Chris White began writing and drawing pictures when he was a teenager. Fifteen years later, his first book of poetry was published and he is now a professional poet, illustrator and performer.

You can find out more about Chris White at the Potty Poets website.

Here are Chris's top tips for how to write great poetry:

I wish I knew! I suppose the ideas can come from anywhere really. Sometimes I'll hear a funny phrase or story and think "Oooh! I must remember that for a poem." Sometimes, though, they'll just pop in my head when I least expect it and I'll think "Crikey! Where did that come from!" Sometimes ideas are scribbled down for ages before they actually become poems.

Write it from the heart. Don't worry about if other people think it's good or not - just do it for your own amusement. If your poem makes you smile/cry/wet yourself then you've written a good poem. Put as much of yourself into it as you can - don't be afraid to write what you are feeling - those feelings turn into the best poems.

I try not to decide. I'll get a good idea and start writing. More often than not , when you start scribbling, the poem writes itself. Some poems which I thought would be short ones have turned into epics and some poems which I thought would go on forever turn out to be over in a few lines. It's important to stop when you've said all you need to say. It's different of course if you want it to be a performance poem, because then you need to add in bits that people can join in with - that's the fun bit!

Either change the bit you are stuck on to make it easier (like if you are having trouble rhyming a particular word then just change the word for a similar one), go and have a cup of tea then come back to it later or just scrap it completely and go and do something else because it's obviously not meant to be!

Just enjoy it. If you have to force it too much then don't do it! That's the good thing about poetry - when you have run out of ideas or struggling to continue your poem - just stop - poems can be any length you want.
And remember - not every poem you write can be a classic (but now and again, it all comes together, and one will be. That's when you sit there with a big fat smile on your face!)

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