Demystifying Line Breaks, Once and for All
Five approaches to breaking the line from ONLY POEMS editor Shannan Mann
Hey, welcome to The Forever Workshop. First time? Read this. Back again? Here’s what we’ve got for you today…
A workshop for:
Poets who want to craft the perfect line (break)
Your instructor:
Shannan Mann — Creative Director at ONLY POEMS & Strange Pilgrims, and Executive Editor at Sub Club
Key takeaways:
What line breaks actually do (beyond just making text look like poetry)
Techniques for deciding where to enjamb (the technical term for line-breaking)
How to know when you are (or perhaps ought to be) writing a prose poem instead
The relationship between form and content
By the end, you’ll have practical strategies for making intentional line break choices—and the confidence to recognize what kind of poem is emerging from your pen.
