Tag: writing

How can one learn to write proper poetry (I write poetry but it’s bad)?

This is a question I answered on Quora, and I think it’s worth sharing:

You learn to write proper poetry by consistently writing “bad” poetry, reading “proper” poetry, and discussing it with peers. Along the way, you’ll develop a natural sense for what works and what doesn’t.

Reading is essential to refine your writing, but writing itself is even more important—after all, the goal is to write. For every poem you read, aim to write two or three.

Read more. Write even more.

The gap between the quality of your inspirations and your creations will gradually close.

Balancing self-criticism and self-confidence is crucial: too much self-criticism can undermine your self-confidence, while unchecked confidence can blind you to areas for improvement.

In the beginning, it’s important to write freely, without excessive restrain. You start bold and confident as never, as you are assessing the terrain. Embrace the inevitability of failing, and enjoy the process.

At first, you’ll likely end up with a pile of digital drafts (or a wastebasket full of crumpled papers if you’re oldschool), but over time, you’ll hone both your craft and ability to evaluate your work objectively.

Here’s a metaphor for the balance I mentioned earlier: think of it as a tug of war between self-criticism and self-confidence.

←criticism —.— confidence→

  • The middle point represents equilibrium.
  • When the forces are perfectly balanced, you risk stagnation, producing little of value.

Self-confidence needs to win this tug of war, but by a small margin. My hypothesis is that the best outcomes occur when self-confidence slightly outweighs self-criticism—just enough to allow movement and keep you in sight of areas for improvement. Think of it as one side exerting steady, consistent force.

Test the balance for yourself, and over time, you’ll find what works.

Anthology Reveries that I call Poetry | by T!el Fajardo

Buy me a Coffee~


Since I have some time now, I’ve put together this anthology for you all. If you think my effort is worth it and the quality is good, feel free to buy me a coffee,  there’s a button at the end too. Feel free to share this post and comment too.

I’ve also added a few extra poems that you might not have seen before.

How This Works

I’m testing an intricate idea here. This post is a single post with a collection of poems separated by pages (you might see page breaks depending on where you are reading this), with chapters and titles organized by the appropriate headings (no hyperlinks). Call it my postfolio; it’s a post analogous to a book.

Introduction

Welcome to a journey through language, writing, and the metatextual world of poetry. We’ll explore how language can be both a creative tool and a barrier. From the playful frustration of crumpled drafts to the powerful imagery of ink and blood, these verses challenge traditional forms, blending free verse with deliberate constraints.

The author

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14, Page 15, Page 16, Page 17, Page 18, Page 19, Page 20, Page 21, Page 22, Page 23, Page 24, Page 25, Page 26, Page 27, Page 28, Page 29, Page 30, Page 31, Page 32, Page 33, Page 34, Page 35, Page 36, Page 37, Page 38

The Power of Inspiration: Acting as a Catalyst and a Conduit through Writing

What positive emotion do you feel most often?

Inspiration.

How powerful is an emotion when you want others to feel it as deeply as you do?

Write to inspire… to write to inspire.

Would you buy me a coffee?

Enjoying what you’ve read so far? :) I’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee campaign on Ko-fi so you can support my work  if you’d like.

While we can’t meet in person in a cozy café to chat about poetry, prose, and other literary delights, this is my virtual way of extending this sentiment. Online can be less akward, you might say.

You can always share your love and feedback in the comments, or e-mail me at infornografo@gmail.com.

Your support helps me continue sharing my passion, powered by coffee~, with you.

Here’s a button for styling purposes. You’ll be redirected to ko-fi for a one-time coffee.

Buy me a Coffee~

sending virtual hug gif

Yet Another Nod to the Crickets

‘Nobody cares*‘, and I write. You know, for the crickets. I am probably going too fast with the frequency of posts here, but I’ll always write when I feel like doing so, as long as I don’t run out of gas soon, or writer’s block hits me hard. Posting is the least of the problems (if it’s a problem at all). Either WordPress says, “fine, you won, now spreading your posts to the grasshopers”, or things remain like they are now. It’s a win-win (because I can’t afford to lose).

I don’t feel like sharing my stuff on social media or the likes, where nobody typically cares for what you write but the image you project, so either people will discover this blog by chance or yay, the crickets will rule this.

Important to note, don’t expect me to write often pieces other than for art’s sake, although there is nothing inherently wrong with writing utilitarian art. Anyone’s entitled to write for social change or the likes, for instance; and I am entitled to focus mainly or solely on aesthetic, the natural world, the language itself, mundane experiences, etc. All while taking advantage of metalanguage, metaphor, imagery (although I can’t, myself, visualize), diacope, etc.

Some are just born with the mojo. I was born with the tenaciousness.

You’re few, but you’re the good ones. Feel free to leave a comment

*I literally mean it ‘in quotes’.

On Reading, Writing, Attention Span, and Bull Riding — or How to Build a Shitty Analogy, and Write About it With Confidence

Reading might feel like bull riding these days: eight seconds (at most), and most of us are off. The time it takes to read roughly forty words, a paragraph like this one — that’s our average attention span. It might be less, but hardly any more than that.

A writing might be a Bodacious bull or a meek one (strength under control). Undeniably, though, we have more bulls to ride (writings to read, stimuli competing for our attention). “Er…” Go ahead, say it. “Now that’s some ‘bull shit’ you are talking about.”

How do you plan your writing so the  reading is of a comfortable pace (not too fast, not too slow) and are not an overwhelming force (too much information thrown together, too dense language) for the reader? Attention is valuable and scarce in the digital age.

So, enough with this writing. I don’t want to overstay my welcome — not for this particular writing. I might have gone to extremes just to make a point (I might fail, but I put enough thought into my writing). See you next, net cowboy.

I wrote it and went running.

Layers of thought — and writing

So, you do think about thinking, huh? But then again, that is you merely thinking.

Sorry if that makes you overthink and, as you now think of it, this is just meta overthinking. Relax, do not think about it, er — I mean, think.

You do not always need to create mental subprocesses — you are not as good at multitasking as you have been told. If it makes you feel better, we are in the same boat.

You are dispersing energy; trust me, you will need it later.

Now, excuse me, I have just heard a “Pen down, time is up.” Oh, thank gosh. I am just as tired as a manual laborer — and all I have done is to write all day. You know, to write is to think.