Don’t be afraid to derivate away* from couplets.
I’m not. Using end rhymes is not the norm for me, and while free verse is my go-to if I have a clear idea of what it is I ‘need’ to get out, I often find it more fun to write using creative constraints, like rhyming, alliterations, sestinas, etc. Constraints, rules, specific or random inspiration, is also helping a lack of inspiration or motivation coalesce into something useful, you know. Rising to the challenge.
My process is never quite the same. In the case of The Unborn, I had this thing (aggregation of memories, thoughts, emotions) that I wanted to… Play with. Convey, somehow.
The first version took two hours to write. It was very specific. Then I spent about an hour with making the rhyming better. Some lines got double rhymes. Tbere was a theme of rhyming about every third paragraph with ‘other’. Still garbage.
Cut out everything except the core of every line. This was planned from early on.
Looked at it again, started cutting that which didn’t fit. Moved some early paragraphs closer to the end. Almost ready.
Asked John for another pair of eyes. We’ve both studied creative writing at the same school but with different teachers and I know he’s got the eye. I wouldn’t have asked just anyone. He gave me some good feedback. Final touch: Adding the ‘fucking’ in ‘incomprefuckinghensible’.
Aaannd done. It turned out Very different from what I had had in mind, but I’m very happy with it.
*(yes I am aware that is not proper grammar, I no care, i english expert)
Deriwayt a minute! Aren’t you strayan?
