National Poetry Month
By patgalca
@patgalca (18355)
Orangeville, Ontario
March 31, 2009 4:15pm CST
April is National Poetry Month and Writer's Digest has put out a challenge: Write a poem a day every day in the month of April. Anyone up for the challenge? Do you think you have it in you? These poems don't have to be works of art, just make the effort. I think I'm going to give it a try. Anyone else?
2 people like this
8 responses
@sunnflr (2767)
• United States
31 Mar 09
Sounds interesting. I'm game, but you'll have to remind me or else I'll forget. My memory sucks!
I'll try to remember on days I don't get on the comp. Maybe I can do two the next day or something. Hopefully I can remember to do this.
Are you gonna put the poems here or on a blog or what?
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
1 Apr 09
Here is the Writer's Digest link:
http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/April+PAD+Challenge+2009+Rules++Blahblahblah.aspx
I have no intention, however, of posting on their website. This is just a challenge that I will try and participate on my own. The day is more than half over and I am just getting around to checking my emails so I will be very, very lucky if I manage to write a poem today. I had so little energy this morning I couldn't get out of bed. Finally dragged myself out just before 1pm. Perhaps I'll write a poem about that.
Good luck!
Good luck!2 people like this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
3 Apr 09
Oh wow... I didn't know that! I guess I could give it a whirl, although I'll probably forget some days. I think poems need to be written on the actual days. I haven't seen any Writer's Digest challenge, but it'll be a good exercise anyway, for my next book.
Thank you for the heads up my friend, and Brightest Blessings.
@comfort55 (1574)
• India
1 Apr 09
Hi Patgalca, it's a very good effort, especially if you have the talent. On my part, I don't have the knack to write poems. Have a nice day!
2 people like this
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
1 Apr 09
I didn't think I was much of a poem writer either until we did a sort of poetry workshop in our writing group. There are some people in my writing group who never wrote a poem in their life and now find themselves writing them all the time. They don't have to rhyme to be poems.
I never EVER thought I would be able to write short stories. I more of a novel writer as well, but I have taken some workshops and learned to write some pretty good short stories. You never know until you try.
2 people like this
@xoxoxowithlove (100)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I will give it a try.. What can it hurt..hAHA.. I love writing anyways so starting tomarrow I will be writing my poems:)Thanks for the heads up:)
2 people like this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
2 Apr 09
I think a challenge like this is a great motivator...even if I am starting a day late (April 2nd) and a poem short. I find that sometimes I am most creative when I am competing with myself (like a topic or time frame).
A poem a day also seems to be an achievable goal. I've tried the NaNoWriMo unsuccessfully because I just got overwhelmed with the goal. This is possible, however, because a poem isn't confined to a certain length, subject, etc. There's much more freedom to this challenge.
Thanks for raising the topic. Also posting it to a paying site (even for page views) is a great idea, too! (Provides a reward for your poetry effort.) Good luck with your poems. I am off to check out the site you've linked.
Good luck with your poems!
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
2 Apr 09
I'm already a day behind because my health has knocked me on my butt. Hopefully I will be able to catch up.
There are other writing websites that are having the same challenge as Writer's Digest. Writer's Workshop is doing it but I think they are working with WD. Also, another website I heard from (Women Today????) - I don't participate there anymore when I can post my poems and other writings on Triond and earn money, even if it is only a couple of dollars.
By the way, the Writer's Digest challenge is providing prompts daily. You may want to check that out if you are feeling blocked.
Good luck!
1 person likes this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
3 Apr 09
I like your idea about earning some residuals. I've never tried Triond, but I am on Helium and AC. I re-post a lot of stuff to AC for page views, so maybe I will put the poems there. Thanks for letting me know. I enjoyed the WD website link even though I will just do the exercise on my own.
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
29 May 09
Thanks for the pencil. I needed it today, but that's another story. I didn't carry out with the poem per day challenge this time, but I may try this sometime just on my own. I saw that lots of folks posted poems daily over on Associated Content! I enjoyed reading them anyway!
@BarBaraPrz (47125)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
31 Mar 09
It's been ages since I wroe a poem. Let's see if I can come up with something now...
um...
uh...
nope, guess not. But if something does come up, I'll let you know.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
1 Apr 09
Doesn't have to rhyme, you know. What we did in our workshop was this. The leader for the day had an envelope filled with tiny pieces of paper. Each piece of paper had one word on it. We just grabbed some words, put them together, slipped in some conjunctions and voila... best poetry I've ever written, I think.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47125)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Apr 09
Oh, I know it doesn't have to rhyme. I'm just not feeling particularly lyrical at the moment.
Funny you should mention that about the slips of paper with single words on them... I'm currently reading Bill Richardson's Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast, in which they have a parrot that loves fortune cookies... the little slips just pile up under her perch. One day, one of the brothers gathered them up and arranged them into this poem (which does rhyme):
[i]Beware of those who write from afar.
An unwanted visitor will soon appear.
Be sure you know who your real friends are.
The future for you is far from clear.
A stranger comes who is no friend.
Are wealth and fortune all they seem?
Each beginning has its end.
Pay more attention to your dreams.[/i]
1 person likes this
