Free Resources that Help Poets and Writers
Learning on a Budget
One advantage of running The Poetry Lab website is that I get monthly analytics on keywords that matter to writers. This helps me understand what our community is eager to learn and what information they struggle to find online. I take these search terms to the team to discuss how we can better serve our community. We decide what research needs to be done and what poetry questions we want to answer. This is in large part how the Resource Center finds its direction.
Lately, people have been asking questions like: "Is @writerswarmth legit?" (Spoiler alert: it's not. You can read the full article here.) But it's not just predatory Instagram accounts that are illegitimate in the poetry sector. For many years, there have been bogus poetry publication contests. I remember falling victim to one when I was a kid. I was so excited that my poem was going to be published, only to be crushed when they asked for $80 to "accept" my poem into the anthology. Lesson learned: pay-to-publish books are just as illegitimate as pay-to-post Instagram pages.
Knowing that not all free online resources are created equal, what reliable apps, websites, and databases help us on our learning journeys?
My goal is to help emerging and established writers work smarter, not harder. Knowing that all free online resources are not created equal, I asked myself what reliable resources exist for poets and writers? What apps, websites, and databases have the power to help us on our learning journeys?
I sat down for a few hours and thought it over, reflecting on the resources that have catalyzed my writing. Here are my top recommendations for easy-to-access learning resources that are free, user-friendly, and deliver reliable information about poetry writing, reading, and publishing.
Keep scrolling to browse the list, or click on the drop-down to hop directly to a resource category. If you stay tuned to the end of this round-up you’ll find my bonus idea for hot poetry gossip and inspiration.
Writing Tools ⚒️
Grammarly
Grammarly is a writing assistant that uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing algorithms to analyze and improve the grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style of written content. I know some of us roll our eyes at these kinds of tools—I have an English degree I don’t need an app!
But technology is here to make our lives easier, you sweet Luddite. Don’t be afraid!
Notion
I know the basic notes app on your phone is bursting with poems, lines for poems, images, overheard dialogue, voice-to-text narrations from long car rides, and inspired ideas that came to you in the middle of the open mic. Notion is productivity and collaboration software designed to help individuals and teams work smarter. It combines the features of a note-taking app, project management tool, and databases into a customizable workspace, unlike anything you’ve ever seen. (If you have Gemini or Virgo placements anywhere in your birth chart you will LOVE it).
You can color code, decorate and design your way into a more organized creative career, using the app to store and catalog your body of work and your personal life. Everything you add to Notion becomes searchable inside your workspace so you’ll never lose a piece of writing again. It integrates with Google Docs and a buffet of other apps to make workflow seamless. If you want to take your notes app to the next level I strongly suggest you give it a try.
Try Notion ↗️
Thesaurus
For many years I kept both a paperback thesaurus and dictionary on my desk at all times. We don’t often talk about these kinds of practicalities, but I’ve learned that for me, quick access to synonyms and alternate word choices is important to my writing and revising process. Nowadays, thesaurus.com always sits in my browser on my bookmarks bar.
Resource Centers 📰
Poets & Writers Database
This database offers resources for poets of all levels, including a searchable directory of MFA programs and a list of writing contests.
NewPages
This comprehensive database offers a wealth of information for poets, including reviews of literary magazines and calls for submissions.
DIY MFA
This website offers a wealth of free resources for writers, primarily articles on fiction and creative nonfiction. Also, check out their podcast! (We especially love the episodes hosted by our Team Member Lori Walker.)
Listen to Lori! 🎙️
Check out DIY MFA’s articles ↗️
LitHub
This website offers a wide range of free content, including essays, interviews, and book reviews.
News and Culture ✳️
Craft and Criticism ✳️
The Poetry Lab Resource Center!
It’s us! 👋 Our Resource Center is where we gather our growing body of knowledge, sourced by guest contributors, team members, and teaching artists. This is one of the ways our community-based learning takes place, creating content that responds directly to the needs of our members, written by writers from a diverse range of educational, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.
We publish a new poetry resource every week. Some of our most recent additions include "My Situationship with the Golden Shovel: A How-To” and “Recommended Reading for your Zodiac Sign”.
Subscribe here 👇 to receive the resource straight to your inbox every Thursday.
Podcasts 🎙️
The Slowdown Show
While some may find the somber mood of this podcast a bit too serious, it offers a thoughtful exploration of poetry and its place in our lives. The Slowdown Show releases a new episode daily. The current host is Major Jackson, and past hosts include Tracy K. Smith, Ada Limon, and our personal favorite, Shira Erlichman.
Breaking Form: a Poetry and Culture Podcast
This podcast is funny and Queer-centric in the best possible ways. Hosts Aaron Smith and James Allen Hall take an entertaining and informative look at poetic craft with their interview segments. I especially love their fact-checking recaps at the end of each episode.
Line/Break
Now in its third season, this podcast from the non-profit publisher, Copper Canyon Press, offers interviews with the poets from their extensive catalog of authors. It's not the most exciting interview series, but each episode is a video recording, so Line/Break allows you a chance to see contemporary poets' faces, which will help when you one day step onto an elevator with a very famous poet at AWP (and you actually know you're on an elevator with a very famous poet!).
Versus
Chaos reigns supreme on this podcast, which pits poets against topics of discussion for each episode. Sometimes it feels like listening to a raucous minivan full of children on their way to a soccer game—honestly, it’s a vibe. The show is sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and is currently hosted by Ajanae Dawkins and Brittany Rogers. Previously hosted by Franny Choi and Danez Smith.
Poetry Magazine Podcast
Sometimes banal, but interesting if you read POETRY magazine and want to get into a deeper conversation with the poets published within. Hosted by the current poetry editor of the magazine, Adrian Matejka.
Commonplace: Conversations with Poets (and Other People)
Hosted by Rachel Zucker, this is one of the longest-running poetry podcasts and should get a lot of credit for its longevity, quality, and breadth of content. If you’re the type to enjoy really weird deep-dives into poetry shit, definitely add it to your list!
You know you access podcasts wherever you get your podcasts, so I didn’t link the links here. Be sure to like and subscribe when you find something you love to listen to! Putting together content like a podcast can be a lot of work, so love on the creators, hosts, and interviewers that you love. Spread that good vibe!
Literary Magazines 📚
You want to be published in them, but how often do you plumb these troves for riches? In addition to poems and stories, some literary magazines offer craft essays, interviews, hot takes, and game-changing revelations (ask me how I know!) on their blogs and websites.
The following is a very short list of magazines where I’ve found gems of wisdom over the years, but refer back to Poets & Writers Database for a longer, alphabetized list of lit mags!
Virginia Quarterly Review
The Rumpus
Paris Review
The Nervous Breakdown
Check out the Nervous Breakdown ↗️
Sundress Publications Craft Chaps
Other Sources ✨
Libby Library App
This app allows you to borrow e-books and audiobooks from your local library, including poetry collections! You can also place holds, manage your loans and see your reading history through the app. It’s free to download and is available for iOS, Android, and Windows devices. After you log in with your library card and pin, the app will automatically sync with your local library's collection of digital content.
Harriet Books
Formerly called Harriet the Blog, which was a fantastic title, this blog by the Poetry Foundation has been churning out info on the “scene” for years. It has occasional guest bloggers, which are the highlight. Here’s one of my all-time favs: The Contract.
While you're there, subscribe to the Poetry News Updates for weekly roundups of all things “Poe Biz.”
Poetry Unbound
This free Substack newsletter offers a fresh perspective on a different poem every week.
Writing Cooperative
This Medium platform offers a mix of free and member-only content, including poetry writing tips, workshop recommendations (The Poetry Lab made the list!), and essays on craft.
Bonus!
Get on Poetry Twitter
Following poets like Jericho Brown, Chen Chen, the Anne Carson Bot, and Diane Suess will add insights into the writing life and all the hot poetry gos you could want.
We’ve done our best to follow as many key players as possible on our feed. Check it out for suggestions.
See who we follow on Twitter 🐥
***
In an essay on teaching poetry, Eleni Sikelianos writes:
“Beyond any schooling, there is by necessity a measure of autodidactism on the path; it's the unorthodox mapping of personal electrical fields that makes a poet.”
At The Poetry Lab, we heavily identify with the autodidact (self-taught learner) aspect of the writing life. We aim to unlock the door that blocks everyday people from living our most creative lives (spoiler: it’s usually because we’ve been told art isn’t for us). That’s why reliable, accessible online resources that deepen our learning, keep us inspired, and maximize our efficiency are very important to us. I hope some of these resources are helpful to you.
May they light your path and syncopate your electrical fields.
You got this, poet.
This article was posted on June 26, 2023. Written by:
