Open right now – submissions for a series on the Elements. Check the guidelines HERE.
WRITING HAIKU
by Vidya Venkatramani
Thank you dear readers, for the overwhelming response to our submission call titled: A Feast of the Senses. We have received some great work from readers all over the world. For a few of you, who are new to haiku we have put together some excellent resources to hone your haiku writing skills.
The first resource is poet Jane Reichhold’s classic set of lessons on the basics of haiku writing. Going through each of the lessons would give you a clear path to writing a haiku. So do go through these lessons one by one to start your haiku journey. Reichhold starts with explaining the form of a haiku to techniques in writing haiku, to finding your own rules for writing a haiku.
Poet Michael Dylan Welch has an interesting haiku site called http://www.graceguts.com It has a collection of his essays and other haiku resources. The essay on “becoming a haiku poet” delves into the psyche of an haiku poet. Welch has written eloquently on what one must focus on, while writing a haiku.
Another good essay, again from Michael Dylan Welch‘s site is an interesting checklist once you have written an haiku. This checklist is an invaluable resource to help improve your haiku. It is a matter of practice and before long you will be writing exceptional haiku!!
Also check out some of the posts on our website –
What Editors Want, part 1 – What Editors Want
What Editors Want, part 2 – What Editors Want or Don’t Want
What Editors Want, part 3 – How to Stay Real
What Editors Want, part 4 – Senryu
How to Write Haiku – links from WHR
Other articles in the Haiku Demystified section.
Happy writing!
Cafe Haiku 