POETRY EXPRESS: FIVE POEMS IN TWO HOURS with Ashley Harris
WEBINAR DATE: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
WEBINAR TIME: 2pm – 4pm ET
DURATION: 2 Hours
LOCATION: Live webinar via Zoom
FEEDBACK: The last 15 minutes of the lecture will be open to Q&A.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Do you long to write poetry but have always been intimidated? Or maybe you’re an experienced poet who just needs a little extra zoom. Either way, you’re invited to hop aboard the “Poetry Express” (exclusively offered through Women on Writing) where you’ll learn a nifty technique for writing an engaging free verse poem on the spot, followed by four additional prompts to generate even more. Your “ticket” will also include editing tips to sharpen your poems, along with an overview of markets and contests and best practice poetry submission tips that will significantly increase your odds of publication.
This live Zoom webinar starts and ends on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Time: 11 AM – 1 PM PT | 12-2 PM MT | 1-3 PM CT | 2-4 PM ET
The webinar can be viewed on a tablet, phone, or computer (both Mac and PC). The class will be recorded available for anyone who would prefer to view it at a different time and date.
CLASS AT A GLANCE:
Live Webinar: Poetry Express: Five Poems in Two Hours
Duration: 2 Hours
All aboard! In this express two-hour class, I’ll share excerpts from notable published poems that will inspire you to write your own. I’ll introduce you to the 3-step “Poetry Express” prompt guaranteed to bust through inhibition and help you generate an instant poem, followed by four equally inspirational prompts to write even more. I’ll then offer tips and tricks to help you polish your poems with an aim toward publication, along with an overview of current markets. By the end of class, you’ll have five draft poems and a schedule of submission deadlines, plus take-away wisdom to help you establish a lifelong poetry habit. For an extra fee, you can have your work critiqued me and receive targeted submission recommendations within two weeks of the class.
Topics covered include:
- Overview – why you should write poetry
- A review of published poetry to inspire you
- 3-Step “Poetry Express” Prompt (board a train, grab a window seat, and enjoy the ride!)
- Four additional prompts to generate more instant poems
- Tips to edit your poems for publication on matters of sound, turn, punctuation, line breaks, and titles
- Overview of contests and markets, including best practice submission tips just for poetry
- Tips and a list of recommended books to keep your poetry train going
- Q & A
Materials Needed: Your favorite writing implement (pen, pencil, writing pad or keyboard) and your imagination.
ABOUT ME: Ashley Harris is a poet and teacher whose first poetry collection, Waiting for the Wood Thrush, described by acclaimed poet Ruth Moose as “witty, wise and overflowing with life and color” debuted in 2019 (Finishing Line Press). She has won the Mary Ruffin Poole Heritage Award from the North Carolina Poetry Society for her poem “A Widow on Chester Street,” and has written poetry for O. Henry Magazine, The Phoenix, Naugatuck River Review, Broad River Review, Kakalak, among many others. Since 2021, she’s served as a critique editor and judge for WOW’s quarterly fiction and nonfiction contests, and her favorite hobby, by far, is helping other writers achieve their publication dreams.
POETRY EXPRESS with Ashley Harris (Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 2pm – 4pm ET) Limit: 25 students. Early registration is recommended.
COST: $40, which includes one two-hour webinar with a 15-minute Q&A with me.
OPTIONAL CRITIQUE ADD-ON: A personal critique from me of two poems (one-page limit each) plus submission recommendations for $40 ($80 total).
I’d love to see you there! Interested? Register here.
Ashley Harris 
Ashley, I signed up for your poetry class just now (Can’t wait!), but PayPal is confusing me. I once used it, but thought they’d dropped melong ago for inactivity on my account. Now they seem to be hasslingme to verify my ID when I don’t want to start back using them. WOWforced me to today. It’s reminding me why I stopped using them. LOL. Anyway, if you get a spare moment in your busy life, will youplease verify that I’m officially enrolled in your class? If I don’t hear from you, I’m going to assume the paymentwent through and I’ll Zoom in to see you on May 14th! Thank you. Diane Judge P.S. If you or any of your family like word puzzles, please check outthe May issue of GAMES World of Puzzles magazine. There is a multi-page spread featuring me and a few puzzles I created.
Awesome! I just now saw this lovely comment, and yes, your payment must have gone through because I got a note from Angela at WOW. And boy, was I thrilled. And very much excited to learn that you’re featured in GAMES, World of Puzzles! I need to get the May issue so I can read about you, and yes, I do love puzzles and word searches, etc.