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Welcome to The Jotter, my blog on books, writing, and culture.
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TPW Poetry Prize 2026: Tip #6
Enter the TPW Poetry Prize 2026 for free here .
Andrew Jamison
7 days ago1 min read
TPW Poetry Prize: Tip #5
Enter The Poet's Workshop Poetry Prize here for free.
Andrew Jamison
Jan 81 min read
TPW Poetry Prize: Tip #4
Enter The Poet's Workshop Poetry Prize 2026 here for free.
Andrew Jamison
Jan 41 min read
TPW Poetry Prize: Tip #3
Enter The Poet's Workshop Poetry Prize for free here.
Andrew Jamison
Dec 27, 20251 min read
TPW Poetry Prize Tip #2
Subscribe to Andrew's weekly newsletter here for regular updates on his writing, and enter the TPW Poetry Prize 2026 here .
Andrew Jamison
Dec 11, 20251 min read
TPW Poetry Prize: Tip #1
To enter The Poet's Workshop Poetry Prize for free subscribe to Andrew's blog here .
Andrew Jamison
Dec 10, 20251 min read
7 Ways to Craft a Poem's Title
Discover 7 new ways to think about your poem's title. Remember to subscribe for more weekly posts like this here . The title of a poem is not just for Christmas. A title can surprise, beguile, intrigue, shock, but they should never be dull - with the possibilities at your disposal, there’s really no excuse for a poor title. And particularly now when the reader’s attention is stretched and the demands upon their attention have never been higher. If your title is to do one thi
Andrew Jamison
Nov 19, 20255 min read
Go! 5 Ways to Improve Your Opening Line
Discover Andrew's advice on improving the opening line of your poem. What’s so important about an opening line? Will your first line run on from your title? Will it speak to or against your title? There is so much that can be achieved with the opening line of a poem. By the same token, though, if mishandled or dealt with lazily there is a lot that can be lost there too, not least the reader’s attention. So, in this guide, I’ve tried to summarise some key advice to you as some
Andrew Jamison
Nov 4, 20254 min read
Writing Prompt: Showing Not Telling
We're going back to basics in this week's writing prompt with Andrew.
Andrew Jamison
Sep 10, 20251 min read
5 Reasons I Started Writing a Blog
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for free here , and get my latest writing delivered to your inbox every Monday morning. This is a picture of me writing at my desk, taken by my wife, Aimee. I’ve now been writing a blog for three months, and in this post I wanted to take stock and reflect on why I started writing a blog in the first place. It’s Enjoyable Some people might say blogs have had their day, particularly with the advent of Substack, but I don’t think so. I already
Andrew Jamison
Sep 3, 20255 min read
8 Lessons I’ve Learnt about Rejection as a Writer
Submitting your work to journals for publication is an exciting aspect of being a writer. I can vividly remember in the early days of my...
Andrew Jamison
Sep 3, 20257 min read
Writing Prompt: Using Imperatives in Your Writing
Try out Andrew's latest weekly writing prompt and see where it takes your writing.
Andrew Jamison
Sep 3, 20251 min read
5 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing a Poem
To accompany the other posts I’ve written about questions to ask before and after you’ve written a poem, I thought I’d write another one...
Andrew Jamison
Aug 19, 20254 min read
5 Questions to Ask Yourself After You’ve Written A Poem
"As a general rule, these are the five questions I'll ask myself at the end of writing a poem..." As a follow-up to my previous post...
Andrew Jamison
Aug 13, 20254 min read
5 Reasons to Write Blank Verse
Blank verse brings the music of everyday language to life. Blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter , meaning it has 10 syllables with...
Andrew Jamison
Aug 13, 20254 min read
7 Reasons to Get a Writing Mentor
If you’re an aspiring writer and often find yourself wondering how to take the next step with your writing or maybe you want more...
Andrew Jamison
Aug 7, 20254 min read
Behind the Scenes: How I Wrote 'Swans We Cannot See'
Swans We Cannot See was my third collection of poetry and in this post I want to give you an idea of what went into it, how I wrote it...
Andrew Jamison
Aug 2, 20257 min read
6 Ways To Think About Imagery in Your Writing
"I am a camera with its shutter open..." "I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.' This quotation is...
Andrew Jamison
Jul 25, 20254 min read
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Write a Poem
While poetry is undoubtedly about the freedom of expression, and it's important to embrace impulse and inspiration, if you're serious...
Andrew Jamison
Jul 17, 20253 min read
The Seven Cs of Poetry
Discover Andrew's Philosophy on Poetry in Seven Words Beginning with C.
Andrew Jamison
Jul 17, 20258 min read
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