Ask the Author: Ben Banyard
Answered Questions (6)
Ben Banyard
I didn't write anything for a very long time but joining Jo Bell's 52 group on Facebook really kickstarted things for me. We were all writing a poem a week, sometimes more, to her prompts. It was an incredible experience - we posted our poems on Facebook and critiqued each other's work so it was like a year-long workshop. Most of us are still in touch, sharing our joys and sorrows in terms of acceptances and rejections.
Anyway, most of the poems in 'Communing' were written during 52. I lost my mum to leukaemia in 2012, the same year that our twins were born, so a lot of that work stemmed from those life-changing events. Some of the poems are about places, Bristol and the West Country where I live, or Birmingham where I grew up. But it's all incredibly personal stuff.
Anyway, most of the poems in 'Communing' were written during 52. I lost my mum to leukaemia in 2012, the same year that our twins were born, so a lot of that work stemmed from those life-changing events. Some of the poems are about places, Bristol and the West Country where I live, or Birmingham where I grew up. But it's all incredibly personal stuff.
Ben Banyard
Life! Ideas for poems often hit me while I'm driving, or doing the washing up, or any other mundane activity where my mind is elsewhere. I must say, though, that Jo Bell's 52 workbook is excellent (available from Nine Arches Press) - a prompt a week. That's how I began to write again. Props to Jo!
Ben Banyard
I try and write at least one poem a week. In a few months' time I'm going to start pulling together my first full collection. I'd also like to write more flash fiction and short stories as the economy you pick up from writing poetry really helps with that kind of prose.
Ben Banyard
Read. A lot! And if you write poetry, question whether every word is earning its keep. Pick a strong title. Don't be afraid to carry your influences on your sleeve in the early days - your voice will develop in time. Take rejections on the chin - they're part and parcel and nothing personal is meant by them.
Ben Banyard
Sharing your words with readers. Writing is such a solitary business that when a book comes out and people start to interact with it and let you know their thoughts, it really is like magic. For that reason I particularly enjoy giving readings of my work.
Ben Banyard
Go for a walk. Do the washing up. Anything apart from sitting in front of a computer or notebook!
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