises. Poets like Rita Dove, Anne Waldman and Dana Gioia, among others, recommend exercises to kill writer’s block, aid revision, manipulate structure and refine language.
Language reference books
When I’m blocked, I often forget that poems are made up of just words. I build them into something bigger (which they also are) which makes them more intimidating. When wallowing in the self-despair and sloth that is writer’s block, I forget that words are fun. I forget they sound cool, they have multiple meanings and there are lots to choose from.
I have three books that I refer to constantly, just to remind myself that I love language: Roget’s Thesaurus (not the dictionary-style thesauruses, but one of many of the versions of Roget’s), Merriam-Webster’s Rhyming Dictionary and any good, hefty dictionary. With the dictionary, I strongly encourage you to try the S+7 exercise. It’s a fun way to play with language and feel like you’re really writing.
Poemcrazy: Freeing your life with words, by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
In some ways, Wooldridge’s Poemcrazy is the academic sister to Inspiration Sandwich. Both books share a similar structure (short chapters) and use the author’s personal experience to explain writing techniques. But where SARK’s book is loopy and free flowing, Poemcrazy is concrete and prescriptive. The chapters are separated into larger sections and each section demonstrates a specific lesson, complete with recommended writing exercises. While best read in order, this book is definitely one you can flip through and pull ideas from easily.
I can list many more books that have pulled me through the sludge of writer’s block. But I think these four books contrast the writer’s block experience. They focus on the joy, creativity and variety of a writing practice.
Now it’s your turn: What books do you turn to when stuck?
Poemcrazy is the best book for me. It just totally speaks to the parts of me that need it. For me, it is the Magic 8 Ball… I can open to any spot and it gives me an answer or soothes a spot I didn’t realize needed soothing.
Another good tool is the Weekly. I don’t know if they are in every area, but they have one in Seattle, Tacoma and Eugene. They are sort of a mish-mash of social commentary, reviews of the arts and other cultural stuff. There is always something lurking in the pages that will spark an interest in me. Even if it is just a word or phrase… I glean tons of ideas from just a quick read.
I’ve never seen any of these books but they all sound good. I usually find a large poetry anthology or dictionary or the Random Word Generator to get a list of up to 13 words.
The list is usually enough to shake up my brain a little. To have these words isolated so I can think about their sound and sense connections to other words is a valuable step to getting me writing.
(The Random Word Generator can be found at http://watchout4snakes.com/creativitytools/RandomWord/RandomWordPlus.aspx)
Jessica,
I was reading at your blog recently and now reading your post here, I confess I am relieved to hear a poet/writer I respect struggles with her work. For some reason I need to know someone who can write suffers like I do. I regularly read your blog even when I don’t comment.
Back to your question, when I’m stuck, I read anthologies or collected works like the Collected Works of Audre Lorde (I think she is amazing), I read fiction (I read 65 titles between January and now) do more prompts just so I’m writing something, and I blog so that I’m writing every day. I believe I not only experience writer’s block but I simply lack discipline. Still, I am learning that staying connected to words and those who write them helps me keep from becoming stuck longer than if I were isolated.
Some of my favorite reads include, How To Read A Poem and Fall In Love With Poetry by Edward Hirsch and I like to read literary criticism for students. I have a favorite series designed for high schoolers. Poetry For Students provides a lot of information without being overly formal. I haven’t read any of the texts you mention. I’ll be looking for them. I have a few other reference texts I haven’t looked at in a long time and I will now thanks to your post.
Correction. I do know about the rhyming dictionary. I met and spoke with Sonia Sanchez and she recommended having it on hand. A bought a copy for our library.
I have “The Practice of Poetry” but it doesn’t much do it for me, I find the ideas too difficult. I am better with prompts that are just a word or two – I find Natalie Goldberg’s books very good. The latest “Old Friend from Far Away” is about writing memoir but I believe her prompts work well for poetry too, since a lot of poetry is drawn from our own lives.
I also have “The Poet’s Companion” by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux. I’ve looked for Poemcrazy in our library but they don’t have it, and I’m reluctant to order a book from an online bookstore unless I’m sure I’ll love it.
the poetry dictionary
second edition
by John Drury
[...] from Blackeyed Susan’s, left me a really lovely comment over on my monthly article for Read Write Poem (check it out), and then left a meme prompt for me here. The questions in this meme are [...]
A great article, Jessica. I haven’t read any of these books. ‘Inspiration Sandwich’ seems like one I’d be drawn to.
I stop writing when I am too hard on myself, when I start telling myself that everything I write is horrible, that I should just burn it all. When that happens, I go back to writing morning pages, free writes a la Julia Cameron, just resting on the page.
There are some writers who aren’t always in poetry mode. It requires a sort of mythic thinking that can be hard to sustain for long periods of time. Meditation helps me regroup and re-energize when I feel blah.