Dash of Inspiration: Writing Verse

A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen

Writing Verse

There is no doubt that if writing verse for the inside of your greeting cards does not come naturally, it can be frustrating. We also know, that here in the states anyway, cards with verse have more sales than blank cards. So, I thought I would pass along my reference tools and offer some links to help you improve your verse-writing skills.

Of course you are all familiar with the power of the Thesaurus and I really enjoy the freedom of having this tool accessible online.

Occasionally, usually for children’s cards, I like my inside verse to rhyme.  I’ve found this tool very handy when I need to find words for rhyming.

I love to ‘play on words/phrases’. I find it can even inspire a visual creation and using idioms is a great way to connect words and visual elements. Idioms –  definition: “An expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket  or hang one’s head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.”

Way back when, I had a Creative Writing teacher whose words are still guiding my verse writing today – she said; “Rather than trying to conform to poetry styles, simply remember the only thing which makes words a poem, is the rhythmic manner in which you choose to express your message.”

These words are ones I live by today. I could not longer tell you what style of poem is what – nor do I care – however when I write my card verses, I am very much aware of the rhythm and will often count syllables as if counting notes in a song.

Regardless of your writing style, here are some links which might offer tips to improve your verse or push you forward when you get stuck.

Rules for Comma Usage

Guidelines for Using Capital Letters

Grammar and Punctuation Tips 

11 Rules of Writing, Grammar, and Punctuation

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

Poetry Verse Writing

So until next week … Learn … Create … Inspire!