How do you use a heavily poetic style while also using a formatting that's similar to that of modern novel? Is there a way to add a poetic spin to the modern formatting seen in novels that was popularized by Stephen King? I was thinking of using verses, but skipping a line after x number of syllable would make the formatting greatly deviate from the modern formatting used in novel. What do authors who explored this idea usually do to integrate poetry into their novels?
1 Answer
It seems to me that what you are attempting is prose poetry. The linked Wikipedia article gives examples of authors and works and links to relevant further reading.
Three thoughts:
If you want to develop your own language and style, do so, but be aware that the audience for poetry is limited, and that for literary experiments is almost non-existent. You will be writing mostly for yourself and a handful of likeminded individuals, and you will never earn anything from your writing.
That you ask what it is that you are writing shows me that you didn't develop as a writer from reading, but from indulging in your own private world. That approach can lead to great originality, but also – through lack of awarness of literary tradition and consequently an increasing oddness – to rejection and failure. Usually artists profit from familiarizing themselves with the works of others and developing their own art "in dialogue with" the works of others, that give you examples for techniques and inspiration.
Writing is a skill like any other that, in most cases, requires self-control and learning. I find that aspiring writers have a tendency to write in what they assume is a personal "poetic" style, but which, to my perception, often is a lack of linguistic skill and an unwillingness to submit to the effort of acquiring the competency to write in a style that is unobtrusive and easy to read. The sooner you understand that professional writing isn't self-indulgence, the sooner you will find success.