Things I am learning

Today I am paying careful consideration to my old poems. Going through each one and taking out gratuitous 'ands'. Tightening. It's remarkable the difference this makes. Concentrates the meaning to the right words.

I am also changing the font as I edit. When I change from Calibri to something like Berlin I look at them differently and sometimes think they could be someone else's. It's a useful way of looking at your work objectively. I was skeptical of the idea at first but then tried it and really, it's an excellent tip (not of my own, so I am allowed to boast). Berlin 10.5 also happens to be the typeface of choice for The Rialto. And who doesn't want to appear in The Rialto! I see it as practice for the future when i eventually write something good enough. Interestingly, Berlin doesn't seem to be available on any of my computers (and I have 5!) but it still let's you change. I don't understand this. It's a wondorous magic.

I am also taking some old poems that didn't work and converting them to prose poems. This is proving to be successful and they are better in this form. They now read better and the meaning comes forward. I had a theme I wanted to cover. As a poem it seemed drab and lifeless yet in a prose poem form it just seems to work so much better. Always worth experiementing.