Writing Poetry

Writing poetry is like jumping off a high dive. You close your eyes, hold your breath, and jump. 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. I always find it a little scary, but it's also my favorite kind of writing!

Out of all the books I have published, I am most proud of my two picture book poetry collections out with Clarion Books: BOOKSPEAK! POEMS ABOUT BOOKS and STAMPEDE! POEMS TO CELEBRATE THE WILD SIDE OF SCHOOL (Minnesota Book Award Finalist).

Lots of people have questions about how to start writing poetry. My advice is to read a lot of it and then dive in. You might find it helpful to check out Poetic Pursuits, a collection of essays I wrote about poetic techniques and forms. I hope you like them!

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