Should a Poet Force Themselves to Write?

The simple answer is yes.

The real answer is a little more complicated (no surprises there). You can’t literally force yourself to write—I guess you could, but it wouldn’t turn out very well. Imagine it—a twitchy guy wearing a balaclava, pressing a gun to your head, insisting that you write a poem exploring your strained relationship with your father. Are you going to be able to produce? No way.

That being said, I do believe poets should sit down (or stand) daily, attempting to create an atmosphere conducive to writing. What does this look like? I have an open notebook on my desk with a pen ready beside the notebook and I have an open Word document on the computer. (For me, shorter ideas are better written out on paper and longer, chattier pieces are better suited to be written on the computer.)

Do I sit (or stand) and just silently wait for inspiration? No. I listen to music or I read or I walk around the apartment. I don’t force myself to write, I just prepare to write. And if something comes, fantastic. If nothing comes, that’s life (I get over it—there’s always tomorrow).

If you don’t already do this, or something resembling this, try it out. Set aside some time each day or every second or third day. If you create an atmosphere in which you can write, you’re going to write. Just don’t be too hard on yourself on those days when nothing comes. Best of luck!