Taking a Poetry Workshop – Is it a Good Idea?
Writers Workshops Can Help Poets Write Better and Publish Their Work
Oct 31, 2009
Do poetry workshops really help? The answer is yes, as long as the workshop is good for the poet, meaning it inspires him or to write. Poets taking a workshop should feel safe enough to explore new writing paths. If that's not the case, they should find a better workshop.
Once the "right" workshop is found, it can not only help the poet write better poetry, but increase his or her chances of publishing-the ultimate goal of many poets. Here are some benefits of a workshop:
Why Take a Workshop?
- Get feedback. Whether one is a seasoned poet or a beginner, it’s useful to hears others’ reactions to one’s work. Is the poem evocative? Does it communicate as intended? Is any of it confusing, or slowing down the poem? Sometimes the poet is too close to the work, and needs to see it through other readers’ eyes.
- Diagnose the problem. Sometimes it’s clear the poem is "off" but not so clear what the poem needs to fix it. Comments about specifics of the poem can help. Someone reading a poem may be stumped by something the poet thought was clear, for example.
- Learn by teaching. Poetry workshops help in two ways: Getting advice, and giving it. It’s always easier to see how to fix someone else’s poem. But the truth is, helping other poets to write better poems helps the the poet who's giving advice, as well.
- Work faster. Poets may be perfectly capable of correcting themselves without attending a workshop. But sometimes a workshop can help poets see the light sooner rather than later. Why wait to find out the title is all wrong, or the second stanza is bogging down the poem?
- Coax the muse. Workshops are often inspirational. Discussing poetry with other poets for a couple of hours can stimulate ideas and the urge to write.
How to Find a Good Workshop
Not all workshops are created equal. It's important to find a workshop that's instructive without being inhibiting. A badly run workshop can be worse than none at all. See this example of a poetry workshop in New York, which has helped the participants write better and publish their work. Here are some ways to find a good workshop:
- Go to reliable sources such as Poetry Society of America, Poets & Writers, or Poetry.org, or check out local writing centers or universities. Word of mouth among poets is also good, since the better workshops, poetry classes, or teachers are usually known by the community.
- Ask participants (if possible) about their reactions to the workshop. Do they feel inspired to write? Is their poetry improving?
- Finally, make sure that the workshop (a) makes you feel safe in ways that encourage you to write more, not less, (b) is well-run, so that the teacher maintains control and moderates comments of participants.
Poetry workshops are one of the many tools poets can use to help them write and publish their poetry. A good workshop can provide valuable feedback about what works and what doesn't in a poem, which can move the poet along quicker. It's important choose the right workshop, one that makes the poet feel safe and inspired while exploring ways to improve his or her poetry. The better the poem, the more likely it is to be published in a good journal.
If you've enjoyed this article, you may also like these articles on other poetry writing tools:
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