Imagine...
The enjoyment you will have as your collection of poetry grows.
The sense of achievement as you complete poem after poem.
The thrill of writing poems using new forms and themes.
The pride as you hold your book in your hands.
The joy of signing copies at your book launch.
The thrill of making money from your creative passion.
According to a recent study of writers, 97 out of 100 potential books are languishing in drawers and on hard drives.
Write a Collection of Poetry in a Year will ensure that your collection of poems is NOT one of them!
This course will support you from the first to the last word of each of your poems, whilst nurturing your talent as a poet.
You will start by exploring the experiences you can bring to your writing, and then I support you to investigate a variety of poetic forms and respond to lots of different inspirations as you produce your own collection.
The path I'll take you on ensures you won't just wander, you'll know exactly where you're going.
"I’m halfway through this inspirational and encouraging course. Each session brings something new to get me thinking and working creatively with words. I love finding out about different ways to use rhyme and structure in a poem. I’m writing in ways that I would never have known about before. I’m so glad I found it!"
Mary, Leeds
"This is a clear and flexible, programme offering an introduction to a variety of writing poetry in its diverse forms. It develops skill as a poet and shows not only how to write but how to present work professionally.
It also offers a range of tools and techniques for use in our own poetry. I am looking forward immensely to the rest of the course.”
J Wickes, Leeds
"The regular sessions have helped me become more disciplined as a writer. I have now have a full collection written and am ready to start submitting to publishers.
It has been a brilliant course overall, well-structured and truly inspirational. Thanks!"
Judith, Otley
Course Overview
Part One (9 sessions)
Looking at other poets and theory in relation to form, structure and content.
Drafting your poems in a variety of form using lots of inspirations.
Deciding on a theme and gathering material.
1. Generating ideas for collection and fleshing it out
2. The vital ingredients of a poem and poetry collection
3. Rhythm and rhyme
4. Form - sonnet, tanka, haiku
5. Free verse
6. Form - Terza Rima
7. Form - Villanelle
8. Using art as an inspiration
9. Using artefacts as inspiration
10. Using music as inspiration
Part Two (9 sessions)
Developing and honing poetry skills such as pace, vocabulary, rhythm and imagery.
Continuing to draft and re-draft new poems.
11. Using emotion for inspiration
12. Writing love poetry - making it original
13. Autobiographical poetry
14. Using metaphor and simile
15. Mid-point review and shape poetry
16. Landscape poetry
17. ‘Inverted’ poetry
18. Extended personification within a poem
19. Having the reader in mind whilst writing
20. Editing poetry and tightening writing
Part Three (8 sessions)
Editing, presentation, outlets for poetry and publication.
Living, networking and promotion as a writer.
21. Reading as a writer
22. Putting it all together – assembling and ordering your work
23. Networking as a poet – open mics and other events
24. Creating an on-line platform
25. Publishing, self-publishing, competitions and anthologies
26. Next steps as a writer, and reflection
You will write an average of two poems per fortnight to complete your collection within one year.
If you answer YES to one or more of the following questions, this course will be perfect for you…
Do you have lots of half completed poems or poetry projects?
Does the prospect of writing a full-length poetry collection feel huge to the point of overwhelming?
Are you a writer who would benefit from tackling a project such as this in a methodical way?
Would your existing writing talent benefit from some further direction and development?
Have you already had one or more false starts with your poetry collection?
Read on…
You will love this course and it will help you achieve your dream of writing a poetry collection and being a published poet.
I am so confident of this that I promise a risk-free 14 day money-back guarantee. (Subject to a £15 admin fee - see t&c's for further details.)
Will I really write a collection of poetry within one year?
Yes! If you follow my method of regularly writing poetry. Each session will contain a warm-up activity and the inspiration and guidance to complete a further one to two poems.
A pamphlet length collection usually consists of 18-25 poems and a full collection consists of 45-60 poems, so completion of a collection of either length is easily attainable through following this online writing course.
Won’t I need a lot of discipline to get going?
Not discipline, more desire. Once you start, you won’t be able to bear to stop. You will find yourself conjuring poetry as you go about your life and noticing things more that you can use in your writing.
How will it fit into my lifestyle?
I send your course in 26 sessions to your in-box every fortnight - Mondays at 8am (gmt.) It’s up to you what day and time of day you access them. You decide when you complete the exercises, arranging your time when your writing will fit in with your other commitments.
Isn’t it isolating trying to work on my own?
Writing is a solitary activity, so later in the course, I provide information about networking as a writer, both online and socially.
What if I change my mind?
This course comes with a risk-free 14 day money-back guarantee. (Subject to a £15 admin fee - see t&c's for further details.)
What does it cost?
£30 per month for 5 months or one payment of £125. (This investment in yourself has the potential to return to you many times over with all those future book sales, and even more if you use the course to write subsequent books.)
How will I know what to do with my book once I have written it?
In the latter stages of the course, guidance is given around preparing and presenting your poetry manuscript for submission to get it published along with guidance about independent publishing and traditional publishing.
How will I know if what I am writing is any good?
As you progress through the course and your writing skills improve, your poetry will strengthen along with your voice as a poet. Writing is a craft and the course will equip you to improve and be able to self-assess and edit until your manuscript is as polished as can be.
Will I get individual feedback on my writing?
This course does not include an individual critique service as this would increase the cost of the course significantly. It is designed to develop your writing skills, and provide self-editing support. See the private consultancy question below if this is something you would like to add to your course.
Is private consultancy available?
You have the option to add one, or both of the following to your course, as and when you feel they may help.
1. A 60 minute one to one private consultation session with me. (via video call.)
2. A detailed report which critiques a 20 line extract of your work in progress.
These services are by arrangement and will incur an additional fee.
