Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry - Softcover

Moustaki, Nikki

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0028641418 ISBN 13: 9780028641416

Publisher: Alpha, 2001

Synopsis

Discover the poet within! You've read poetry that has touched your heart, and you'd like to improve your own writing technique. But even though you have loads of inspiration, you're discovering that good instruction can be as elusive as a good metaphor. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry will help you compose powerful, emotion-packed poems that you can be proud of. You'll learn simple explanations of poetry building blocks such as metaphor, imagery, symbolism and stanzas; steps to the poetic process; easy-to-follow guidelines for writing sonnets, sestinas, narrative poems and more; fun exercises to help you master the basics of poetry writing; cliches and other poetry pitfalls to avoid; advice on writers' conferences and workshops; tips on getting your poetry published; good poems that will inspire your own work; strategies to beat writer's block.

About this title

About the Author

NIKKI MOUSTAKI is a published poet and teacher and the recipient of a 2001 National Endowment for the Arts grant in poetry. She received her M.A. in creative writing from New York University and her MFA in the same from Indiana University, where she taught poetry workshops. She currently teaches writing in New York City in addition to her full-time work as a freelance writer and editor.

From the Inside Flap

Discover the poet within!

You re no idiot, of course. You ve read poetry that has touched your heart, and you d like to improve your own writing technique. But even though you have loads of inspiration, you re discovering that good instruction can be as elusive as a good metaphor

Don t let your muse leave you! With loads of smart advice and helpful exercises, The Complete Idiot s Guide to Writing Poetry will help you compose powerful, emotion-packed poems that you can be proud of. In this Complete Idiot s Guide, you get:

Simple explanations of the building blocks of poetry metaphor, imagery, symbolism, stanzas and more.

A step-by-step guide to the poetic process from your first inspiration to your poem s last stanza.

Easy-to-follow guidelines for writing sonnets, sestinas, narrative poems, and more!

Straightforward descriptions of getting the most out of your creative process

Fun exercises to help you master the basics of poetry writing Idiot-proof advice on how to use many popular poetic forms

You ll also learn how to

Write poems full of powerful imagery.
Decide whether or not to use rhyme in your poems.
Avoid clichés and other poetry pitfalls.
Revise your writing.
Start a reading series or a poetry slam.
Get the most out of a writers conference.
Start a workshop.
Get your poems published.
Beat writers block.
Find good poems that will inspire your own work.
Read your own poetry aloud.

Edition details

• Publisher: Alpha
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0028641418
• ISBN 13: 9780028641416
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352