How do I?

The ever so cliche card must be played...the only opinion of you that matters is the one you have of yourself (and the person paying you of course)

I write a bunch of duds before I get the poem I actually want. Once in awhile, it comes on the first try.

GOPHER IT!

I have endless writing prompts which help. Sometimes, writing abot a car ends up being a poem which has nothing to do with a car, if you know what I mean. The best is to sit down in a quiet place and just write something. If you do it three times a week, you will have something you are happy with, or learn something about yourself.
For 13 years, I exclusively wrote poetry, but am now on a fiction binge. I had the opportunity to study with some fab poets too.
The trick is to just write. No fear! You rock, and we know it, so we also know you've got some great poems in you.

Cassie,

If you feel more comfortable with writing short stories, You might consider this concept that I put forth in another forum:

I have, in my writing, stumbled upon a convenient tool for expressing my individuality while still conforming to "Classical" tenets, while giving me freedom in how I express myself, and that in a word, is "storytelling".

It is not a new concept, having been practiced extensively by such poets as Frost, Yeats, Browning and Tennyson, although they have utilized it primarily, if not exclusively, in creating "Dramatic" monologs or dialogs, but I have found that I have been using it subconsciously in the vast majority of my Poetry.

In essence, what it amounts to is this. What I try to do, is to take a subject, concept or theme, whether it be personal, or based on observation, or merely the product of creative thought, and create a scenario (tell a story) that utilizes the classic tenets of "Craftsmanship" to illustrate it while at the same time inviting and allowing the reader to "experience" it personally, and thus take an active part in discovering whatever meaning or insight is intended.

The beauty of this system is that it forces a poet to distance himself from his subject matter, no matter how personal it may be, while, at the same time offering total flexibility both in what subject matter can be handled and in the method by which it is expressed. (ergo : established forms, free verse, or a blending of the two), as long as it conforms to the classic principles of Craftsmanship, and the "story" form puts maximum emphasis on conveying meaning and maintaining continuity and unity throughout.

Admittedly, I came up with this concept, not from scratch, but from analyzing what I myself, have been doing over the years, in an effort to find and establish my own voice, and have found very few types of poetry, that can't benefit from this approach, at least to some extent.

******

I don't know if this will help you or not, but considering your interest in short stories, you might find it a workable tool.

James R. Hoye (JRH)

To be honest... I read the taboo-breaking work of other poets. I see where they've pushed, the limits they've found and broken.

Then I try.