Poet’s Resources
Poetry Creation & Prompts
Feeling stumped? Try an erasure poem to get the juices flowing. I find it helpful because you are starting with some content instead of a blank white screen of death:
Or try writing a specific form that you wouldn’t normally tackle:
When I’m fresh out of my own brilliant ideas, I write from a prompt:
Massive Online Open Classrooms aka MOOCs
Structured, self-guided learning for free! I am currently taking several MOOCs and they are a huge help in introducing new and challenging prompts, and helping get your mind in the right frame to analyze and understand poetry. Here are a few good places to check them out:
Publishing
Thinking of submitting to literary journals? It is not as intimidating as it sounds. Duotrope is a great resource to get started, with 6,000+ journals to search from and find a home for your work. You can also track what you’ve submitted where, which definitely helps keep you from going nuts throughout the process. It’s $5 a month, but it’s a huge help in finding paying markets for your words.
Read Great Poems
Every poet I know recommends reading great poetry as the main method of training and your ears and eyes to work better. There are tons of great writers here on Medium, but it helps to push yourself to read widely.
Journals:
There are too many good ones to list, but here is a brief introduction to some of the most famous & high-profile. Kenyon Review, Poetry, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, Threepenny Review, New England Review, Georgia Review, Field, Gettysburg Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Tin House, Granta, Black Warrior Review, The Missouri Review, PANK, Waxwing, Smartish Place
One journal I find really interesting is Leveler, for the side-by-side analysis that the editor publishes along with each poem:
Indie Presses:
Copper Canyon, Graywolf Press, Tupelo Press, Milkweed, Saturnalia, Sarabande, Yes Yes, Button Poetry
Other suggestions of fantastic resources that have helped your craft and your success as a writer? Share in the comments and I’ll continue to update this page!
