A good way to learn to write haiku is to read haiku. Here are a couple of strategies to try when beginning.
Suggestion One
1. With paper and pen, sit down and relax.
2. Look around the room.
3. Find something that gets the attention, such as a spider.
4. What is the spider doing or where do you see the spider or when do you see the spider?
5. Now you have your first two lines:
a spider
in a corner spinning a web
6. For the third line, ask what does those two lines remind you of? They remind me of a fisherman's net. Now I have my haiku:
a spider
in a corner spinning a web
a fisherman's net
Suggestion Two
1. Find a haiku you like. You may use one in this guide, or one from the websites or other resources provided.
2. Take out a sheet of paper and write the first line on the top. Leave some space, then write the second line. Further down, write the third line.
3. Below each line, substitute as many nouns and verbs that come to your mind.
4. My substitution for the spider haiku above:
a fly
escaping the corner web
a wrestler's hold
It can also be completely changed:
a woodpecker
pecking at an oak
a wood carver
Unless otherwise noted, the haiku in this guide are the work of the author.