1.
Stress, Stress, Stress! There is nothing like a bit of pressure to concentrate your mind! Allow yourself five minutes to write.
Don't worry about scanning or rhyming, jot down random words and phrases then see what you have come up with.
Chances are you will have at least a line or two to work with.
2.
Think Of A Subject The weather, your dog, the rat that dumped you, your annoying little brother...
these can all be turned into good poems.
Yes they have all been done before, but don't worry about that, there is nothing new under the sun.
Look for a unique angle by jotting down a whole list of associated words and then brain storm from these.
You will soon see a thread emerging which will lead you down an interesting poetical pathway.
If you can't think of anything from your own life experiences, buy a newspaper and look for a good human interest story.
The agony columns in a woman's magazine are also great sources for inspiration.
3.
Out Of Your Mind! All the best poetry is written during an altered state of consciousness so go for a quite walk, a long run or any other repetitive exercise which occupies the body but leaves the mind free to wander other worlds.
If you hate the thought of exercise, ironing works just as well! Many a good poem has been birthed amongst the shirts and underwear! 4.
Use Your Senses! Taste, touch, sight, sound can all be used to create sensory word pictures which will really bring your poem alive.
Spend a few minutes describing an object or place using all your senses.
5.
Make A List - Metaphorically! In fact make three! One for adjectives, one for concrete nouns, (those are the ones you experience with your senses, e.
g.
chip butty) and one for abstract nouns, (these are non-sensory like disapproval).
Fill a page with these and then pick a word from each column to construct a metaphor.
Most of what you produce will be rubbish, but you've a good chance of coming up with a gem or two which may well result in a very original poem.
6.
Get Religion This doesn't mean joining some freaky religious sect although go ahead if you think it will give you poetical inspiration! A less extreme option is to open a bible randomly and glance swiftly down its pages.
Whatever religious persuasions you hold, there is no doubt that there are some beautifully crafted phrases in the Bible that can quickly inspire new trains of thought or even form the basis of a poem in their own right.