8. Creative Writing Tips - An Attempt to Improve

I've been told that I'm a good writer. I've also been told that I am awful at it. I'm not really sure what to believe, but I know this: recently I have begun to enjoy and become increasingly interested in it. However, I really only write about the reality that I see and experience. [I've been told my best and most evident quality is my sincerity - judge for yourself.] Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing about what I know, sharing my thoughts, and hopefully making a few smile in the process. But I wish to get better at writing, so I figure I should try - enter gift eight.

Today a friend of mine sent me a link to Poets&Writers, a site that gives tips and weekly prompts to help get you started. Honestly, I'm not sure if I like it. But in the spirit of trying new things, I sat down to give it a try.

Today's prompt was for poetry:

Set a timer for five minutes and free write—writing anything that comes to mind without stopping until the timer goes off. Then circle every third word or phrase of what you’ve written. Use these circled words as the starting point for a poem.

Well, I never was good at poetry in school, and as such haven't really followed it in my personal life. I'd like that to change. In fact, I have a long standing goal to discover my  favorite poem, in the hopes that I will be encouraged to read more. After all, every man should read poetry.

So anyway, I did the exercise of writing for five minutes. What I had written on the paper at the end of that time surprised me enough that I am once again contemplating the merits of starting a journal - even if just to get my thoughts out of my head. But I again digress. I ended up in failed attempts to create a poem from the selected words for over half an hour. Baffled, I eventually called upon a modified haiku-esque format to help me along. In an effort of boldness, here is the result:

Wish would not trust again.

All, and none, at fault;

young hurt preferred fear.

Hesitant situation.

Ideas of flight - ignored

once, again, heard in Truth.

What do you think? Umm.... you don't have to answer that.

I don't know if this is any good, and in truth I'm better at writing the real-life stuff. But I suppose you can't get better if you don't work on your weaknesses. For any of you who are writers - do you know of any good resources out there?