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​This is the central home for all of my creative work. Whether you are a long-time reader or visiting for the first time, I invite you to dive in and explore.​

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Latest Postings: Tap on the links in the written menus below to search my writing. To dive straight into my most recent pieces three will show on my front page. To browse by Category: Click the Menu drop down at the bottom of the page.  Simply choose a category that sparks your interest and see what you discover.

✒️ The Poetry: From Craft to Soul

​My writing journey spans over a decade, and you will find an eclectic mix of styles reflecting that growth.​

The Evolution of Style: Explore everything from my early, structured days—where my poetry was more didactic and traditionally rhymed—through to my contemporary work, which leans toward free verse while still experimenting with classical forms.​

Themes & Texture: I have a deep love for psychological poetry, vivid imagery, and the natural music of language. My hope is that you find lines within these pages that truly speak to your own experiences.​

The Craft Behind the Words: Having dedicated several years to studying the mechanics of writing, I also share numerous craft-based articles. If you are a fellow writer or a curious reader, these insights into the “how” and “why” of poetry are for you.​

📚 Coming Soon: Sneak Peeks & Previews

​I am currently in the exciting throes of producing two new books of poetry that take an intimate look at psychology and the self.​As these collections come together, I will be sharing exclusive snippets right here on the blog. Keep a close eye out for these previews I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts, reactions, and feedback as the project evolves.​

Enjoy your time exploring, and thank you for reading!

Below see my Three Latest Posts.

  • “Strong Verbs”

    We Talk About “Strong Verbs”, But…

    We are often told to use strong verbs in our writing. It sounds straightforward enough, doesn’t it?

    But here’s the confusing bit: “strong verb” means two quite different things, depending on whether we’re talking about grammar or the craft of writing.

    And the distinction is rather interesting.

    1. Strong verbs in grammar

    In grammar, strong verb is a technical linguistic classification.

    Historically, Germanic verbs were divided into strong and weak verbs according to how they formed their past tense.

    A strong verb typically changes the vowel within the word, following inherited patterns of vowel change.

    For example:

    • sing → sang → sung
    • swim → swam → swum
    • drink → drank → drunk
    • write → wrote → written

    A weak verb, historically speaking, forms its past tense with a dental ending, usually appearing in modern English as -ed.

    For example:

    • walk → walked
    • jump → jumped
    • laugh → laughed

    So sing is grammatically a strong verb, whereas laugh is grammatically weak.

    These terms come from the Germanic ancestry of English. They describe how verbs behave grammatically, not how powerful or expressive they are.

    And here comes the slightly bonkers part…

    1. Strong verbs in creative writing

    When writers and editors advise us to use stronger verbs, they usually mean something entirely different.

    In creative writing, a strong verb is one that conveys an action precisely, vividly and effectively. It may express something that would otherwise need an adverb or additional description.

    Consider:

    The dragon walked slowly towards Splinter.

    Now compare:

    The dragon stalked towards Splinter.

    Or:

    Splinter looked angrily at Sir Hugo.

    Compare that with:

    Splinter glared at Sir Hugo.

    The verbs stalked and glared are not considered strong because of their grammatical construction.

    They are stylistically strong because they convey more information.

    They combine action, manner and attitude in a single word.

    This is why writing advice often recommends replacing rather general verbs such as get, make, do and have with more precise alternatives.

    Bishop’s University’s “guidance on strong verbs” (https://www.ubishops.ca/wp-content/uploads/Strong-verbs-Sept-2023-2.pdf), for example, discusses how more precise verbs can give writing greater impact.

    But there’s an important wrinkle.

    1. A grammatically weak verb can be a wonderfully strong writing choice

    Take the verb glare.

    Its past tense is glared, formed by adding -ed, so grammatically it belongs to the weak category.

    Yet:

    Sir Hugo glared at Splinter.

    is wonderfully expressive.

    We can almost imagine Splinter deciding that this might be an excellent moment to disappear!

    Conversely, consider:

    Sit → sat

    This is grammatically a strong verb because it follows a historical vowel-change pattern.

    But:

    Splinter sat on the table.

    isn’t necessarily an especially vivid sentence.

    So the two meanings of strong are quite separate.

    Term| What “strong” means
    Grammatical strong verb| Forms its past tense through an inherited pattern of vowel change
    Stylistically strong verb| Conveys an action precisely and effectively

    One describes grammar. The other describes the choices we make as writers.

    1. But is a stronger verb always a better verb?

    Now we come to something particularly important.

    A more dramatic verb isn’t necessarily a better verb.

    Let’s return to our dragon.

    The dragon walked slowly towards Splinter.

    The dragon stalked towards Splinter.

    The second sentence suggests something rather threatening. But suppose the dragon is friendly, tired or simply curious?

    Perhaps:

    The dragon ambled towards Splinter.

    would be more appropriate.

    Or:

    The dragon stumbled towards Splinter.

    Each verb changes how we imagine the action.

    The purpose isn’t to find the most colourful word. It is to find the word that conveys what we actually intend.

    And sometimes the perfectly ordinary verb walked is exactly right.

    We should also be careful not to assume that every adverb is unnecessary.

    Consider:

    Splinter smiled sadly.

    The adverb introduces an emotional contradiction. Splinter is smiling, but something is troubling him.

    Replacing smiled sadly with grinned would change the meaning entirely.

    Adverbs are not enemies of good writing. They become a problem when they add nothing useful or merely repeat what the verb already tells us.

    1. What does this mean for poetry?

    For poets, the choice of verb is particularly important.

    A verb doesn’t merely describe an action. It contributes to the sound, rhythm, atmosphere and emotional movement of a line.

    Consider:

    She walked into the night.

    She crept into the night.

    She danced into the night.

    She stumbled into the night.

    The physical movement changes, but so does our understanding of the person, her feelings and possibly even the story surrounding her.

    And when we read these lines aloud, we hear differences in rhythm and sound.

    A poet may deliberately choose a quieter, less descriptive verb because it fits the movement of the poem or allows another image to carry the emotional weight.

    Sometimes a simple word creates more impact than an elaborate one.

    The question shouldn’t be, Can I find a stronger verb?

    It should be, Does this verb do what I want it to do?

    A final thought

    “Strong verb” gets thrown about in writing instruction as though everybody agrees what it means.

    They don’t.

    Grammatical strength and stylistic strength are two different things, and neither guarantees good writing.

    The most effective verb isn’t necessarily the most dramatic or colourful. It’s the one that conveys the intended meaning, creates the desired effect and belongs naturally in the sentence or line.

    And perhaps the loveliest principle for writers is this:

    A verb doesn’t have to be grammatically strong to make a sentence sing.

  • Sparking Emotion

    Sparking Emotions in Poetry


    How word choice influences the reader
    Poetry is not simply about describing what we see. It is about helping the reader to see, hear and feel what we want to convey.
    The words we choose influence the emotional atmosphere of a poem. A small change in diction, particularly in the choice of verbs, can transform an ordinary description into something tender, threatening, joyful or melancholy.
    As poets, we need to consider not only what our words mean, but what they make the reader feel.


    The Emotional Power of Words
    Consider something as familiar as a sunset.
    We could simply write:
    The sun went down and darkness fell.
    This tells the reader what happened, but it offers little emotional atmosphere.
    Now consider these alternatives:
    • Sunset gilded the horizon.
    • The sky bruised into night.
    • The sun dropped, taking the last remaining warmth with it.
    • The horizon throbbed crimson, then gentled to a soft pink.
    • The day was already dying.
    • The sun slipped behind the dunes, casting a golden veil across their shifting shapes.
    Each describes the approach of night, but each creates a different impression.
    The word gilded suggests richness, warmth and beauty.
    Bruised introduces an unsettling image of injury or violence.
    Dropped suggests a more abrupt movement, while the loss of warmth may imply loneliness or abandonment.
    Gentled softens the image and encourages a more peaceful response.
    Dying introduces a sense of loss or finality.
    Slipped suggests a quiet, almost secretive departure.
    The physical event remains the same. What changes is the emotional experience we offer the reader.
    Notice how much of that change is accomplished through the verbs.


    One Object, Different Emotions
    Imagine a woman wearing a gold choker around her neck.
    We could write:
    She wore a gold choker.
    This provides information, but little more.
    Now consider:
    • The gold choker clawed at her neck.
    • A gold choker embraced her neck.
    • A gold choker caressed her neck.
    • A gold choker glinted around her neck.
    • A gold choker slithered around her neck.
    The necklace has not changed, but our perception of it has.
    Clawed suggests restriction, discomfort or even danger.
    Embraced suggests warmth and affection.
    Caressed introduces tenderness or intimacy.
    Glinted draws our attention to light and appearance without strongly determining the emotion.
    Slithered introduces something sinister, perhaps even threatening.
    This demonstrates how a poet can influence the reader without directly naming an emotion.
    Instead of telling the reader that a woman feels trapped, we might describe the necklace clawing at her throat.
    We allow the reader to sense her discomfort.


    Choosing Verbs That Carry Emotion
    Some verbs tend to evoke positive associations:
    Sparkle, dance, embrace, bloom, shine, caress, skip, cradle.
    Others frequently evoke darker feelings:
    Slash, claw, stab, slither, scrape, clutch, devour, smother.
    However, words are not permanently positive or negative.
    Consider clutch.
    A frightened child clutched her mother’s hand.
    Here, clutching might suggest fear, but also trust and security.
    His fingers clutched at her throat.
    The same verb now suggests menace.
    The emotional effect of a word depends upon its context, the surrounding imagery and the reader’s own experiences.
    The skilled poet chooses words deliberately rather than simply selecting words that sound impressive.


    Beware of the Obvious
    There is a temptation to make everything in a poem reflect the emotion being described.
    A character is sad, so rain falls.
    A character is happy, so the sun shines.
    A character is frightened, so thunder crashes.
    Using nature or weather to reflect human emotion is often associated with pathetic fallacy. It is a legitimate literary technique and can be highly effective.
    The difficulty arises when it becomes predictable or melodramatic.
    Rain does not always have to mean sadness, and sunshine does not always have to suggest happiness.
    Imagine a woman who has just suffered a devastating loss. She stands in a beautiful garden filled with roses.
    We could describe the roses as blooming, dancing in the breeze and filling the air with perfume.
    Or we might write:
    The roses smothered the archway, their thorny stems clinging to the weathered wood.
    The garden is still beautiful, but our word choices introduce a sense of oppression.


    Equally, a cheerful child might find delight in splashing through puddles on a grey, rainy afternoon.
    The poet does not need to change the weather to change the emotion.
    Sometimes a contrast between the surroundings and the character’s feelings is more powerful than an obvious reflection of them.


    Allow the Reader to Discover the Emotion
    We do not always need to tell the reader exactly what someone feels.
    A carefully chosen image or description can suggest something beneath the surface.
    For example, imagine a woman reluctantly preparing to return home. Her voice becomes subdued, and the pleasure fades from her expression.
    Outside:
    The sky bruised into night.
    The description may deepen the reader’s sense of unease. It hints that all may not be well, without explaining precisely what troubles her.
    This is a subtle technique that can be used in poetry as well as prose.
    The important thing is not to force a particular emotion upon the reader, but to provide enough sensory and emotional suggestion for the reader to make a connection.
    Poetry should leave room for the reader’s own imagination and experience.


    A Practical Exercise: One Scene, Three Emotions


    Imagine a garden containing a wooden bench, an old tree, a narrow path and a flower bed.
    Write three short descriptions of this same garden.
    1. Create a feeling of happiness or contentment.
    2. Create a feeling of loneliness or sadness.
    3. Create a feeling of fear or unease.
    Try not to change the physical features of the garden. Instead, change your verbs, imagery and descriptions.
    Then read your three versions aloud.
    Consider:
    • Which words contribute most strongly to the emotional atmosphere?
    • Have you shown the emotion rather than simply named it?
    • Is the imagery subtle, or have you exaggerated the effect?
    • Would a reader recognise the difference between your three descriptions?
    If you wish, take one of your descriptions and develop it into a short poem.


    A Final Thought
    The simplest words can often have the greatest emotional power.
    A poet does not need extravagant vocabulary or elaborate metaphors to move a reader.
    Sometimes changing a single verb alters the entire atmosphere of a poem.
    When editing your work, ask yourself:
    What do I want my reader to feel, and are my words helping to create that feeling?
    Read your poem aloud. Listen to its movement, its sounds and its emotional undertones.
    Remember that we do not write only to express what is in our own minds. We write to create an experience that another person can enter.
    Choose your words not simply for what they say, but for what they awaken.

    Sparking Emotions in Poetry
    Poetry Craft Notes — October 2026
    © Samantha Beardon