How can I improve my writing?

Question

I write a lot of poetry. And the reply I've gotten from some people is "it has potential". And I really want to know how to improve my writing skills..

Answer 1

well post something.... then people can help.  

Answer 2

write  a story everyday or answer many questions everyday on Yahoo  

Answer 3

Spend more time reading other poems and novels.

Answer 4

Read more. Then harder books. you will gain a LOT of good vocabulary this way. Plus it's really enjoyable.

Answer 5

Good Question

Answer 6

well it depends on alot of things, but i'll go into only a few that are just my opinions.

how old are you? if you're young, as time goes on you'll grow into it.  if you're older, you might have to do some homework.

what kind of poetry do you want to write?  i personally prefer "free verse" which was made popular by Walt Whitman.

the more you write and read your stuff, the more you'll grow, and probably start to learn your patterns, get tired of them, and start experimenting.

and lastly, talent....i don't care what anyone might say, you have to have natural talent, which allows a person to manipulate words and thoughts no matter how simple or complex, and turn them into something special.  in my opinion, if you're young right now, from what you posted, it looks like you have a good base going on.  you have some cool thoughts and emotions that you're playing with.  if you're older though, poetry probably isn't your thing.

you really have to know what you're aiming for, what kind of, if any, audience you're talking to, or if you're just writing it for yourself.  i have a few poems people keeps bugging me to get published but i'm totally not interested, i just write for myself.  you can actually look at one of my lamer poems i think is on my 360 profile.

  the part where you said "free falls off the dock" is not well put together.  unfortunately, only the famous poets can write about nonsense and things that don't flow, and get away with it.  for us average folk, we have to maintain some amount of contextual clarity where the sentence flows.  unless of course your whole point is to confuse the h**l out of people, which your poem isn't trying to do.

so lack of talent is not a bad thing.  i have forever been trying to pull off some writing in the way Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails does (which i can't do).  his stuff is so simple, to the point, and can kick you harder in one sentence than alot of others try in an entire poem.  so as simple as it is, it's just a talent that he can impact you that hard with such easy, simple words.

so yeah, throw your stuff out there too so you can get beat up and criticized.  it will for sure sting, but it'll help you in the long run.

hope my novel here helps!!

--------------------------------------...

ok, i'm going to say this one more time after reading other responses.  you can read all you want, study this and that, but without talent, you're lost.  i'm not saying not to read though.  i am for sure no rock star at poetry, but i have never read anything like what people are saying to read, and if you saw me and talked to me, you would never in a million years think i could write a poem.  but for some reason when i put pen to paper, things just come out.  so check out my poem:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-xJobpOgka...

once again, i don't claim to be a master, but i'm no hack either.....and have never studied and hardly read actually, i follow no guidelines, rhyme when i feel like it, and just let it write itself.  i'm so not bragging or anything so don't bash me, but that poem took me about 45 minutes to write.  so read until you're dead, but without talent all you'll have is a bunch of pretty words with no impact.

Answer 7

i hate to say it

but you need to open your mind

if you want to be good at something, you must explore your full potential

how to open mind? i got no ideal

drink alot i guess

Answer 8

The more you read, the better writer you'll become.

In this case, read and study poetry, but not just poetry. Fiction and non-fiction, too, will help your spelling and grammar, stir your imagination, and help you find your own writing style.

Perhaps you should ask for more specific feedback from people who tell you that your poetry "has potential." Ask them what is lacking and what is keeping your poetry from living up to its highest potential.

EDIT: Just read your additional details.

The second one really isn't poetry, it's prose.

You have good imagery, but the mechanics of your writing need work, i.e. random capitalization and some punctuation problems. So again, I would tell you to read, read, read.  

Answer 9

try to read more books that might help.

Answer 10

Both your verse and prose pieces sound good. The only way to gauge where you stand is to enter as many contests as you can--school, media, etc. Then send some of your works to the publishers, not just 3, 5, but as many as possible. Refuse to be despaired by rejections. Persistence results in success.  Reading the works of top poets and novelists is of course a must. Enhance vocabulary further.  Wish you luck!

Answer 11

I post poetry here too, and people say the same thing. Just read lots of poetry.

Answer 12

Read GOBS! Write down ideas all the time, do exercises like this (answering questions) to get feedback.

But really reading is a must.

Answer 13

practise  and get inspiration from things around you!

Answer 14

Well, obviously reading, but keeping a journal helps a lot too. I usually write between 10-15 minutes a day. It'll help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses.

Answer 15

read classical literature and classic poems that are famous. see the kind of metaphors and rhythm they have. experiment with different styles of poetry see which one you like best and work with it. ask people what they think needs improvement. also maybe you could research a topic and find things that relate to it. like if it was about the ocean you could see what people think about the ocean through a poll or something so you could try and connect with people's emotion. i hope that helped and good luck with your writing.