The blank page never ceases to intimidate - it seems presumptuous to intrude on its perfect whiteness. As our pens hover uncertainly, it asks us who do you think you are? Easier not to begin, to go and do something less risky instead (like the washing-up) - after all, if we don't write anything, then the possibility of creating something brilliant and beautiful remains; we haven't marred that hope with the messy, no-guarantees process of writing.

If this is how you feel too, then I hope this regular exercise page will help. What follows is meant as a starting point, a way of allowing you to make that initial mark on the page, and ease you into the creative flow. These are exercises which I've found useful myself and which I've tried with different classes of students. It may seem artificial to be given a starting point, rather than letting inspiration strike, but I've always found that inspiration needs encouragement and the right conditions in which to flourish. Exercises don't always result in a finished piece of work (although they can do) but at the very least, they get you going, and fire up the brain. If you come out with even one image or word you might use later on, then the process will have been worth it.

Instructions

Purpose

• Writing 'in situ' encourages attentiveness to the physical world which is a vital part of being a good writer.  
  
• Setting writing aside for a period of time can be helpful - the writer may return to the notes with a fresh perspective and the delay in trying to create a poem can allow a subconscious engagement with the material which will deepen the end result.
  
• The discipline of using only sensory impressions to build a poem, rather than subjective comment, is a useful way of sensitising the writer to the power of juxtaposition; the placing of two images together can generate tension and meaning more effectively and economically than several lines of explanation. Sometimes that's all the writer needs to make their point without needing to clarify or justify. It also gives the reader some work to do which can ultimately make for a more satisfying read.  

Example Poem

Here are a couple of examples which demonstrate the effectiveness of this pared-down technique. They are both models of restraint and control, building tone and atmosphere simply through their use of imagery. The poem by James Wright is the inspiration behind allowing one subjective statement - his comes at the end of the poem and transforms what we've just read with its beautiful bleakness, making us reinterpret the rest of the poem in the light, or darkness, of this final line.

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