7 tips to inspire you to enter our poetry contest


	Tap into your own feelings: Poetry is inherently emotional and personal, so let the strength of your feelings shine through.
	Celebrate the ordinary: Now more than ever, we need to remember that the things right under our noses are extraordinary, fascinating, irreplaceable, profound and just kind of marvellous.
	Use everything in your toolbox: Let your poetry be informed by everything you have ever learnt and experienced – just not all at the same time!
	If you get stuck, pace the room a bit: Gain some perspective by taking yourself away from your creation, even if it’s only by a few feet.
	Let your work be open to interpretation: Your poem can be a world in which your readers seek out things which resonate for them, without you having to spell it out for them.
	Read your poetry out loud: This is absolutely crucial and indispensable, since poetry is fundamentally an acoustic form. Even if you’re performing to an empty room, let your words ring out!
	Read a lot, revise and persevere: Feed your mind with the work of others, write lots of course too, but assume that your first thoughts are not necessarily your best. Keep going!
Email your poem(s) to [email protected] Or mail them to: Poetry Competition, McCarthy & Stone, 4th Floor,100 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8AQ