How do you write

I thought it would be interesting to read how people write their poetry before posting ie, do you use a pen and paper, do you just go straight onto the "submit poem" page and write it there etc.

I sometimes use pen and paper still, but on the whole, I tend to write it "on site" as it were then submit (which is probably why I edit my work repeatedly!)

All the best everyone

I type out my poems in a word document and save it. My first round of editing i do it there and then ofcourse the editing follows when i get advice from experts.

I hardly use pen and paper to write.

Straight to submit poem. I can't write out as fast as I think. I also rarely edit my work unless there is a typo or suggestion, and if it takes me longer than a few minutes, I delete it and walk away.

Used to write with pen and ink, still do occasionally, but those one's rarely make it to submission, occasionally i COME UP WITH A brilliant one and feel I need to submit it straight away.

Great thread Ben...

Usually I write on a Word document and edit is from there. When I first started I used pen and paper and ended up with lots of scrap paper. When I was in hospital for about 6 months I used paper towels, lol.

One of my recent ones I wrote drafts, then transferred to a Christmas card. I thought it was finished, but when I transferred it to my Word document I found errors and changed it again.

There have been a few that I written straight on the screen here. Some of the raps for example.

When I am out, I often have ideas. I text these to myself, to save me from forgetting them.

Interesting, I actually write more about life events than anything, so usually the first or even the first two stanza's are formed in my head and then I try to find time to write it down, the older I get, the less I remember what had originally formed and I get so pissed off, I end up scrapping loads and loads of partially written work...... it's actually very painful for me to type a poem , because I have severe arthritis in my hands and only type with two fingers anyways, it's hilarious, my girl laughs at me all the time, and so do I......but interesting topic......

I get it down on anything available.
In the middle of the night I wake up & write it down (sometimes in the bathroom so I don't wake up Rosaura). Walking or running in the park I use Note's speech recognition on my cell-phone. I'll still start out on paper sometimes (not always easy to talk on my cell phone). About half the time it's on some form of typed input (laptop, computer).

I've never NOT edited a poem. Not just corrections or grammar. I find my first pass often uses cliches and words that don't get my point across.

Rosaura has come with me the past two weekends to clean up my storage unit. After getting rid of 18 boxes to Salvation Army, ten boxes of non-confidential paper to the recycling and 5 boxes to the trash, we have 15 boxes of my writing, most of which has not seen the light of day in decades. I have one screenplay in there, three novels, numerous short stories and jillions of poems & odd thoughts. I am both terrified at the prospect of having to go through them and excited by finding old forgotten friends.

Larry, you need to post these poems,

maybe under another account

'previous Larry' or the like.

I now write to word so I have a copy of my poetry. I tend to write it in one go, read through it once, change a bit here and there then post.

Larry - I too know the late night ones. There are times when, in the wee hours, I am running frantically up and down the stairs with ideas to scribble down. Then, just as I think I can relax when I get to bed once more.......well, you know the rest!

Ben, always keep a small pad & pen beside your bed

I do Larry, but then I leave them on the windowsill and come back to them only to find the sunlight has made off with my words!

Stop using disappearing ink!

I scribble ideas when I'm taking the bus to work, it's a good ride into the city where I work. I scribble on old grocery receipts... Pay check stubs lol ect.... I type in word doc as well... My newest poem submitted was written on a grocery bag in marker, the first two stanzas anyway...

Funny thing is, I have journals, but I never think to put them in my bag before work. My poem city bus, was written and then submitted while I was on the bus.

Sometimes, I write them on spot, whatever comes. Other times, I may write thought out pieces but those take a lot more energy...
I prefer to type them rather than write using pen and paper. My thoughts are faster than the pen and the pen can't catch them. I may use a notepad, word document, the submit option from poems and quotes, Fb, or my phone. Or I may just write and delete them. Or save them and forget about them. I may post some. But overall, I don't think I have a particular way of writing.