If you haven't checked out part one of my "How I Set it up" series, check it out HERE! This mini-series explains how I set up my documents when starting a new book. In part one, I discussed how I begin to write a new novel. In this part, I will discuss my process of writing poetry books.
As I mentioned in my previous article, if you're more of a traditional writer, this process can also be done on paper, but I'll mostly talk about digital documents. I write all of my work on Google Docs, as it allows me to navigate easily between documents.
I split my writing into two documents, similar to how I have a character outline and a plot outline. For poetry, I work between a document of potential poems and the final draft.
Potential Poetry
As someone who writes poetry every day, I know that there will be poems that resonate with me, and there will be poems that I don't think make the cut. Sometimes poems will come to you in random places and you have to write down what you can before the idea slips away.
This is where my document of potential poems comes in. Luckily with Google Docs, I can access this file wherever I am, which allows me to jot down a line or an idea that pops into my head. I also use this document to write out the poem, edit it, rewrite it, etc. So to summarize, this potential poem document is where all the work is being done.
Final Draft
My final draft is where all those finished poems are copied and pasted.
This final draft will also be set up in whatever print style I want. For my first poetry collection, "i hold my hands together without weeping," the page size is 5.5 x 8.5 inches. These are the dimensions I will set my final draft with.
Before I start adding my poems, I also go through the process of writing my copyrighting page, and my table of contents. This will help in the last stages of the writing process, which I think has more to do with formatting than writing.
After that's set up, then it's all about copying my completed poems in and making minor formatting adjustments based on what I like. It's as easy as that! As for choosing an order for your poems, I would say to go with your gut. Some like to put it all in one extensive collection, some will split the poems into themes, and some will split the book into parts. You might plan something in the beginning and change your mind, so be open to the possibilities that can arise during the writing process )
Hopefully, these tips are hopeful to your writing process! Happy Saturday loves; keep writing! <3
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