Rewriting between the lines
I write short(er) poems. In crit, I often receive a comment like “I’d like to see more here.” Sometimes it’s legit. I jumped out of a murky pool of the subconscious because it got too, well, scary in there. The suggestion for rewrite is always “why don’t you continue where you left off and…” And what? Ramble on directionless? No thanks.
While leading an adult writing group recently, one of the participants wrote a similar “jumping away” poem. There was more to be said. Instead of suggesting she continue on where she left off, I asked her if she’d be comfortable trying this instead:
Write the poem out again, leaving plenty of room between the lines.
Respond to each line individually and see what happens - maybe a new revelation, or maybe the poem takes off in a completely new direction.
The point is, you’re not just jumping back into the same murky pool.