
Episode #166
Why Your Poetry Isn't Working (And How to Fix It)
What makes writing actually good ? Andrew Bashford is a writing teacher, author, and creator of the popular YouTube channel Writing with Andrew. With an MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy, he has spent years studying what makes writing work. In this conversation, we explore what separates writing that connects from writing that falls flat, why specificity makes our work more powerful, and how feedback and revision help us become better writers. Andrew also takes us inside his own creative process, sharing four drafts of a poem and walking us through how he revises his work to find the heart of what he’s trying to say. We talk about: • What makes a poem—or any piece of writing—work • Why specificity is one of the most powerful tools a writer has • How to know when your work is finished • Why “wasted time” is actually part of the creative process • How paying closer attention to everyday life can make you more creative Whether you write poetry, books, essays, or simply want to become a better communicator, this conversation is a fascinating look at what it really takes to strengthen your craft and create work that connects.





