Top Tips for Creating your Spoken Word Poem

In October some of us met for a Spoken Word Workshop (you can read about the event here) and the wonderful Naomi Hutchison gave us her Top Tips:

• Find your Reason

  What is it in your story that fuels your desire to share Jesus?
  What’s the mission statement for your life?
  Why do you want to use Spoken Word?
  What about this poem or opportunity will help someone take their next step in their spiritual growth?
  Your reason will be useful to come back to when you’re finding it tough or you need inspiration.

Find your reason

• Find your Voice

  Record and listen to yourself: What’s your tone? What makes you sound like you?
  Recognise that God has given you a unique voice.
  Which style and content do you feel most confident with?
  What are the areas you can lean into and what do you need to improve?

• Honour the Impact of Spoken Word

  It’s possible to share your words with the emotion you choose
  You can engage your audience, even get them to participate.
  Can you distill your message down to just 60-90 seconds?

Honour the Impact

Craft your Piece

Notice the everyday moments in life that make you want to write, then write about them.
Use your reason and use your voice.
What is it I want to say?
Do I have a unique take on it? What is my experience?
How do I want people to be moved? What is the response I want? Is there some transformation that could come about as a result of the poem?
How can I say it best? Go back and craft and hone what you’ve got.
How can I say this in a way that points to Jesus? How do I honour people?
What literary techniques would enhance this?

• Perform your piece

  Your audience will decide if they’re engaging within 30 seconds. Always know your first couple of lines.
  Practice, practice, practice!
  Memorising allows you to make eye contact with your audience.
  When things go wrong ask: did my failure affect the gospel or just my pride?
  Get honest feedback.
  Let the Lord tend to you before, during and after you’ve spoken.
  Noises in the higher register annoy more, so take a deep breath and slow down.
  Think about your hands. Will you have a notebook and or a microphone to deal with?
  Decide what you’re going to do after the end of the poem.