On Persistence in Writing

The Main Idea

In writing, my core proposition
Is for your ideas to regularly reposition.
Finding the next step
Will leave you full of pep
And improve your creative disposition.

Pre-Writing

When crafting essay rather than making rhyme
In advance it's a must to put in the time.
Trying out story lines in your head,
Determining those on which to tread,
Enabling the composing to be less of a climb.

Composing Verse

Armed with a thought fragment and a rhyming word
It's enough to make the sublime or the absurd.
Then the fun begins
With off-beat rhythms and odd spins
Sometimes authoring language no one's ever heard.

Don't Make Outlines

When writing using outlines makes me frown;
They're too rigid and block your inner clown.
Really it should be fun
Not feel that you're under the gun
With a burden so heavy you'll drown.

On Expectations

The learning's all in the doing.
There's angst but no virtue in stewing.
Early efforts show promise but not craft
Even after you've written multiple drafts.
Your own good taste can be your undoing.

On Proofreading

After composing a draft you must edit
Otherwise your ideas will get no credit.
To the end of your piece others won't read
When malapropisms and misspellings slow their speed
And of your writing they'll learn to dread it.

Hats Off To Edward Lear

A shout out to Edward Lear
Who made limericks something to cheer.
He showed us that just enough
Was exactly the right stuff.
A wisp's all you need to endear.