A7. Ah, yes, line breaks, paragraph breaks and punctuation. Part of it is personal style, part of it depends on the form (e.g. some poets insist there should be no punctuation in #haiku), part of it is knowing the craft/grammar. Personally, I'm a big fan of using punctuation.
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A8. Poetry has been very therapeutic for me, some times more than others. It's something we discuss with frequency at the A Word About Mental Health event. E.g. I just wrote a prose poem type piece about a very sad and tragic event I experienced as a counsellor.
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I agree, it's nice to do both and I do think that poetry helps improve my other writing. ^ct #TWSOchat
Save the date for the next #TWSOchat on Sunday, May 10th at 10:30am (PT). We will discuss Revisiting Scrivener after our previous chat and share new things we've learned bout the program. Join in with TWS alumni + mentors to ask q's and share your knowledge. #writerschat #WritingCommnunity
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Big love to the writers participating in today's #TWSOchat on What We Can Learn From Poetry: @jessicaleemcmillan.com @roblucastaylor.bsky.social @candietanaka.bsky.social
Thanks writing friends for joining in on another interesting discussion. As always, thank you for sharing! At TWS we love to hear how your writing is going and what you are finding interesting in the literary world. #TWSOchat #writers #writingcommunity
Please follow the #writers participating in #TWSOchat, this community grows by sharing info + resources. Today we discussed “What We Can Learn From Poetry” ~ I will tweet the writers' handles asap! ^ct #writing #writerschat
Q9. Do you know about Poem-a-Day, the original and only daily digital poetry series featuring over 250 new, previously unpublished poems by today’s talented poets each year. Receive a poem each day from poets.org, you can sign up on their website. #TWSOchat
Q8. Poetry can also be a form of self-care to some writers. In what ways can you imagine this taking place? #TWSOchat
Q7. Poetry is also very visual and uses words sparsely to paint vivid images. Structure wise I love how line breaks become places of pause but in a different way than a period which demonstrates the finality. Poems can flow in ways and defy confinement, it's freedom with words. Thoughts? #TWSOchat
Oh yes, Robert Haas is a great reference for poetry! Thanks for sharing. Reading good poems is essential for writing of all types imho ^ct #TWSOchat
I agree good poetry is not easier at all. Going over the same lines over and over again is what's needed and that takes a lot of time and scrutiny as you mentioned. I admire great poetry! #TWSOchat
A2. It would be impossible to write good poems—and with any true radar on contemporary concerns—without first reading good poems. I think Robert Hass said a poem is a statement about what a poem should be. #TWSOchat
Q6. Paying close attention to the ways in which poems are built word by word helps us to examine language and its pacing, meter, rhyme, structure, diction and shape/form. Do you have any favourite poems, poets or style of poetry? #TWSOchat
Q5. What kinds of things can poetry teach us or how can it help guide us through the revision stage in a novel or essay? #TWSOchat
Click on this hashtag #TWSOchat to see the whole conversation for the writing chat and make sure to use it in your replies. Let us know if you have any other questions :) and welcome everyone! #writing #WritingCommunity #writerschat
Q4. This essay on Medium talks about why poetry belongs in your toolbox as a writer. "Words are the raw material of our art form: if you want to become a better writer, paying deep attention to words is necessary — and poetry is a great way to learn how to do that." tinyurl.com/3f4wshr3 #TWSOchat
Q3. If you do use poetry in some way(s) in your literary practice, how do you use it, (reading/writing/both) and in how does it help further your writing skills? #TWSOchat
A1. Poetry encourages syntax variation and clarity. For example, I have begun to use less adjectives in prose as I would poetry. I scrutinize prose sentences with similar intensity. Those who think poetry is easier because it is short are mistaken. It’s excruciating to get the line right. #TWSOchat
Please join us to discuss What We Can Learn About Poetry + to ask q's of The Writer's Studio alumni and/or mentors on #TWSOchat Let's work towards building a supportive #WritingCommunity #writers! #writing
Q2. Mary Oliver says that good poems are the best teachers and perhaps the only teachers for writing poetry. She even said if one had to choose between reading or taking part in a workshop, one should read. How important of a role (if any) does poetry play in your writing practice and why? #TWSOchat
If you have tips or q's today to share/ask re: What We Can Learn About Poetry please *include hashtag #TWSOchat Alumni + mentors from @TWSSFU The Writer's Studio are here to share. Open to writers worldwide! #amwriting #writerslift #writers #writingtips
When responding to any of our questions, please use A1, A2, A3 etc. for your answer with our *hashtag #TWSOchat (very important) so everyone can see your posts! #writers #amwriting #writingtips #writinglife #writerscommunity
Q1. Today’s #TWSOchat session is about What We Can Learn From Poetry and use in your literary practice in many different ways. Is there anything for you that comes to mind right away when you think about the ways in which poetry can influence your writing?
Good morning and welcome to the April 2026 #TWSOchat! Today we are going to discuss What We Can Learn From Poetry w/TWS mentors & alum #amwriting #writing #literary #writerslift #WritingCommunity This chat is open to all #writers on Bluesky
Please note **High Posting Alert** for the next hour from 10:30am-11:30am (PT) re: What We Can Learn From Poetry ~ Join in w/ #TWSOchat w/ Q&A's #writers #writing #writerslift #writers
Click on the hashtag #TWSOchat and then also make sure to choose the *Latest* window on your Bluesky account! This will show you all #TWSOchat posts. Any q's before we start?
Writers! Give us a follow and bookmark this post to know about the upcoming #TWSsprints and #TWSOchat sessions /// Bluesky Sessions: (2nd Sunday of each month -- TWS Chats #TWSOchat) (4th Sunday of each month -- TWS Writing Sprints #TWSsprints)
Get started by clicking on this hashtag #TWSOchat to follow along & then ask any q's or answer with the same hashtag and A1 for Q1 etc. #writers #amwriting #writingtips
