SIX TIPS TO RHYME LIKE A PRO

What can you do when you are in the flow, writing a killer poem, and you get stuck because you can’t find the right rhyme?  This is classic poet writer’s block.  Below are my tried and true tips, along with links to rhyming resources.

 

Roses are red, violets are orange… nothing rhymes with orange!

TIP #1 – USE A DIFFERENT WORD

Rewrite the line. The orange violet example could become: “Roses are red, violets are cool, my rhyme schemes will make you drool”

TIP #2 – CHANGE THE ORDER

The classic “Roses are red” poem rhymes the 2^nd and 4^th lines.  This could be rewritten as: “Violets are blue, roses are red, sugar is sweet, she loves me, she said!”

TIP #3 – CONSONANT COMBINATIONS & PREFIXES

We usually make a quick run through the alphabet.  If we were striving to rhyme the word “red,” we would quickly find:  bed, bled, cred, dead, fed, and so forth.  I also recommend that you add the following combinations and prefixes to your rhyming arsenal:

Sl            Bl                 Ch                Br                 Pl

St            Br                 Cl                 Fl                 Pr

Sh

 

Tr            Con              Dis               Ex      Mis     Pre

Th           De                En                In       Non    Re               

         

TIP #4 – THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

          I personally do not use rhyming apps, but you can find free rhyming apps for your smart phone.  Droid has B-Rhymes which includes suggestions for near-rhymes.  For the iphone and ipad, RhymeNow has a free edition with over 55,000 words.

 

TIP #5 – NEAR RHYMES AND HALF RHYMES

Simple words like “red” and “you” have scores of rhymes, but other words are more difficult.  A near rhyme will often suffice; for example, a near-rhyme for “orange” is “challenge.”

 

TIP #6 – NEW WORDS

What is even more fun is to create your own new word.  My mother was masterful at this technique.  In a poem about children enjoying a snowy day, the children warm themselves with “steaming cups of choke-a-lot.” 

 

The primary sites that I use for rhymes are:

Rhyme Zone:  http://www.rhymezone.com/

Rhymer:  http://www.rhymer.com/

B-Rhymes:  http://www.b-rhymes.com/

 

Remember that not every poem needs to rhyme, but it can be challenging and fun.  Don’t let poet writer’s block stop you from completing a killer poem.  Do you have a rhyming tip that you would like to share?  Leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.  Keep writing and keep sharing!

 

-Cronin Detzz

SECRETS MAKE YOU SICK

Want to know a secret?  Secrets can make you sick, and you can use your writing skills for better health.

It’s no secret that the body and mind are knotted together in a symbiotic dance.  For instance, if you have a headache, chances are you’ll not be  in a good mood.  Conversely, feeling drained or stressed can give you a headache.  Our moods influence our eating choices, disrupt our sleep, raise our blood pressure, and create digestive problems.  When a deep secret haunts your life, your moods and health will both be affected.  Therapists often uncover secrets because they easily see the signs, such as  anorexia, drug addictions, or anxiety.

Most people have some secrets that are kept tucked away.  Some secrets are generally benign, such as:  “I tell my friends I’m happy being single, but I secretly wish I were married.”  Some secrets are dark and deep and emotionally draining.  Your secrets have helped shape who you have become.

Writing is a cathartic outlet.  Writers often put a piece of themselves into their characters, and in the process, evolve through self-exploration.  As you craft your stories, remember that it can be very helpful to drag those secrets out of the closet and write about the experience.  To help remove your writer’s block, ask yourself the following questions:

·        If the secret is a result of a traumatic event, how did you feel at the time? 

·        What beliefs have encouraged you to keep the secret? 

·        Do you feel judged?   If so, by whom?

·        What is it like to carry around a suitcase full of shame? 

·        Are you trying to numb your mind by forgetting about the secret, or by alcohol or drugs?

·        If you have revealed your secret to a loved one, how did it feel?  What did your loved one say to you?

Recently, I was driving in a run-down part of Chicago with Sandy, an old pal.  As she and as I passed by an alley, a deep-seated memory flashed before my eyes.  I had been raped in that alley when I was a teenager, and I had completely forgotten about the incident.  I had a boyfriend at that time, and because the boyfriend beat the rapist to a bloody pulp, I felt vindicated.  I told Sandy about this, and she was shocked.  She encouraged me to write about the experience in my next book.  I told her that I never thought about the incident, stating that it doesn’t bother me.  She objected, telling me that this is a significant, life-altering event that deserves my attention.  Having her support was a huge relief.  I will be adding the incident to my next book.

I wish sound health to you all, and hope that you find strength and peace through writing.

Keep writing and keep sharing! – Cronin Detzz

WRITER'S BLOCK - BURNT ORANGE IN MY BOX OF CRAYONS

WRITER'S BLOCK - brought to you by "The Crow's Pen"
BURNT ORANGE IN MY BOX OF CRAYONS

One of my fondest memories is sitting at the kitchen table with my mother and sister, selecting coloring books and then scattering a box of crayons across the table. Choosing which page to color was a delicate process. Sometimes it was just too hard to decide, so we would simply choose the first un-colored page we encountered in our books. Once we had chosen our respective pages, we faced another important decision – which color? Our mother (“Ma”) didn’t simply choose brown for the tree trunks and green for the grass. She would choose any color she darn well liked and colored her own fantastic world.

She didn’t “stay in the lines,” either. She showed us how we could easily create circles of color by twisting the wrong end of the crayon onto the paper. A bunny could have polka dots. The sun could have stripes. She delighted in exploring her creativity in this way. She once remarked that she wished she could color for a living.

We found it hilarious that the crayons had such unusual names: cadet blue, raw sienna, burnt orange. I mean, who burns oranges?! If you want to explore more fantastic color names, look at women’s nail polish. For instance, I have a bright pink bottle named “shrimply devine.” Crayola has had their share of crayon name changes: "Prussian blue" was renamed midnight blue, and “flesh” became “peach” as a result of the civil rights movement era. Clearly, color evokes emotion – especially the color of our skin.

When writing with color, therefore, be sure to bring the reader into your world by choosing the right crayon. Below are some alternatives:

• Orange = pumpkin, carrot
• Blue = azul, turquoise, aqua
• Yellow = golden, sunny, daffodil, maize (corn)
• Green = pine, shamrock
• Purple = violet, lavender
• Red = crimson, auburn, apple flesh

Look around you and see how the colors affect your mood. Which descriptors or objects could describe the color? You can certainly substitute “tangerine” for “orange,” but is this simply an expression of your wit or does tangerine really fit your writing? Below is an example:

• GOOD: He looked up at the overcast sky and felt a sense of sadness.
• BETTER: He looked up at the nickel gray sky and felt a sense of sadness.
• BEST: Under an oppressive cement sky, he was crushed with the weight of sadness.

See how the ‘cement’ can give a sense of weight while hinting at color? Other ways to weave color into your writing includes ‘sunny’ dispositions, a youthful ‘rosy’ glow, or being infected with the ‘greenness’ of envy.

Ma is in heaven now, and I’m certain that she is coloring fantastic astral worlds, armed with a full box of crayons.

KEEP WRITING AND KEEP SHARING!