I’ve written 3 picture book poetry collections (2 with Clarion and 1 forthcoming from Wordsong). I’ve also placed more than 100 poems in anthologies, magazines, and educational materials. Put those together with my 10 poetry collections for Capstone Press and my 6 collections for educators, and…well, that’s a whole lot of poems! It’s my favorite thing to write:>) I’m super grateful to have the opportunity to write and publish my poetry.
Lots of people have questions about how to start writing poetry. And starting is a little scary — like jumping off a cliff. You close your eyes, hold your breath, and leap. Then you take the words that have splashed out and mess around with them until they sparkle in the best possible design. You have to make leaps and try new things and take your writing in unexpected directions.
My advice is to read a lot of it and then dive in. You might also like to check out Poetic Pursuits, a collection of articles I wrote about poetic techniques and forms. I hope you like them!