Imagery, poetry and the defamiliar

This is an article that’s been requested by a couple of folk, and a longer answer to a question I’ve been asked at events as well. The question is usually along the lines of ‘how do you come up with the imagery in your writing?’

Now, to be asked that question at all is a huge compliment - I love that readers come away from my writing with even a trace memory of imagery or construed emotion. (I mean, there’s always the possibility what they actually mean is ‘what the hell are you talking about, i...