Stephanie Henson : part five

How does a poem begin? 

For me, a poem begins with a feeling and then I build upon that emotion and layer it with different poetic devices. At the start of every one of my poems there is heart and intent. I may not know exactly where the poem is going when I sit down to draft, but I have a general idea of the trajectory as I am writing. I rarely plan out my poems ahead of time or what I am going to say. I don’t generally outline. I let the feelings guide me and then I expand/enhance the piece accordingly. When I write for kids, I often delve into my own past experiences and the lessons I wish I would have had at that age, and put it in poetic form. I pay special attention to the words I use when writing for children. It’s ok if kids do not understand every single word of the poem you are writing for them, but they should be able to follow along with the theme and get the overall point of the piece.

Stephanie Henson : part four

Why is poetry important? 

Poetry is a form of self expression. It’s therapeutic in a way to lay your feelings bare on the page and for people to have access to that exposed part of you. It’s very personal and engaging. Also, there is a love and mastery of language that is very important, especially for kids to understand at a young age. Lovely Lyrical language is a vivid sensory tool in poetic storytelling for kids and can improve their vocabulary and comprehension of text. 

Stephanie Henson : part three

How important is music to your poetry? 

Music is an integral process to my poetry writing, as well as to my writing process in general. Music is a language all its own. The beats, the sounds, the rhythm, the lyrics, the cadence etc.  - it’s all very poetic by nature. I am greatly inspired by Lin Manuel Miranda, so when there are times where I hit a writer’s block, the first place I turn is to his music. I am almost overwhelmed by his talent. He has a way of incorporating many poetic devices into his work and the flow and intelligence of it is energizing. Of course, Hamilton is a favorite but I also enjoy In the Heights and the Encanto soundtrack as inspiration. The way he weaves central themes throughout his pieces whiie maintaining that overall connection and cohesiveness to the material is genius.

Stephanie Henson : part two

What do you feel poetry can accomplish that other forms can’t? 

I feel poetry connects people. It is built on the foundation of emotion. People need connection, now more than ever. We all have been separated, literally and figuratively, by the events of the past couple years so it’s important to have creative outlets that can fill the gaps when people need it the most. Poetry provides love and comfort and a deeper understanding of feelings - the things people long for right now. Children, especially, have been greatly affected and are in need of pieces to help them understand and find their place in the world, a world that looks much different than it once did.

Stephanie Henson : part one

Stephanie Henson lives with her family in Southeastern, Pennsylvania, but is originally from Central, New Jersey where she studied Communications at Rider University. She is back at Rider pursuing a Certificate in Publishing and Professional Writing. Her background is in Advertising/Marketing and most of her writing experience is through those professional roles. Writing and storytelling has been her passion for a long time. She has been published in print and online through various publications and has had several children's poems published by The Dirigible Balloon and Buzgaga Online, among others, as well as the occasional "grown-up" piece. She also has a Children's Poetry book scheduled for release in affiliation with Experiments in Fiction, an independent publisher in the UK.

Stephanie enjoys reading, theatre, mindless web searching, Netflix binges, sunflowers, sports, and anything related to coffee!

What are you working on?

I just finished up my debut children’s poetry collection. The book is entitled In the Right Lane and is an SEL-based poetry collection that includes many confidence-building and motivational pieces for the Middle-Grade audience (ages 8 to 12). Every kid should have a dream, a plan, a path, and a future.  This Social Emotional Learning based collection of poetry is meant to inspire a new way of thinking to help kids find their path through poetry and help them navigate life on the road to happiness. Confidence building, managing emotions, and finding your place in the world are themes that are explored. These pieces also capture the pure joy of being a kid. Experiencing nature, feelings of love, and - of course - acceptance of self. This book is a guidepost for upper elementary and middle school-aged children on those topics. It is scheduled to release on December 3rd via Amazon in paperback and e-book. 

Aside from that, I also write SEL Picture Books and Middle-Grade Fiction. I have a few pieces on submission right now that I am waiting to hear back on, as well as working on drafts of new stories.