Writing Tip: Margarita Engle

Mar­gari­ta Engle: Poet­ry Tips for Tweens

Read a lot of poet­ry, then scrib­ble just for fun. Don’t expect your first draft to be per­fect. Let the beau­ti­ful words and musi­cal rhythms flow. You can make cor­rec­tions later.

Choose a qui­et place to write. Return to that place every day at the same time. Use a pen and paper, so the ink will flow direct­ly from your mind to the page.

Exper­i­ment with end rhymes, inter­nal rhymes, vow­el rhymes, and no rhymes. Exper­i­ment with line length, line breaks, open space, and emotions.

Explore. Trav­el on the page. Time trav­el. You don’t have to write in your own voice. You can write as a plant, ani­mal, super­hero, alien…anything is pos­si­ble on that page. It belongs to you. It is your refuge. Feel free and safe. No one is judg­ing you. (Teach­ers, please help me make this true.)