The Writer's Connection(sm),
a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach(sm)

"The Creative Process of Writing is a
Liberating and Therapeutic Experience"

virtualwritingcoach.com
April 2004

In This Issue:

1. Preview
2. Publisher's Note
3. Advice about Poetry
4. Getting into Action


1. Preview

The Writer's Connection explores the creative process of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and actions. We are an interactive community of authors and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge, skills, and experiences in writing fiction in any genre, but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing information.

Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript, and are provided to the general public. Because we are an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.

2. Publisher's Note

April, 2004

Dear Writer's Connection Subscriber,

This month features advice about poetry.

3. Writing Poetry

This month I want to focus on writing poetry. As a mystery and suspense author I found writing poetry much more freeing and inspirational. The most popular is free verse, but rhyming also works. Even though I wrote my first poem 14 years ago, I consider myself a novice and hopeless romantic. I have been writing love poems for the past month with the goal of writing three a week. I hope to have enough poems for a collection by the end of the year. The inspiration for my poetry comes from my love of people in love. If you look closely this spring, you will see lovers holding hands, kissing in the park, playfully kidding each other. What might look like walking the dogs upon closer examination be a couple in love. There are many excellent poets and I learned from the English poets: Yeats, Donne, Dickinson.

There are many excellent poets self-published on Authorsden.com and I would commend that URL to you. What makes for a good love poem? First, you must be in love yourself to capture the feeling and tone. Try to focus on all five senses, especially touch and smell. You want your reader to be in love. Write in second person and avoid gender and other discriminating labels. You want your poems to be universal and timeless. Pick subjects that will appeal to all ages, 5-85. You want your reader to experience the joy and heartache that comes with being in love. Good subjects include: falling in love, remembering a past or forgotten love, grief over a broken relationship, love between parent and child, friendship, lovers, tributes to mentors and teachers, spouses, an extended family member. Mitch Albom's tribute to his uncle is the focus of his second best selling novel, "The Five People I Meet in Heaven."

I choose to write love poems because of their simplicity and raw emotion. Capturing for the reader that first embrace, kiss, touch, etc. is universal and never forgotten. You want your reader to resonate with the words, especially the emotion behind the words. Pick words that capture the exact thoughtif it's raw emotion you're going after, then a word like "seductive" might do; if it's a forethought then perhaps "embrace" might be more appropriate. I regret that some poets resort to pornographic descriptions to describe their lovemaking. For me, this takes away the sensuality of lovemaking. To make love, you must first be in love. The more one leaves to the reader's imagination, the better. Be vague, rather than specific; be universal, rather than limited; be sensual, rather than erotic. A good love poem will stand the test of time. I want to leave you with one of my poems, which I profess is nothing spectacular, but tries to capture the above elements in writing love poems. I hope you like it, and if you're interested in my other poems please visit my website at authorsden.com. The poem is entitled "Missing You."

Missing You

Your touch on my lips
Sends chills through me
A caress so warm
Takes me places I've only dreamed
Loving you is simple and complete
For your eyes say everything

Missing you cuts so deeply
Into my soul of vulnerability
I can't stand being without you
Because your nearness brings such comfort
To a heart so shaken and dead
If but for a moment of tenderness

Your laughter and sigh
That momentary glance
If only you were willing
To take a chance
We would fly away
To parts unknown

I feel I've known you all my life
Yet, being without you
Cuts like a knife
A wound so magnificent
It spreads like a cancer
Of loneliness that only lovers understand

I know this journey won't be easy
But traveling with you somehow
Eases the pain of separation
No regrets for two who share the same dream
Of being together if only for brief moments
Stolen away from time moving so quickly

You've invaded my essence
Without you, I'm nothing
If only I could bottle you up
And spread your gentleness
Throughout my being
I love you, sweetness, forever it seems


4. Getting into Action

"Getting in to Action" is a monthly feature of The Writer's Connection. In this section of our Newsletter, we will discuss action steps the writer can take to improved his/her knowledge base in writing novels.

This month's recommendations:


1. Take a poetry class.
2. Write a poem about the love of your life.
3. Read a "how to" book on writing poetry.


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Contact Information

Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Voice: 281-893-5405
Fax: 281-893-1735
Web: http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com
E-Mail: keith@virtualwritingcoach.com
(c) Copyright 2003 A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.

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The Writer's Connection Mission:

The Writer's Connection is dedicated to helping first-time authors create their first manuscript for publication and to offer an exchange of ideas and opinions from our readers who might be interested in becoming authors.

The Writer's Connection™ is a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton, Ph.D. and a registered trademark.

We would like The Writer's Connection to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like addressed, or can suggest additional resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time. Send your e-mail to
keith@virtualwritingcoach.com.

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Archives

You can read previous issues of The Writer's Connection at our archive at http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com/archive.html.

About Keith Barton, Ph.D.

Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist for over thirty years. He is currently enrolled in MentorCoach and is accepting new clients. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in executive development, founded and managed Texas Community Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home services to persons with mental retardation, and for the past 13 years founded and runs a clinical practice in Northwest Houston. He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate interest in helping others become attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.

Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made presentations and conducted workshops about:

Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Marital/relationship enrichment
Wellness issues
The relationship between psychology and spirituality

© 2003 The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton.