Zen in the Art of Writing

In other words, if your boy is a poet, horse manure can only mean flowers to him; which is, of course, what horse manure has always been about.

We might start off by paraphrasing Oscar Wilde’s poem, substituting the word ‘Art’ for ‘Love’.

Art will fly if held too lightly,

Art will die if held too tightly,

Lightly, tightly, how do I know

Whether I’m holding or letting Art go?

Read poetry every day of your life. Poetry is good because it flexes muscles you don’t use often enough. Poetry expands the senses and keeps them in prime condition. It keeps you aware of your nose, your eye, your ear, your tongue, your hand. And, above all, poetry is compacted metaphor or simile. Such metaphors, like Japanese paper flowers, may ex

Run fast, stand still. This, the lesson from lizards. For all writers.