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Question: The stages of an aspiring writer's poetry!?
I've kind of noticed that when people start out writing poetry they go through a few 'stages' in which they write in different ways!. The first stage is the amateur stage; this is where they use simple rhymes and unoriginal words and phrases that are probably cliche and stuff like that!. The next stage is the wannabe stage; this is when they use "better" and "more sophisticated" words that they think sound better, but really is just makes it seem like they're trying too hard to sound like an accomplished poet!. The next stage is the stage in which they're starting to be more original and not try so hard and just let the words flow!. I'm at this stage right now, and I don't know if there will be any significant stages after it!. What do you think!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You are so right (at least for me) - there may be some poets who are touched by angels and then jump straight to the last stage - I wrote doggeral at first with rhyming couplets - protest stuff mainly (what got up my nose)!.!.!.!.then colleagues at work began to ask me to write Leaving Odes etc!. Meanwhile, I began to read voraciously - all kinds of poetry and began to try and write 'real' poetry!.
I subscribed to magazines and my offerings were accepted!.!.!.!.Poetry Now, in particular!.!.!.!.but like Groucho Marx I didn't really want to be in a club which accepted me for membership, because by then I knew most of what I wrote was rubbish!.
Then I hit a dry spell (10 years plus) and barely wrote anything!.!.!.!.!.!.until, fanfare of trumpets, I stumbled upon A!Y - and at last I am growing as a poet, with the encouragement of all my virtual friends!. Thanks, folksWww@QuestionHome@Com

I think in the next stage, they start not writing and start living the life that makes them write!. Where one day you wake up and it just happens on its own!. Flowing as natural as breathing!. Or vomiting sometimes!.!.!.!.Either way it flows!. This is a stage of words!. Just words, but your words!. Words that you KNOW!. A stage where words are born with conviction the moment they hit the paper!. A stage where you almost wish it would stop!. At least for a little while ! A stage where simple rhymes matter, sophistication is a given and searching isn't necessary anymore!.

I wonder!.!.!.!.!.What would be the next stage!?!.!.!.PeaceWww@QuestionHome@Com

Wow I'm not really sure ,but if your good can you tell me if you like my poem http://answers!.yahoo!.com/question/index;!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

That's probably a pretty fair assessment!. I'm sure there are numerous "stages" that are pretty subtle!. For me they were:

1!. Desire to write discovered!. Writes at an insane pace (hundreds of poems) Most of them were not cliche but were full of abstraction!. I wrote about pain, love, rage, hate without much in the way of concrete images to ground the ideas!.

2!. The realization that your work is crap!. The desire to write is still there, but you start wondering if anything you write is any good!. Ironically, I had been published in a few small journals at this time--so, now I'm thinking the editors were high when they chose to publish me!.

3!. Realizing that there were a few good ideas in the first hundred poems, and trying to work them out again!. This is where you fall less in love with your original work and understand the need to rewrite!.

4!. Writing that one poem that finally sounds authentically like you!. You could call this finding your voice!.

5!. Beginning to notice how other poets use different structures in their poetry!. Seeing techniques that were invisible before!. The love of poetry and the reading of it was always there, but now I'm reading it on a different level!.

6!. You begin to stretch yourself to see what's possible!. You may still go through dry spells, and think earlier work is crap (it just isn't total crap) and you also start to see how you've improved!. Growing in your work is a lifetime sort of thing and the stages are likely infinite but less dramatic!.

Well at least that has been my journey!. Thanks for causing me to reflect!. Good luck in your writing!. I wish you well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your question gave me lots to think about! I would think logically the next stage would if you feel you are ready to get your material published somehow, maybe to test the waters articles for magazines, or your own poetry book! The competition is hard, and brutal out there from what I have been told!. You can start your search for this now so you will have everything ready when you make that leap! Cause if the words are a flow then you must be close to go, in this direction!

You can go to a near by book store and they have books on who to reach and how to present a letter to different publishing companies to get you started, it also gives you companies on line, some will accept your work over the net, and some want manuscript,! You'll have to check out which ones do and which ones don't!

Hope this helps you, and good luck!! Cheers!!Www@QuestionHome@Com