A Better Way to Write

I am still quite a novist when it comes to creating written work that does not hesitate in showcasing the sheer emotion of a persons opinion. Even with this in mind, I think writing is a great way to flex some muscles, probably not the muscles you may be thinking of; the amount of exercise on a weekly basis I perform is almost equivalent if not inferior to the amount of fingers I have in one hand.

The Man of the Hour

When it comes down to it, this is not an idea of my own creation, rather it is a way of thinking that Ray Bradbury presents in his book Zen in the Art of Writing. And if you have read it, then you probably already know what this technique is.

Make Lists

"But along through those years I began to make lists of titles, to

put down long lines of nouns."

Yes it seems quite simple to just create a list and write about it, and to that reasoning I would not oppose if it weren't for the fact that Bradbury is not telling you to just jot down something and write about it. For some, including myself, it is quite difficult to simply make a list and go along with it, starting something can be the most difficult part of that task, not to mention the way you make your list is important too.

So how exactly should you go about making this list?

Here's the steps to follow because most people just want that, but if you want to learn how to use this overwhelmingly to your advantage, then keep reading:

Make a list of nouns

Write a poem on this noun

Analyze the poem

Start writing

Keep in mind that for this to work, the things you write about should be very personal, things you have deep opinions about even if they aren't politically correct or up to date with what society dictates. I am not saying write about how you think the moon landing is not real or how you should not vaccinate your kids to bring about a pandemic. No. Stupidity can be your enemy here and following market appeal smells like dog s**t.

Readers can smell through your writing but have no mercy to show you the holes in your thinking.

Example

Okay, I was going to write some philosophical garbage about why writing is important and ways to improve, but the only real way to do that is if you actually want to. And the best way to improve is to keep feeding yourself different sources for which ideas can bloom.

Here's a simple example that I will probably turn into some kind of story or post:

Noun: The Pen

Poem: "With waves it moves,

Through blue thick blood.

It flows within,

Without the hand

With which to hold.

You know the one,

The pen that pains,

The hand that molds,

The heart that misses. "

Analyze: This is very simple to analyze: the pen has two meanings, first it represents me and the current feelings I have, "blue," and it is something that impacts me a lot given that I compare it to blood. Melancholy-type of feeling.

The hand represents the someone I wish still held me, "Without the hand, with which to hold," symbolizing I have lost someone. In this case, this is about my most recent relationship.

In the last few stanzas I urge others to recognize this feeling, because most everyone has felt this before. I also give the second meaning of the pen: "pains." Pens write stories and such, if we apply this to a relationship which has a pen then it symbolizes the stories or memories in that relationship which cause pain when remembering them....etc.

In very simple terms, I miss this person.

Final Thoughts

I did not add the final step which is the writing part mostly because that is supposed to be a personal process of what you wish to write. But if I had to give some advice I would say this: do not simply re-write your poem but with different words(this is a common problem for many writers), the purpose of the poem is to hide those deeper meanings within and for you to disipher as an opening activity.

Instead, what you should focus on is the questions that arise because of this view. For example in my poem, some questions this portrayal brings up are: Does “letting go” count as a form of love? Where does acceptance come into play, and what are the moral implications that come about when analyzing your failed romance? Are you justified in feeling betrayed, and what really is love?

See, the point of the exercise is to make you question your own hidden meanings, because we all apply hidden meanings to our poems. If you do not question yourself then how do you grow, and then how do you give something of use to your readers. Emotion is important for the writer but it has to come from somewhere, hopefully you can better learn to question yourself over the emotions you put on paper.