DEVELOPING THE CRAFT OF POETRY

WRITING SLANT

MAKING A POEM: A 6-WEEK ONLINE COURSE 

starting 21 MAY 2023

“Tell all the truth but tell it slant…”

EMILY DICKINSON

In WRITING SLANT | MAKING A POEM, you will clarify the ideas that lurk within your writing, and learn to tease them out in subtle, strange or surprising ways, using the tools and techniques of poetry. Over six weeks, you will develop and edit your poems from the rough nugget of an early draft into a polished gem, ready for publication.

Are you ready to take your poems to the next level but don’t know where to begin?

  • You have lots of early draft or unfinished poems that don’t quite work and you don’t know how to improve them;

  • You always ask yourself ‘But is it a poem?’

  • You are ready to take the next step toward publishing your work and want to make it stand out from the crowd;

  • You worry about poetry ‘rules’ and are nervous of using poetic forms;

  • You are unable to attend creative writing classes locally or at a set time and schedule, or you like to work at your own pace.

Start here!

A poem is a ‘made’ thing and with WRITING SLANT you’ll discover the key structural elements that make poems sing! Learn how to bring clarity to your ideas and build your own toolbox of skills and techniques to realise your writing’s full potential.

  • Identify the ‘building blocks’ of a poem and how they fit together to amplify and enhance the ideas at work.

  • Work with your existing draft poems and apply the new skills and techniques directly to work that is meaningful to you.

  • Build confidence in your own ideas and individuality of expression.

  • Develop your own critical assessment skills and become less reliant on others to assess and validate your work.

  • Understand the role and needs of the reader and/or the literary editor, when you are revising and editing your work.

  • Improve your own understanding and enjoyment when reading poetry.

Ready to begin?

How does it work?

6 weeks. 6 themes.

Learn at your own pace with a private course page hosting all study materials and downloads, combining independent study with weekly live sessions, and a private Facebook community to share and discuss the course exercises and your work.

TIME INPUT APPROX. 3-4 HOURS PER WEEK

The Lessons

  • 1: BREAKING IN

    We find our way into the poem by looking at process and ritual, the overall themes at work and expanding the world of the poem.

  • 2: GROUNDING THE READER

    We make our poems self-sufficient by hooking the reader with a memorable opening and providing key information.

  • 3: PICTURE PERFECT

    We examine the power of imagery and the senses to create the world of the poem, and to witness, create and transform.

  • 4: THROWING SHAPES

    We get to grips with structure and form, and how the shape of a poem on the page expresses its intention, logic and integrity.

  • 5. GETTING INTO CHARACTER

    We focus on the sound and language of the poem, and how the elements of voice and dialogue carry its ideas.

  • 6. EXIT STRATEGY

    We explore how endings satisfy the expectations of the poem, making room for the reader, and the element of surprise.

BONUS MATERIALS

  • POETRY PREP
    A bonus warm-up module looking at what makes a poem, the purpose of a first draft, and the power of play.

  • GROUP READING
    All participants will have the opportunity to read a selection of their work at an online group reading at the end of the course.

  • RECOMMENDED READING LIST
    A summary of all the books referenced during the course, including featured poets and specialist craft essays.

  • EDITING CHECKLIST
    A checklist of all the key areas covered in the course and questions to ask yourself when editing and revising work.

The Process

  • READ THE WEEKLY 'TOUCHSTONE' TEXTS

    Each week a new module is posted to the course page with two ‘Touchstone’ texts that exemplify the weekly theme. Read the texts and make a note of your own thoughts and observations.

  • TUNE IN TO THE WEEKLY ZOOM SESSION

    Join the weekly live Zoom session to discuss the ‘Touchstone Texts’ and the weekly theme, review the previous week’s exercises, and receive feedback on work shared in the Facebook group.

  • USE WEEKLY EXERCISES TO REVISE YOUR POEMS

    Carry out the three weekly exercises by putting the theme’s lessons to work on your own poems, and share your revisions with the rest of the community in the private Facebook group.

 FAQs

  • Writing Slant is not ideal for the absolute beginner.

    It is best suited to someone who already has some experience with poetry and creative writing and is interested in learning how to improve their work and hone their skills with a view to publishing.

  • Some familiarity with Facebook and Facebook groups is preferred.

    Participants are invited to share their work in response to the weekly exercises in a private Facebook group, and to provide feedback to one another.

    Sharing and reading each other’s work is an important part of developing your critical abilities as a poet.

  • Writing Slant is a taught course with the emphasis on learning new skills and techniques and testing them on your own work.

    Participants can share and provide feedback on each other’s work in the Facebook group (see above) and I will also comment on work posted to the group in the weekly live class.

    This is not a traditional poetry workshop.

    If you would like to receive personal feedback on a sample of your work at the end of the course, please select the option with a one-to-one mentoring session.

    Alternatively, you can find details of upcoming 8-week poetry workshop courses here.

  • When you click on the BUY NOW button, you’ll be taken to a secure sales page and checkout. Please fill out your details and don’t forget to include your preferred email address!

    Payments are processed by Stripe and can be made via Credit/Debit Card, Apple Pay and more.

    If you have a discount code or gift voucher, this can be applied at checkout.

    When the transaction is complete you will receive a confirmation email. Further details will be sent just ahead of the course start date.

  • Cancellations can be made with a full refund up to 3 days before the programme begins.

What Writers Say:

  • “Beautifully put together, visually clear and easy to navigate."

    “An excellent course which will help you develop your draft poems into something clearer and stronger, that you can feel is beginning to really sing. Angela has put together a wonderful range of tools, inspiration and knowledge to help you grow as a writer.”

    A O’Gorman, Ireland

  • "I found it so very exciting, like a treasure hunt, somehow!"

    “The live sessions were consistently supportive, Angela is a very sensitive and skilful leader of these groups - which is not easy on Zoom! Even when I wrestled with a difficult poem, there was a real pleasure in following the trail of crumbs. The course opened doors for me.”

    D. Ognjenovic, UK

  • “A helpful new set of revision strategies for my writer's toolbox."

    “I discovered poems and poets that were new to me and learned a great deal more about the craft of poetry, all in a wonderful ‘no pressure’ environment with incredibly talented fellow writers and terrific encouragement from a great teacher. A wonderful experience!”

    C. Wellman, US

Hey there, I’m Angela,
a poet and educator…

…who firmly believes in the redemptive power of
creative writing. Wherever you are on your writing
journey, the act of recording your thoughts and ideas
has a power and agency all of its own.

Your voice and your creativity belong in the world and
helping writers tell their unique stories is at the core of everything I do as a teacher and facilitator.

Arts Council Literature Bursary Award 2021
Shortlisted for Arts Council Next Generation Award 2020
Winner of the iYeats International Poetry Prize 2019
Winner of The Poetry Business Laureate’s Prize 2018

Sign up for Writing Slant:

WRITING SLANT | MAKING A POEM

€250.00

New 6-week online course focused on developing first drafts into polished poems, including:

Access to private course website and teaching materials.
Access to private course FB group.
Access to weekly Zoom events.
Access to end of course group reading.

WRITING SLANT + ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING

€345.00

New 6-week online course focused on developing
first drafts into polished poems, including:

Access as per Writing Slant Option above, plus:

1 Hour One-to-One Zoom mentoring session
at end of course based on up to 6 poems.

“Poetry, I feel, is a tyrannical discipline.
You’ve got to go so far in such a small space; you’ve got to burn away all the peripherals. ”

SYLVIA PLATH