Starter Kit For Aspiring Poets

We need more poets in the world. Having written over sixty poems with a few on showcase. I would consider myself a poet! Yay!

Well, I have been asked many questions from people who want to write poems but don’t know how to start or put their words together. A very common question I get most of the time is: How do you even play with words?

So, here are a few things to get you started:

1. Join the circle: If you are really serious about having an anthology of poems with the hope of getting published someday, join the poetry community on social media platforms or in your neighbourhood. What better way can you find friends with like minds? And it’s also a good learning platform.
2. Get a mentor: Getting a lover of the art as a mentor is a great way to start. It may not necessarily be someone you know from way back. A published author is a good choice.
3. Get a friend: Apart from getting a mentor, you need that friend that loves to read and understands whatever language you are writing in, to help spellcheck and to feel the vibe before giving it to your mentor. Your friend serves as a one-man audience. He/She is not the trophy but is the pathway that leads to the trophy.
4. Identify your favourite poets: This is where you will draw inspiration from. Read their work and appreciate what they have done. Learn one or two things from their work because it will help you understand when and how to use figurative expressions. Don’t copy their lines because you don’t want to get arrested for plagiarism.
5. Find your voice: This is where you will ask yourself, what kind of poet do I want to be? Do I go all Shakespearean or do you want to stay in the midst of the contemporary poets? You need to stick with what works for you.
6. Practice: Now, it’s time for you to turn that story or that experience into a work of art! But don’t forget,constant practice leads to perfection. In the midst of all distractions, I still try to write something weekly.

Finally, some days can be extremely awesome in this journey while some days won’t be, but never lose hope because you own this art!