Funny Kids Poems: The Importance of Rhyme In Silly Poems
Rhyme is one of the most important aspects of funny kids poems. Now I don't want to make it sound like you have to rhyme in order to write quality silly poems, but as a general rule, rhyming poems usually work better with young children. However, some of the best funny kids poems don't rhyme, and they are great poems for that very reason; since they don't rhyme, they are unique compared to the vast majority of silly poems out there. Indeed, "The Poem That Doesn't Rhyme At All" is at the top of my list of the funny kids poems I've written. There are a number of reasons why rhyming is important in silly poems.
Rhyme in funny kids poems creates a sense of rhythm and flow, and, like alliteration, captures the attention and interest of kids. The rhythm and continuity that rhyme creates allows an easier reading experience for younger children. It is quick, easy, and funny, and appeals to kids' short attention spans. It gives them instant gratification because they can finish it quickly while enjoying a funny read. Rhyme is a great tool for funny kids poems.
On a slightly more complex level, rhyme creates a sense of momentum in silly poems that propels them forward. It is similar to a musical scale. If you're familiar with the solfege syllables doe, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti and doe, you'll understand what I mean. There is a strong tonal pull from ti to doe, such that it is very uncomfortable to listen to a song that stops on ti without resolving to doe. Rhyme creates the same feeling in funny kids poems. "My Brother Ate a Planet" is a good example of this:
My brother ate a planet
I confess it was bizarre,
He consumed a couple comets
Then he gobbled up a star.
When you read the entire verse, it resolves nicely in the final line. However, read the verse again and stop after you read the third line. It sounds odd when you do this, like there's something missing. You wont to go on and finish the verse. This is the feeling that rhyme creates, and it is missing from funny kids poems that don't rhyme.
Rhyme is a great tool for writing silly poems. It is by no means a requirement for writing quality funny kids poems, but it is very useful for attracting the interest and attention and young children and creates an effective rhythm that moves the piece along.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Rhyme in funny kids poems creates a sense of rhythm and flow, and, like alliteration, captures the attention and interest of kids. The rhythm and continuity that rhyme creates allows an easier reading experience for younger children. It is quick, easy, and funny, and appeals to kids' short attention spans. It gives them instant gratification because they can finish it quickly while enjoying a funny read. Rhyme is a great tool for funny kids poems.
On a slightly more complex level, rhyme creates a sense of momentum in silly poems that propels them forward. It is similar to a musical scale. If you're familiar with the solfege syllables doe, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti and doe, you'll understand what I mean. There is a strong tonal pull from ti to doe, such that it is very uncomfortable to listen to a song that stops on ti without resolving to doe. Rhyme creates the same feeling in funny kids poems. "My Brother Ate a Planet" is a good example of this:
My brother ate a planet
I confess it was bizarre,
He consumed a couple comets
Then he gobbled up a star.
When you read the entire verse, it resolves nicely in the final line. However, read the verse again and stop after you read the third line. It sounds odd when you do this, like there's something missing. You wont to go on and finish the verse. This is the feeling that rhyme creates, and it is missing from funny kids poems that don't rhyme.
Rhyme is a great tool for writing silly poems. It is by no means a requirement for writing quality funny kids poems, but it is very useful for attracting the interest and attention and young children and creates an effective rhythm that moves the piece along.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: When You Can't Find the Right Title For Your Silly Poems
Coming up with titles for funny kids poems is often the hardest part of the entire process. You put in hours of hard work to complete one poem, and at the end of it all you find yourself stymied by a few words. I wrote an earlier article about different types of titles you can try for your kids poems. Here, however, I'd like to talk about what to do when you can't come up with a title. I usually come up with my titles at one of three different points in the writing process. I'll briefly discuss each scenario and how it affects my writing.
Often, I'll come up with titles for my kids poems before I even start writing. This usually happens when the title of the poem is the first line, and it is both an idea for a new poem and a title at the same time. In this situation, the title doesn't prevent you from finishing your silly poems. It can even help you write faster if it helps you make an outline. If you find that most of the titles for your kids poems come at this point in the process, then this article may not apply to you.
Sometimes, when I'm in the middle of writing kids poems, a title will randomly pop into my head. In this situation, I will usually get an idea while I'm working on a verse in the middle of the poem. Something that I'm writing just happens to spark an idea and I'll jot the title down. If you have problems with titles, this might be something to think about. Keep an open mind while your writing, and if something about your poem strikes you as funny, try turning it into your title.
The last, and most difficult way that I come up with titles for my funny kids poems is after I've finished writing. This is very hard to do because usually I'm mentally tired at this point from completing a new piece. When this does happen, however, I just try and think about what I've written and come up with a word or a few words that describe it as a whole. Like my article on writer's block, sometimes I'll come up with a temporary title as a filler so that I can move on to more funny kids poems without being stuck on a title for days or weeks.
You never know when a title will pop into your head. Since it is usually a random event, it is a good idea to have a plan about how to cope when you can't come up with the right title for your funny kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Often, I'll come up with titles for my kids poems before I even start writing. This usually happens when the title of the poem is the first line, and it is both an idea for a new poem and a title at the same time. In this situation, the title doesn't prevent you from finishing your silly poems. It can even help you write faster if it helps you make an outline. If you find that most of the titles for your kids poems come at this point in the process, then this article may not apply to you.
Sometimes, when I'm in the middle of writing kids poems, a title will randomly pop into my head. In this situation, I will usually get an idea while I'm working on a verse in the middle of the poem. Something that I'm writing just happens to spark an idea and I'll jot the title down. If you have problems with titles, this might be something to think about. Keep an open mind while your writing, and if something about your poem strikes you as funny, try turning it into your title.
The last, and most difficult way that I come up with titles for my funny kids poems is after I've finished writing. This is very hard to do because usually I'm mentally tired at this point from completing a new piece. When this does happen, however, I just try and think about what I've written and come up with a word or a few words that describe it as a whole. Like my article on writer's block, sometimes I'll come up with a temporary title as a filler so that I can move on to more funny kids poems without being stuck on a title for days or weeks.
You never know when a title will pop into your head. Since it is usually a random event, it is a good idea to have a plan about how to cope when you can't come up with the right title for your funny kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Alliteration
Alliteration is an excellent literary device for enhancing the quality of your kids poems. For those who don't know, alliteration is where you repeat the same consonant sound in several words that are placed near or next to each other. Although there are several other definitions of what alliteration is, I feel that this one is the most useful for children's poetry. My piece "Gone" contains a helpful example: "by now I'm fading fairly fast." Fading failry fast moves the line along and pushes it into the second part of the verse. Alliteration can accomplish several useful things for you.
Alliterative verse has been shown to get and keep the attention of children, which makes it especially valuable in silly poems. It is a great tool for getting younger children interested in reading and writing poetry. It is also especially suited for kids poems because it enhances the rhythm and lyrical quality of writing. When writing poems for children, you want to make them as fun and as easy to read as possible, and alliteration does just that. By putting multiple words together that all begin with the same consonant sound, you can make your kids poems feel like they are just sort of bouncing along with a comfortable flow. Adding to my article "Seeing Improvements," the ability to use alliteration is an excellent way to gauge your progress. A thesaurus is often necessary to employ successful alliteration, because finding the right two or three words to string together can be extremely tricky. However, once you start figuring out how to do it, you'll notice a pronounced increase in the quality of your kids poems.
Alliteration is useful for a number of reasons. It attracts the attention of children and adds a necessary rhythmic quality to your work. it also helps you recognize tangible improvements in your writing. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it can improve the overall quality of your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Alliterative verse has been shown to get and keep the attention of children, which makes it especially valuable in silly poems. It is a great tool for getting younger children interested in reading and writing poetry. It is also especially suited for kids poems because it enhances the rhythm and lyrical quality of writing. When writing poems for children, you want to make them as fun and as easy to read as possible, and alliteration does just that. By putting multiple words together that all begin with the same consonant sound, you can make your kids poems feel like they are just sort of bouncing along with a comfortable flow. Adding to my article "Seeing Improvements," the ability to use alliteration is an excellent way to gauge your progress. A thesaurus is often necessary to employ successful alliteration, because finding the right two or three words to string together can be extremely tricky. However, once you start figuring out how to do it, you'll notice a pronounced increase in the quality of your kids poems.
Alliteration is useful for a number of reasons. It attracts the attention of children and adds a necessary rhythmic quality to your work. it also helps you recognize tangible improvements in your writing. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it can improve the overall quality of your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Seeing Improvement
When you first starting writing kids poems, and even if you've been doing it for quite awhile, it can be very frustrating when you don't feel like your making any improvement. As with any skill, though, it takes time to refine your writing. For example, if you're practicing a musical instrument, you'll often feel like you've hit a plateau, or in other words stopped progressing. This is a very normal feeling and occurs with just about anything you practice. You're always going to experience periods of pronounced improvement as well as times of seeming stagnation. The most important thing to keep in mind is that everyone experiences these same feelings, and regardless of whether or not you think you're improving, if you're writing kids poems on a consistent basis, you are getting better.
One tool you can use to help you see more tangible improvements in your writing is noting the date you finish each of your kids poems and putting them all in one place. Doing this can accomplish several things for you. It is a great way to compare the quality of your kids poems from different years. I did say years there, and please don't run away at the thought of having to wait years before you get better. Put it in perspective. Will you learn to be a great piano player in a few months, a year, or even two or three years? The answer is most definitely no. The same principle applies to writing. You're not going to get better overnight, but by having a record of your work over the years, it will be easy to see how much you've improved. If the thought of having to wait years before you get any better disheartens you, dating your work will also help you see your progress within a shorter time frame. It might be harder to notice whether or not you've actually improved if you're looking within a smaller block of time, but check to see whether or not the rhythm of your kids poems is becoming more precise, whether the syllable counts of individual lines are more in tune with each other, and whether you're able to use more sophisticated words.
Having written kids poems for years, and also assigning a date for most of them, I've been able to track my progress as I've gotten older. All the pieces on this site are dated based on when I composed them. Starting with "I Know," look through my work and see if you can spot the ways that I've improved. If you start keeping a record of all your kids poems and when you wrote them, you'll find it much easier to see the improvements in your own writing.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
One tool you can use to help you see more tangible improvements in your writing is noting the date you finish each of your kids poems and putting them all in one place. Doing this can accomplish several things for you. It is a great way to compare the quality of your kids poems from different years. I did say years there, and please don't run away at the thought of having to wait years before you get better. Put it in perspective. Will you learn to be a great piano player in a few months, a year, or even two or three years? The answer is most definitely no. The same principle applies to writing. You're not going to get better overnight, but by having a record of your work over the years, it will be easy to see how much you've improved. If the thought of having to wait years before you get any better disheartens you, dating your work will also help you see your progress within a shorter time frame. It might be harder to notice whether or not you've actually improved if you're looking within a smaller block of time, but check to see whether or not the rhythm of your kids poems is becoming more precise, whether the syllable counts of individual lines are more in tune with each other, and whether you're able to use more sophisticated words.
Having written kids poems for years, and also assigning a date for most of them, I've been able to track my progress as I've gotten older. All the pieces on this site are dated based on when I composed them. Starting with "I Know," look through my work and see if you can spot the ways that I've improved. If you start keeping a record of all your kids poems and when you wrote them, you'll find it much easier to see the improvements in your own writing.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Avoiding Writing
As with finishing your kids poems, avoiding the writing process altogether is a hurdle every poet faces. Often, I'll find any and every excuse not to write. Many writers deal with this issue, mainly due to the fact that writing is hard. Facing a blank page is a scary thing, and even when you already have something written down it can be difficult to get back into a rhythm once you've lost your momentum from a previous day's writing. Luckily, there are several steps you can take to avoid this debilitating problem.
One of the most helpful things I do when writing kids poems is setting small, manageable goals. I'll often tell myself that all I need to do is finish one or two good verses on any particular day, instead of trying to pressure myself into finishing a poem all at one sitting. Most writers just don't have a continuous flow of ideas to finish a poem in a few hours or even a few days. Producing good kids poems takes time, and trying to do it all at once puts a tremendous amount of pressure on yourself. This leads to frustration when you inevitably don't finish an entire piece at once. This frustration then leads to a mental block against writing and you gradually start to avoid it. Setting small goals for yourself every day helps you feel like you're accomplishing something, which you certainly are, leading to a better attitude towards writing and ultimately better, faster kids poems.
Another useful technique to combat the desire to avoid writing is to write every day. This may sound self explanatory, but it is surprising how many people don't practice on a regular basis and then expect to be a good writer. Writing kids poems everyday can get you into a solid routine, and routines, though they don't work for everyone, can be a very useful way to force yourself to do something you find difficult. Not only that, when you write everyday you'll start to see tangible improvements in your ability, alleviating much of the frustration I discussed earlier.
As you probably noticed, this piece incorporates much of the advice I've talked about in my previous kids poems articles. In drawing on my earlier suggestions, I'm trying to illustrate that all these topics are interrelated, as are the ways to effectively manage them. Once you start implementing a few of these tips in your writing routine, you'll quickly see improvement in multiple areas of composing your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
One of the most helpful things I do when writing kids poems is setting small, manageable goals. I'll often tell myself that all I need to do is finish one or two good verses on any particular day, instead of trying to pressure myself into finishing a poem all at one sitting. Most writers just don't have a continuous flow of ideas to finish a poem in a few hours or even a few days. Producing good kids poems takes time, and trying to do it all at once puts a tremendous amount of pressure on yourself. This leads to frustration when you inevitably don't finish an entire piece at once. This frustration then leads to a mental block against writing and you gradually start to avoid it. Setting small goals for yourself every day helps you feel like you're accomplishing something, which you certainly are, leading to a better attitude towards writing and ultimately better, faster kids poems.
Another useful technique to combat the desire to avoid writing is to write every day. This may sound self explanatory, but it is surprising how many people don't practice on a regular basis and then expect to be a good writer. Writing kids poems everyday can get you into a solid routine, and routines, though they don't work for everyone, can be a very useful way to force yourself to do something you find difficult. Not only that, when you write everyday you'll start to see tangible improvements in your ability, alleviating much of the frustration I discussed earlier.
As you probably noticed, this piece incorporates much of the advice I've talked about in my previous kids poems articles. In drawing on my earlier suggestions, I'm trying to illustrate that all these topics are interrelated, as are the ways to effectively manage them. Once you start implementing a few of these tips in your writing routine, you'll quickly see improvement in multiple areas of composing your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Titles
Coming up with the right title for your kids poems is an extremely important task. It will not only let your audience know what they're about to read, it can also entice potential readers to consider your work where they might otherwise pass it by. You might want a humorous title, or an intriguing one, or a one that is an exact replica of your first line. There are many different types of titles you can choose for your kids poems, and I will describe the ones I consider to be the most common.
Titles that repeat the first line of your piece can be very effective. They usually read well, especially if your poem has a good sense of rhythm, and can immediately bring the reader into the piece. I often come up with these kinds of titles when I get an idea for a new poem. In this case the new idea accounts for what the work is going to be about, the title, and the first line of the piece all at once. This is a very common method for choosing a title, and usually works quite well. An example of this is my piece "I'm Sinking I'm Sinking."
Another common type of title for kids poems is a person's name. These types of kids poems will generally describe the odd characteristics of the person whose name appears in the title. I have not personally used this technique, but a good example is Jack Prelutsky's "Quentin Quimble Quamble Quayle." I use a related type of title in my character sketches. Here, the title describes a personality trait, and the piece elaborates on that trait by giving specific examples, often from the first person point of view. An example of this is "Never At a Loss For Words."
These are just a few of the more common types of titles that you will see in kids poems. I hope that you have a better understanding about how you might use them. Creating good titles can be very tricky, but it is an essential part of writing quality kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Titles that repeat the first line of your piece can be very effective. They usually read well, especially if your poem has a good sense of rhythm, and can immediately bring the reader into the piece. I often come up with these kinds of titles when I get an idea for a new poem. In this case the new idea accounts for what the work is going to be about, the title, and the first line of the piece all at once. This is a very common method for choosing a title, and usually works quite well. An example of this is my piece "I'm Sinking I'm Sinking."
Another common type of title for kids poems is a person's name. These types of kids poems will generally describe the odd characteristics of the person whose name appears in the title. I have not personally used this technique, but a good example is Jack Prelutsky's "Quentin Quimble Quamble Quayle." I use a related type of title in my character sketches. Here, the title describes a personality trait, and the piece elaborates on that trait by giving specific examples, often from the first person point of view. An example of this is "Never At a Loss For Words."
These are just a few of the more common types of titles that you will see in kids poems. I hope that you have a better understanding about how you might use them. Creating good titles can be very tricky, but it is an essential part of writing quality kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Editing Your Work
Editing is one of the most difficult and most important parts of writing kids poems. Going back and revising your filler words (see my article "Writer's Block) can be very frustrating. Often, one word will take half an hour or more. The biggest tool you have during this phase is the realization that this frustration is inevitable. Editing your kids poems is rarely quick and easy, and this applies to even the best of poets.
When making revisions, it is essential that you read your kids poems out loud. It is probably more helpful at this time than at any other moment in the writing process. To replace my filler words, I usually grab my thesaurus and look up the word I'm using as a placeholder. Then, I'll read the line or verse out loud, simply skipping over the filler word or words while still maintaining rhythm. This helps me determine the number of syllables I'll need for my word. Once I have that information, I can eliminate any synonyms that contain a different number of syllables. At that point, I can also rule out many possibilities because they clearly don't sound right in the context of the verse or line. Either their presence makes a noticeable break in the rhythm, or they just don't fit with the word choice of the rest of the poem. This level of revision takes a lot of practice, though reading the verse aloud is very helpful.
Another issue I consider when revising my kids poems is whether or not the verses themselves flow smoothly together. I check to see whether or not they make a logical progression from the start of the poem to the end. If you're telling a story in your piece, or describing a situation, you need to ask yourself if there is a gap in the storyline. Mapping out your verses before you start writing can help minimize the time you take at this step, but you'll always need to examine whether your stanzas combine to make a logical progression from beginning to end.
Editing is both a difficult and essential part of writing kids poems. There are many steps in the process, and I have tried to explain a few, though certainly not all, of the larger concepts I consider when revising. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading your work aloud as a method of revising your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
When making revisions, it is essential that you read your kids poems out loud. It is probably more helpful at this time than at any other moment in the writing process. To replace my filler words, I usually grab my thesaurus and look up the word I'm using as a placeholder. Then, I'll read the line or verse out loud, simply skipping over the filler word or words while still maintaining rhythm. This helps me determine the number of syllables I'll need for my word. Once I have that information, I can eliminate any synonyms that contain a different number of syllables. At that point, I can also rule out many possibilities because they clearly don't sound right in the context of the verse or line. Either their presence makes a noticeable break in the rhythm, or they just don't fit with the word choice of the rest of the poem. This level of revision takes a lot of practice, though reading the verse aloud is very helpful.
Another issue I consider when revising my kids poems is whether or not the verses themselves flow smoothly together. I check to see whether or not they make a logical progression from the start of the poem to the end. If you're telling a story in your piece, or describing a situation, you need to ask yourself if there is a gap in the storyline. Mapping out your verses before you start writing can help minimize the time you take at this step, but you'll always need to examine whether your stanzas combine to make a logical progression from beginning to end.
Editing is both a difficult and essential part of writing kids poems. There are many steps in the process, and I have tried to explain a few, though certainly not all, of the larger concepts I consider when revising. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading your work aloud as a method of revising your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Finishing Your Work
One of the most rewarding and most difficult parts of writing kids poems is finishing them. It is very easy to get into the habit of starting a new piece and never actually finishing one. I mentioned in my article, "Stepping Back From Your Work," that it can be very beneficial to put a piece that you're struggling with away for a few weeks or months and then go back to it. One of the dangers associate with this strategy, and one that you need to be careful to avoid, is that once you put it away, you end up never going back to it and finishing it.
I've encountered this problem many times over the years while writing kids poems, and I usually take a few steps to combat it. As I mentioned in my article "Writer's Block," I'll use filler words to keep my ideas going, so that I don't get stuck on one word or line and get so frustrated that I put the poem down and never go back to it. I'll also try and go back and forth between kids poems, both to not get stuck on either one, but to make sure that I don't exclusively work on one at the expense of the other.
The most important thing you can do to prevent this problem is to be aware of it. The hardest thing is finishing a piece of writing, and sometimes you will unconsciously start doing miscellaneous tasks just to avoid doing so. This article combines advice from several other articles I've written, though I feel that this topic deserves its own space. It is crucially important that you get into the habit of finishing your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
I've encountered this problem many times over the years while writing kids poems, and I usually take a few steps to combat it. As I mentioned in my article "Writer's Block," I'll use filler words to keep my ideas going, so that I don't get stuck on one word or line and get so frustrated that I put the poem down and never go back to it. I'll also try and go back and forth between kids poems, both to not get stuck on either one, but to make sure that I don't exclusively work on one at the expense of the other.
The most important thing you can do to prevent this problem is to be aware of it. The hardest thing is finishing a piece of writing, and sometimes you will unconsciously start doing miscellaneous tasks just to avoid doing so. This article combines advice from several other articles I've written, though I feel that this topic deserves its own space. It is crucially important that you get into the habit of finishing your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Spreading the Word
Getting the word out about your kids poems is one of the hardest parts of being a writer. However, you do have a large degree of control over this aspect of your writing career. The first time I published one of my kids poems was in a school district literary magazine in the fourth grade. Actually, I have to admit that my teacher submitted it for me, but nonetheless, even at a young age I learned the importance of getting my kids poems out in the open and the rewarding feeling when you get positive feedback.
As the Internet has increasingly become the place where people get information, more and more poetry forums have cropped up online. Unfortunately, many of these forums have a bad reputation for being unnecessarily critical and insensitive of writers' feelings. With some of them, this can be true. However, the vast majority of online writing communities I've come across have had different sections based on skill level, as well as the level of critique you want for your work. Therefore, you can choose whether or not you want people to go easy on your kid poems. Not only is this helpful for many who are not sure of the quality of their work, but it is a great way to spread the word about your kids poems. I've been pleasantly surprised at how willing people in these forums are to give me thoughtful advice and visit my website to read more of my kids poems. Plus, the more forums you get involved with, the more chance people will have of seeing your work. However, be sure you know where you're submitting your work before actually sending it off. There are plenty of writing scams out there looking to take your money, or perhaps even worse, your material.
Another method you might try for increasing the readership of you kids poems is contacting your favorite author. Many writers, and not just children's poets, are surprisingly accessible, remarkably friendly, and very willing to give you advice. Pick their brain about their experience in the industry, how they were able to get published, what advice they have for aspiring writers, and anything else you can think of. You're probably not going to get a hold of J. K. Rowling or Dan Brown, but many authors are quite accessible, and you never know unless you give it a shot.
The most important thing is to move outside your comfort zone, and read and expose your kids poems to people outside your family and friends. A little effort can go a long way towards getting your name out there, and the feedback you'll inevitably get will be a big motivator to keep you writing. You can't always decide whether or not someone will publish your kids poems, or if someone will like your writing at all, but you can take control of the exposure your work gets by joining online writing forums, submitting your work to various literary publications, and contacting authors for advice.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
As the Internet has increasingly become the place where people get information, more and more poetry forums have cropped up online. Unfortunately, many of these forums have a bad reputation for being unnecessarily critical and insensitive of writers' feelings. With some of them, this can be true. However, the vast majority of online writing communities I've come across have had different sections based on skill level, as well as the level of critique you want for your work. Therefore, you can choose whether or not you want people to go easy on your kid poems. Not only is this helpful for many who are not sure of the quality of their work, but it is a great way to spread the word about your kids poems. I've been pleasantly surprised at how willing people in these forums are to give me thoughtful advice and visit my website to read more of my kids poems. Plus, the more forums you get involved with, the more chance people will have of seeing your work. However, be sure you know where you're submitting your work before actually sending it off. There are plenty of writing scams out there looking to take your money, or perhaps even worse, your material.
Another method you might try for increasing the readership of you kids poems is contacting your favorite author. Many writers, and not just children's poets, are surprisingly accessible, remarkably friendly, and very willing to give you advice. Pick their brain about their experience in the industry, how they were able to get published, what advice they have for aspiring writers, and anything else you can think of. You're probably not going to get a hold of J. K. Rowling or Dan Brown, but many authors are quite accessible, and you never know unless you give it a shot.
The most important thing is to move outside your comfort zone, and read and expose your kids poems to people outside your family and friends. A little effort can go a long way towards getting your name out there, and the feedback you'll inevitably get will be a big motivator to keep you writing. You can't always decide whether or not someone will publish your kids poems, or if someone will like your writing at all, but you can take control of the exposure your work gets by joining online writing forums, submitting your work to various literary publications, and contacting authors for advice.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Keeping a Book of Ideas
Keeping a book of ideas is a great resource for writing kids poems. Earlier, I wrote an article entitled "Where to Get Ideas," and this issue expands on that. Like I said in the previous article, I get the majority of my ideas in the period when I'm partially asleep and partially awake. When I do get ideas, I always turn on the light and write the idea down in the book that I have laying on my headboard. I did this yesterday in fact. To show you just how important that book is to my kids poems, when I went to write my idea down the other night, my book wasn't where I left it and I was frantically searching my room for it so I could write it down before I forgot the idea. This is one of the great uses of the book.
An idea book is a great tool for gathering your ideas, making sure you don't forget them, and storing them all in one easily accessible place. It ensures that when you get ideas for your kids poems you don't forget them, which can often happen, especially if you get your ideas late at night when you're half asleep. Another use of having a book of ideas is that it can jump start your kids poems. If you're struggling for topics, it is a good resource to have. Also, I'll often find that when I'm randomly perusing my idea book, not necessarily looking to write a new poem, I'll come across a great idea that I forgot about.
I would advise that you get a book for your ideas as soon as you can. When you find the place where you habitually get ideas, keep your book there so that it is always accessible when you come up with fresh topics for your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
An idea book is a great tool for gathering your ideas, making sure you don't forget them, and storing them all in one easily accessible place. It ensures that when you get ideas for your kids poems you don't forget them, which can often happen, especially if you get your ideas late at night when you're half asleep. Another use of having a book of ideas is that it can jump start your kids poems. If you're struggling for topics, it is a good resource to have. Also, I'll often find that when I'm randomly perusing my idea book, not necessarily looking to write a new poem, I'll come across a great idea that I forgot about.
I would advise that you get a book for your ideas as soon as you can. When you find the place where you habitually get ideas, keep your book there so that it is always accessible when you come up with fresh topics for your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Tools of the Trade
I cannot emphasize enough how important a rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus are to writing kids poems. There are a few essential tools that you need, and these two definitely fall under that category. I'll explain the benefits of each and how they can greatly improve the quality of your kids poems.
A thesaurus is a crucial tool for writing. If you're writing kids poems, I assume you know what a thesaurus is, but for those of you who don't know, it is a resource that is full of synonyms for various words. You'll want to use it when you can't find the right word you want. Before using a thesaurus, you want to know a word that has the same general meaning as the one you're actually looking for. For example, if you want a word that means quickly, you would look up synonyms for fast in the thesaurus. This is extremely helpful in your kids poems when you find yourself using the same words over and over, or if the word you want to use doesn't have the right number of syllables, or if you want to use alliteration and can't think of a word that fits. I personally use a thesaurus countless times every time I sit down to write. Varying your words is crucial to good poetry, and a thesaurus is a great resource when you want to find a word with a particular number of syllables that also fits with the overall flow of the stanza. Be sure and have a dictionary handy so that you can look up the precise meaning of the word you found in the thesaurus.
A rhyming dictionary is also an essential resource for writing kids poems. Especially if you want your kids poems to rhyme, and I for one usually do, you'll want a rhyming dictionary at your side when you write. I used to work without a rhyming dictionary, but once I got one, I quickly realized the error of my ways. I would venture to say that it is impossible to think of as many rhyming words yourself as you can find in a rhyming dictionary. Sometimes, its most useful quality is to make you realize that you are going to have to change your initial rhyming word. Once you have the sound you want to rhyme with, you will often consult your rhyming dictionary and find that there just aren't any good options to rhyme with it. Without the dictionary, it might take you a long time to realize that fact and you'll waste a lot of valuable time.
Personally, I like to have hard copies of these resources when writing kids poems. This is because I write my kids poems out on paper as opposed to typing them on the computer. But this is simply a matter of preference. I will say, though, that with a hard copy, you will often come across really good words while flipping through the pages. Regardless of whether you use an actual book or a website on the computer, a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary are essential tools for writing kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
A thesaurus is a crucial tool for writing. If you're writing kids poems, I assume you know what a thesaurus is, but for those of you who don't know, it is a resource that is full of synonyms for various words. You'll want to use it when you can't find the right word you want. Before using a thesaurus, you want to know a word that has the same general meaning as the one you're actually looking for. For example, if you want a word that means quickly, you would look up synonyms for fast in the thesaurus. This is extremely helpful in your kids poems when you find yourself using the same words over and over, or if the word you want to use doesn't have the right number of syllables, or if you want to use alliteration and can't think of a word that fits. I personally use a thesaurus countless times every time I sit down to write. Varying your words is crucial to good poetry, and a thesaurus is a great resource when you want to find a word with a particular number of syllables that also fits with the overall flow of the stanza. Be sure and have a dictionary handy so that you can look up the precise meaning of the word you found in the thesaurus.
A rhyming dictionary is also an essential resource for writing kids poems. Especially if you want your kids poems to rhyme, and I for one usually do, you'll want a rhyming dictionary at your side when you write. I used to work without a rhyming dictionary, but once I got one, I quickly realized the error of my ways. I would venture to say that it is impossible to think of as many rhyming words yourself as you can find in a rhyming dictionary. Sometimes, its most useful quality is to make you realize that you are going to have to change your initial rhyming word. Once you have the sound you want to rhyme with, you will often consult your rhyming dictionary and find that there just aren't any good options to rhyme with it. Without the dictionary, it might take you a long time to realize that fact and you'll waste a lot of valuable time.
Personally, I like to have hard copies of these resources when writing kids poems. This is because I write my kids poems out on paper as opposed to typing them on the computer. But this is simply a matter of preference. I will say, though, that with a hard copy, you will often come across really good words while flipping through the pages. Regardless of whether you use an actual book or a website on the computer, a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary are essential tools for writing kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Stepping Back From Your Work
Writing kids poems can, at times, be extremely frustrating. When you can't find the right word to complete a verse, sometimes you just want to throw it away and never look at it again. This article strongly relates to my previous one entitled "Writer's Block," though it goes beyond the scope of that article. Besides being a way to get your ideas flowing again, I am trying to provide you with yet another method to improve your kids poems.
Leaving your writing alone for a few weeks or even a few months can help you get your rhythm back. When writing kids poems, you'll often find that you just can't go any further, that no more ideas are coming. Unfortunately, if this happens to you, sometimes nothing, not even the use of filler words (see my article "Writer's Block for a definition) will get your pencil moving again. If you do find yourself in this predicament while writing kids poems, or anything else for that matter, put it away and don't even look at it for several weeks or months. Work on other pieces and just write like you normally would. Then, after a certain period time, whatever feels right to you, go back to the piece you put away. Often, you'll find that your ideas start coming again and you can finally finish it.
Not only can stepping away from your work for awhile help get your ideas going, it can also improve the quality of your kids poems. Sometimes, when you are working on something continuously for a long period of time, you lose a certain amount of judgment that you had when you first started it. When this happens, it can be very useful to put your work away for a time. When you go back to it, read it aloud and think about what you have before you actually start writing again. A lot of times, you'll be very dissatisfied with the current draft, and many edits that you didn't see before will seem obvious. As a result, this technique can really improve the quality of your kids poems.
Stepping back from your work for awhile can be a very useful writing tool. It will accomplish multiple goals for you. Not only can it get your ideas flowing again, it can also increase the overall quality of your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Leaving your writing alone for a few weeks or even a few months can help you get your rhythm back. When writing kids poems, you'll often find that you just can't go any further, that no more ideas are coming. Unfortunately, if this happens to you, sometimes nothing, not even the use of filler words (see my article "Writer's Block for a definition) will get your pencil moving again. If you do find yourself in this predicament while writing kids poems, or anything else for that matter, put it away and don't even look at it for several weeks or months. Work on other pieces and just write like you normally would. Then, after a certain period time, whatever feels right to you, go back to the piece you put away. Often, you'll find that your ideas start coming again and you can finally finish it.
Not only can stepping away from your work for awhile help get your ideas going, it can also improve the quality of your kids poems. Sometimes, when you are working on something continuously for a long period of time, you lose a certain amount of judgment that you had when you first started it. When this happens, it can be very useful to put your work away for a time. When you go back to it, read it aloud and think about what you have before you actually start writing again. A lot of times, you'll be very dissatisfied with the current draft, and many edits that you didn't see before will seem obvious. As a result, this technique can really improve the quality of your kids poems.
Stepping back from your work for awhile can be a very useful writing tool. It will accomplish multiple goals for you. Not only can it get your ideas flowing again, it can also increase the overall quality of your kids poems.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Reading Your Poetry Aloud
In order to improve your writing, it is essential that you read your kids poems out loud. You will benefit from reading them aloud for several reasons. First, and most importantly, poetry, even more so than fiction, is a form that is meant to be heard. Therefore, how it sounds when someone speaks it is critical. Especially for kids poems, getting the rhythm correct can make all the difference, but it is almost impossible to tell whether or not your lines flow together unless you hear them. Since poetry is an oral art form, you can learn a lot by reading your kids poems out loud.
I read every one of my kids poems aloud to myself during the editing process. Only after listening to them do I make final decisions regarding certain words and phrases I'm having trouble with. Consider and read aloud the following verse from "Never at a Loss For Words."
Always eager to enlighten
I enunciate at will,
Taking every chance to offer
All my oratory skill.
That was the final version of the verse. However, I considered writing it this way:
Always eager to enlighten
I enunciate at will,
Taking every chance to practice
all my oratory skill.
The difference between offer and practice in the third line determines whether or not this stanza succeeds. For a while, I had practice instead of offer, but after reading it aloud, it was clear to me that the word practice put a strong break at the end of line three. However, the word offer created a smooth flow between the two lines and leads into the words all and oratory in line four. This transition completes the rhythm of the verse as a whole. After speaking the selection to yourself, I think you'll agree that offer sounds much better.
Having read the stanza from "Never at a Loss For Words," I hope you've gained a better understanding of the importance of reading your work out loud. Once you start using this technique on a regular basis when you're editing, you'll find that your kids poems improve immensely.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
I read every one of my kids poems aloud to myself during the editing process. Only after listening to them do I make final decisions regarding certain words and phrases I'm having trouble with. Consider and read aloud the following verse from "Never at a Loss For Words."
Always eager to enlighten
I enunciate at will,
Taking every chance to offer
All my oratory skill.
That was the final version of the verse. However, I considered writing it this way:
Always eager to enlighten
I enunciate at will,
Taking every chance to practice
all my oratory skill.
The difference between offer and practice in the third line determines whether or not this stanza succeeds. For a while, I had practice instead of offer, but after reading it aloud, it was clear to me that the word practice put a strong break at the end of line three. However, the word offer created a smooth flow between the two lines and leads into the words all and oratory in line four. This transition completes the rhythm of the verse as a whole. After speaking the selection to yourself, I think you'll agree that offer sounds much better.
Having read the stanza from "Never at a Loss For Words," I hope you've gained a better understanding of the importance of reading your work out loud. Once you start using this technique on a regular basis when you're editing, you'll find that your kids poems improve immensely.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Starting From Scratch
One of the most difficult, and probably scariest things about writing kids poems, or writing anything for that matter, is a blank piece of paper. Getting the first words down on paper when you start any new piece of material is perhaps the hardest part of the entire process. Writing kids poems becomes a lot easier once you have something written, but it isn't easy to get to that point.
When I start one of my kids poems, I often feel a sense of discouragement when I can't figure out where to begin writing. When this happens, and even when it doesn't, I use a technique that I learned when I first began to write essays for school: I outline what I want to write about. I create a rough map of the verses I want and what each of them is going to be about. Then, I just sit and think about the topics of the verses until an idea comes into my head. Once I have a road map for the newest of my kids poems, it becomes a lot easier to come up with ideas because the outline gives me focus. It usually doesn't take long until I come up with a line or two lines in a verse and I just go from there. I'll try and complete that stanza, and then see what comes next. Usually, once I have a solid verse down on paper, I'll have ideas for several more. At that point, it's just a matter of writing whatever is in my head. Getting past the blank page is usually the hardest part of writing kids poems, and once I've done that, I find that the rest of the poem comes a lot faster.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
When I start one of my kids poems, I often feel a sense of discouragement when I can't figure out where to begin writing. When this happens, and even when it doesn't, I use a technique that I learned when I first began to write essays for school: I outline what I want to write about. I create a rough map of the verses I want and what each of them is going to be about. Then, I just sit and think about the topics of the verses until an idea comes into my head. Once I have a road map for the newest of my kids poems, it becomes a lot easier to come up with ideas because the outline gives me focus. It usually doesn't take long until I come up with a line or two lines in a verse and I just go from there. I'll try and complete that stanza, and then see what comes next. Usually, once I have a solid verse down on paper, I'll have ideas for several more. At that point, it's just a matter of writing whatever is in my head. Getting past the blank page is usually the hardest part of writing kids poems, and once I've done that, I find that the rest of the poem comes a lot faster.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Reading As a Writer
Ironically, reading is one of the most important parts of writing kids poems. Growing up, reading other authors like Shel Silverstein was a big part of how I learned to write kids poems, along with writing them of course. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading if you're a writer. How you read is also very important. If you are a writer, you need to read like a writer, and I will explain a little more about how to do that.
First of all, no matter what kind of writer you are, just read. Read anything and everything. Even if you only write kids poems, be sure and also read fiction, non-fiction, etc. You can learn something from everything you read, no matter the genre or form. If the author is in print, then some publisher obviously thought they were doing something right. No piece of writing is perfect, and some material is a lot better than others, but you should set a goal to take at least something away every time you read. Part of the way I learned to write kids poems was by reading authors like Shel or Jack Prelutsky and then writing kids poems that were similar to what I just read. There is nothing wrong with using the techniques of your favorite author as long as you develop a unique style of your own. But again, I wasn't just reading the kids poems, I was reading them from a writer's perspective.
Reading as a writer is different than just simply reading. When reading as a writer, you are reading to learn something from what you read and to improve your own writing. Since I write kids poems, I spent a lot of my time growing up reading other kids poems and poets. However, I also read, and still do read, many novels, textbooks for school, and works of non fiction. When you read as a writer, you should look for things that you like in the material, and ask yourself why you like them. Why is that particular verse, passage, or paragraph getting your attention. How are the words put together, how do they sound when you read them out loud? Think about different techniques, like metaphor, personification, rhyme, etc, and ask yourself when and where the author is using them and to what effect.
Reading as a writer is a critical skill for anyone who aspires to be a writer. If you start analyzing what you read and implement those techniques in your own work, you'll find that your kids poems, along with your writing in general, will significantly improve.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
First of all, no matter what kind of writer you are, just read. Read anything and everything. Even if you only write kids poems, be sure and also read fiction, non-fiction, etc. You can learn something from everything you read, no matter the genre or form. If the author is in print, then some publisher obviously thought they were doing something right. No piece of writing is perfect, and some material is a lot better than others, but you should set a goal to take at least something away every time you read. Part of the way I learned to write kids poems was by reading authors like Shel or Jack Prelutsky and then writing kids poems that were similar to what I just read. There is nothing wrong with using the techniques of your favorite author as long as you develop a unique style of your own. But again, I wasn't just reading the kids poems, I was reading them from a writer's perspective.
Reading as a writer is different than just simply reading. When reading as a writer, you are reading to learn something from what you read and to improve your own writing. Since I write kids poems, I spent a lot of my time growing up reading other kids poems and poets. However, I also read, and still do read, many novels, textbooks for school, and works of non fiction. When you read as a writer, you should look for things that you like in the material, and ask yourself why you like them. Why is that particular verse, passage, or paragraph getting your attention. How are the words put together, how do they sound when you read them out loud? Think about different techniques, like metaphor, personification, rhyme, etc, and ask yourself when and where the author is using them and to what effect.
Reading as a writer is a critical skill for anyone who aspires to be a writer. If you start analyzing what you read and implement those techniques in your own work, you'll find that your kids poems, along with your writing in general, will significantly improve.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: The Importance of Writing Every Day
When composing kids poems, as with any other kind of writing, it is important to practice everyday. I realize this subject has been discussed at length by many writers, but I feel it is my duty to reiterate the point. If you want to become a good writer, or even better, a great writer, you have to practice everyday. It is the same with playing a musical instrument. Ask any great musician and they will tell you that they practiced, and probably still practice, many hours everyday. Writing is no different from sports, music, art, or any other activity you can think of. If you want to get better, you have to do it everyday.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't always write kids poems everyday, and I can definitely tell when I don't. If I start writing again after I haven't done so for awhile, I find that my ideas, and thus my kids poems, come much more slowly than if I'd been practicing everyday. I do, however, write in a journal every night so that I am always putting a pencil to paper before I go to bed. Once I've been writing everyday for a few weeks, I notice a substantial increase in the quality of my kids poems as well as the speed at which I can produce them. You'll be amazed at how much better your writing will be after just a month of practicing everyday. A technique I find helpful in getting myself to write kids poems everyday is to set small, manageable goals for myself. Often, I'll try and finish just one or two really good verses a day. This can relieve the pressure of trying to finish an entire poem in a day, and helps me focus on saying exactly what I want to in a particular stanza. Not only does the quality of my kids poems improve, because I'm taking greater care with each verse, but I'm also able to finish them more quickly. Set manageable writing goals for yourself everyday, and you'll soon find yourself writing on a regular basis and producing better material.
Though it's a simple piece of advice, and something that seems easily implementable, writing everyday takes determination. It is easy not to write, and forcing yourself to sit down and write for an hour everyday is not easy. But I can personally attest that, when it comes to writing kids poems, I am a much better writer when I do it everyday.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
I'll be the first to admit that I don't always write kids poems everyday, and I can definitely tell when I don't. If I start writing again after I haven't done so for awhile, I find that my ideas, and thus my kids poems, come much more slowly than if I'd been practicing everyday. I do, however, write in a journal every night so that I am always putting a pencil to paper before I go to bed. Once I've been writing everyday for a few weeks, I notice a substantial increase in the quality of my kids poems as well as the speed at which I can produce them. You'll be amazed at how much better your writing will be after just a month of practicing everyday. A technique I find helpful in getting myself to write kids poems everyday is to set small, manageable goals for myself. Often, I'll try and finish just one or two really good verses a day. This can relieve the pressure of trying to finish an entire poem in a day, and helps me focus on saying exactly what I want to in a particular stanza. Not only does the quality of my kids poems improve, because I'm taking greater care with each verse, but I'm also able to finish them more quickly. Set manageable writing goals for yourself everyday, and you'll soon find yourself writing on a regular basis and producing better material.
Though it's a simple piece of advice, and something that seems easily implementable, writing everyday takes determination. It is easy not to write, and forcing yourself to sit down and write for an hour everyday is not easy. But I can personally attest that, when it comes to writing kids poems, I am a much better writer when I do it everyday.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Where to Get Ideas
Since I'm a writer, and especially since I write kids poems on some ridiculous topics, people often ask me where I get my ideas. I sometimes ask myself the same question. How do I come up with such weird stuff? After a while it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to figure out where and when I was getting my best ideas, and try to replicate that situation as often as I could.
Over time, I've found that I get most of my ideas when lingering in that place between sleeping and being awake. Anymore, I keep an idea journal on my headboard so that as soon as I get a good idea, or even a really weird idea, I grab my pencil and write it down. When I know that I don't have to get up early in the morning, I'll try to stay in that state where I'm not really asleep and I'm not really awake for as long as I can. I think that when I'm in this state of mind, where I don't have to worry about what happened during the day, or all the things I have to get done tomorrow, I come up with my best material. One of the reasons I think this works for me is because I'm not trying to force ideas out of myself during this period. That is a really important point to remember. I'm just sort of laying their thinking about whatever, and all of a sudden I'll realize that what I'm thinking about would make a great poem and I'll write it down. There's no pressure to produce and my mind is not preoccupied with stressful thoughts. This is when I feel most free, and, coincidentally, when I get my best ideas.
My advice to other writers is to first find the time that you feel you come up with your best stuff. I'll almost guarantee that if you sit back and think about your everyday patterns, you'll realize when you tend to get your ideas. Then it's just a matter of putting yourself in that state as often as you can. The most important thing is that you find what works for you. When you finally find that place where you don't have to force material out of yourself, you'll find that your ideas come a lot faster.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Over time, I've found that I get most of my ideas when lingering in that place between sleeping and being awake. Anymore, I keep an idea journal on my headboard so that as soon as I get a good idea, or even a really weird idea, I grab my pencil and write it down. When I know that I don't have to get up early in the morning, I'll try to stay in that state where I'm not really asleep and I'm not really awake for as long as I can. I think that when I'm in this state of mind, where I don't have to worry about what happened during the day, or all the things I have to get done tomorrow, I come up with my best material. One of the reasons I think this works for me is because I'm not trying to force ideas out of myself during this period. That is a really important point to remember. I'm just sort of laying their thinking about whatever, and all of a sudden I'll realize that what I'm thinking about would make a great poem and I'll write it down. There's no pressure to produce and my mind is not preoccupied with stressful thoughts. This is when I feel most free, and, coincidentally, when I get my best ideas.
My advice to other writers is to first find the time that you feel you come up with your best stuff. I'll almost guarantee that if you sit back and think about your everyday patterns, you'll realize when you tend to get your ideas. Then it's just a matter of putting yourself in that state as often as you can. The most important thing is that you find what works for you. When you finally find that place where you don't have to force material out of yourself, you'll find that your ideas come a lot faster.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
Funny Kids Poems: Writer's Block
I don't think there is a writer out there, whether of fiction, poetry, or other forms, that has not experienced writer's block at some point. The kind of writer's block I'm talking about here is when, in the process of writing, a writer is unable to keep going, rather than the inability to produce new work all together. When I'm writing kids poems, I often experience a sense of stop and start. Some of my verses seem to appear fully formed in my head, while others take hours, days, or even weeks and months to finish. When I encounter the latter type of verse, I usually end up getting stuck on one or two words that I can't seem to get right. To get around this feeling of writer's block, I use a technique that allows me to keep my ideas going.
When I experience writer's block while writing kids poems, I use a filler word or words so I can continue writing. A filler word is just a placeholder, a word I know I'm not going to use, so that I don't get stuck on a couple of words and lose the momentum of my ideas. The filler word should mean what you want to say, but it is not the exact word you are going to use in the poem. When I'm writing a poem by hand, which is my usual practice, I circle the filler word to remind myself that it is simply a placeholder and move on to another line or verse. If I'm typing a poem, I will bold the filler word and move on. I find this technique very helpful because by not having to stop at every word that gives me trouble, I can get on paper everything that is in my head. Editing and revision come after you have your ideas down on paper. If you try to get every word perfect the first time, which is of course impossible, it is much easier to lose your train of thought, and the writing process as a whole will be much slower. First get your ideas out on paper and only then should you go back with your thesaurus and rhyming dictionary and replace your filler words. Writers block can happen to any writer at any time, but by using filler words, you can be ready when it occurs.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
When I experience writer's block while writing kids poems, I use a filler word or words so I can continue writing. A filler word is just a placeholder, a word I know I'm not going to use, so that I don't get stuck on a couple of words and lose the momentum of my ideas. The filler word should mean what you want to say, but it is not the exact word you are going to use in the poem. When I'm writing a poem by hand, which is my usual practice, I circle the filler word to remind myself that it is simply a placeholder and move on to another line or verse. If I'm typing a poem, I will bold the filler word and move on. I find this technique very helpful because by not having to stop at every word that gives me trouble, I can get on paper everything that is in my head. Editing and revision come after you have your ideas down on paper. If you try to get every word perfect the first time, which is of course impossible, it is much easier to lose your train of thought, and the writing process as a whole will be much slower. First get your ideas out on paper and only then should you go back with your thesaurus and rhyming dictionary and replace your filler words. Writers block can happen to any writer at any time, but by using filler words, you can be ready when it occurs.
© 2009 John Brassey Funny Kids Poems
