To be a Wordsmith

Fun With Matt and Anna

2008-06-09T14:17:00.003-04:00

One day Matt and Anna find themselves at a shoe store.

Who are Matt and Anna? How did they get to the shoe store or why did they go? You tell me. This week I want to hear their story (any written form; story essay song poem etc.)

You're probably wondering 'why a prompt this week instead of a

I will answer your cry for a lesson. I want you to stretch your creativity as far as it will go. The prompt was very loose for a reason. I want an answer that is brainstormed out of the box. I challenge you to write the bizzare or the fantastic. You have creative control, use it.

For example, in my story I'll make them a couple. Matt is a beetle but Anna is a centipede. Matt complains that Anna is taking too long to pick out shoes she'll wear to an upcoming wedding. It ends with a silly centipede one liner from Anna. My story is silly and simple and it took me 5 minutes to brainstorm.

Send me your stories about them be they silly or serious or even just plain strange.

Until the next free minute at work hiding with my iPod touch to slowly type out a post, keep writing!

Setting your mood with music!

2008-05-15T14:07:00.001-04:00

Ambiance is a very important part of writing, because your mood is the writing's mood. Now, every writer has their preference or environment. Some prefer silence, other prefer a bustling crowd, while my personal preference is to crank up my iPod to block everything out.

And music is what we will be concentrating on today, because music can be a very useful tool for a writer.

Let's start with an explanation. I'll explain again that your mood is the mood your writing is going to be. Get angry when you write a fight scene, get upset when you write a death or breakup scene, get happy when you write a reunion scene. Remember, you are writing the words, it comes from your brain and your emotions live up there too.

What I would like you all to do is one of two things. Either first think of a scene you would like to write, or begin creating your playlist. Both work, and both depend on preference.

To create your playlist, search through your library and select songs that reflect the proper tempo, lyrics, and instruments. If your library consists of only pop songs with the same sound for every song, I suggest trying musicovery.com, which provides a great service to listeners. Of course, this does not work on portable mp3 players without the internet, but a computer with headphones attached or just listening through speakers works as well.

With your playlist created, get out your paper and pencil/pen or open up your word document in another window.

Scene thought of first:
Click play and let your thoughts flow! Allow the music to affect you.

Music set up first:
click play and brainstorm on the spot, diving into the story.

For some, this method is great for their writing. For others, it doesn't work. Either way, it's a lot of fun, and another chance to practice practice practice!

I wrote above that scenes/stories are what I want you to create, but perhaps the best use is for poem writing because of the emotional creation. I sometimes forget poetry because I am not a poet, but I want to make poets feel welcome to use these lessons as well. Sorry!

Let me know how it works for you! It could be some great fun. Remeber, if you send me what you've created because of this, I'll either post it or link to it (depending on size of course).

Until the next time I blog, keep writing!

(Just a note real quick, I want to thank everyone who has been nice enough to leave a comment with some kind words for me. They are what keeps me blogging because few like speaking into a deaf audience. Your comments keep me going strong!)

Poetry Month (April 26-30)

2008-04-25T23:14:00.003-04:00

Well poetry month has been a lot of fun, huh? So, as a glorious rap-up, let's dive into the final five poem types! Remember, all definitions are thanks to and written by Shadowpoetry.com.

26th- Nonet
27th- Etheree
28th- Rictameter
29th- Brevette
30th- The Pictorial

We begin with the Nonet. This is how shadowpoetry.com defines a nonet poem: "A nonet has nine lines. The first line has nine syllables, the second line eight syllables, the third line seven syllables, etc... until line nine that finishes with one syllable. It can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.

line 1 - 9 syllables
line 2 - 8 syllables
line 3 - 7 syllables
line 4 - 6 syllables
line 5 - 5 syllables
line 6 - 4 syllables
line 7 - 3 syllables
line 8 - 2 syllables
line 9 - 1 syllable "

Ready for examples, anyone?

Example: School
I wish we didn't have to stay here.
The only good part is lunchtime,
eating and playing handball
instead of doing maths.
I don't like history
or geography.
I can't wait
for the
bell.
by Suzanne Honour

Example: Whispers of Innocence
Winter slips in with the faintest sigh
bringing whispers of innocence
cloaking the town in beauty
a canvas of pure white
reminding me of
holidays past
as I watch
the snow
fall
by Holly Armer

The next poem type of the day is the Etheree, a poem type similar to the Nonet poem but with a few differences. Shadowpoetry.com was kind enough to write out the definition to explain to you these differences:
"The poetry form, Etheree, consists of 10 lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 syllables. Etheree can also be reversed and written 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Reversed Etheree: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Double Etheree: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1"

Example: Life and death(Double Etheree)
"Life
fading
cascading
each breath I take
closer steps I make
into the lonely grave
my eternal haunting cave
punished, being the devil's slave
only the good die young and ascend
so therefore I shall be bad to the end

thinking of the crazy times I have had
painful reflections that leave me sad
too late to contemplate a change
learnt behavior seems so strange
past generations taught
the wisdom I sought
but did not heed
now I need
new breath
death...."
by Bob Shank

Example: For Blue Rew
"Blue,
simple
yet much more...
Sky, water, grief
but today? Pure joy!
Birthday wishes for you;
may your day be full of light,
your heart full of laughter and love.
One final thing, thank you for being
you; a wonderful friend that I treasure."
by RedAquarius

The third poem for this week is the Rictameter. The definition found on shadowpoetry.com is:
"Rictameter is a scheme similar to Cinquain. Starting your first line with a two syllable word, you then consecutively increase the number of syllables per line by two. i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 Then down again, 8, 6, 4, 2 Making the final line the same two syllable word you began with."

Example:Empathy
"Feelings
in teenage girls
change like the weather in
Melbourne, one minute it's raining
then it's hailing, half an hour after that
it's warm and sunny, so intense.
I was a teenager once
and recall those
feelings"
by Suzanne Honour

Example: April Dogwood
"dogwood
ripe pink blossoms
wake again each April
pristine beauty nourishes soul
a wave of happiness welcomes me home
greedy eyes once more satisfied
slowing down for a glimpse
spring confection
dogwood"
by Janet Louise H.

The second to last poem for poetry month this year is the Brevette! A short but beautiful poem. The definition found on shadowpoetry.com is:
"The Brevette, created by Emily Romano consists of a subject (noun), verb, and object (noun), in this exact order. The verb should show an ongoing action. This is done by spacing out the letters in the verb. There are only three words in the poem, giving it the title Brevette.
Each of the three words may have any number of syllables, but it is desireable that the poem have balance in the choice of these words. Unlike haiku, there are no other rules to follow."

Example: Overachiever
sycophant
o s c u l a t e s
derriere
by Pollycheck

Example: Confession
confession
c l e a n s e s
spirit
by Josipher32

And finally, the last poem of poetry month- the pictorial! Shadowpoetry.com has a great definition for this really cool shape poem.
"The Pictorial, created by Emily Romano is a type of shape poem, where the entire poem
must be printed in slanting lines indicative of the thought in those lines. The poem should consist of three lines with five words or less per line. There should be rhyme somewhere in the poem, either end rhyme or internal rhyme."

Unfortunately, I had a difficult time finding a satisfactory example on the internet of one of these poems, so I must ask that you look at the examples presented in the definition. Click here to go to the page and find the examples.

So thank you all very very much for checking out this special edition poetry month! Through this fun and wonderful exercise I have learned about poetry and even found some great new websites. I hope you all had the same enlightening and fun experience that I had.

I will be accepting poem submissions until May 10th. Please include your name, a website you would like to be affiliated with, a date, and the type of poem you wrote. You may remain anonymous if you wish, but please include the poem type at the least or I will not post your poem. Send all submissions to queennsydney@yahoo.com. I hope to read some really great poems soon! Until I blog again with the results, keep writing!

Poetry Month (April 20-24)

2008-04-19T17:21:00.005-04:00

20th- Musette
21st- Essence
22nd- Pleiades
23rd- Clerihew
24th- Epitaph

Ready for another week of poetry fun? Alright!

On a side note, happy Pesach and on the 22nd, earth day! The first poem type of the week is the musette.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a musette as: "a poem that consists of three verses of three lines
each. The first lines have two syllables; the second lines have four syllables, and the third lines have two syllables. The rhyme scheme is a/b/a for the first verse; c/d/c for the second verse, and e/f/e for the third verse. The title should reflect the poem’s content."

Example: Camera Nut

Smile, please
Now move closer ~
Say cheese

Eyes crossed
Do it again ~
I'm lost

No fear
Ready on three ~
Look here!
by starkat

Example: Black
Deep space;
A raven's wing;
The trace

Of kohl
- Egyptian's eyes;
A mole;

Incense;
Vanilla pod;
Absence.
by devilzadvocate

I really like this next poem type. The essence poem is short, sweet, simple, and can be very beautiful.
Shadowpoetry.com defines an essence poem as: "a short, structured form of two-lines, six syllables each with an end rhyme and internal rhyme."

Example: Birth of Dreams
Moonbeams flood sleepy earth ~
Night dreams are given birth.
by Luna

Example: A Park Bench Glance
Huddled against the cold;
troubled, homeless and old.
by EnigmaticMonday

Our third poem type of this week is the pleiades.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a pleiades poem.
"This titled form was invented in 1999 by Craig Tigerman, Sol Magazine's Lead Editor. Only one word is allowed in the title followed by a single seven-line stanza. The first word in each line begins with the same letter as the title. Hortensia Anderson, a popular haiku and tanka poet, added her own requirement of restricting the line length to six syllables."

Example: Weary
Whether or not you care,
willfully I voice my
woeful littany of
weekend chores in which you
wallow, unexpected,
working as you try to
watch a football game or two.
by Mariacristina

Example: TIME
tenacious and fluid
trolls the waters of memory
twines contemporanously
tendrils of conciousness
twists of calendar years
tosses an alchemical salad
traps us by surprise
by ridinghhood

The clerihew poems can be a lot of fun to write and read.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a clerihew poem as:
"a comic verse consisting of two couplets and a specific rhyming scheme, aabb invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875-1956) at the age of 16. The poem is about/deals with a person/character within the first rhyme. In most cases, the first line names a person, and the second line ends with something that rhymes with the name of the person."

Example:
Sir Humphrey Davy
Abominated gravy.
He lived in the odium
Of having discovered sodium.
by Edmund Clerihew Bentley

Example: Sleep
My bed is always my friend
I don't want sleep to end
Somehow though I always wake up tired
Maybe it should be fired
by Sarah

A poem type that's really a lot of fun to write, though sort of morbid, is the epitaph poem.
Shadowpoetry.com defines an epitaph poem as:
"a brief poem inscribed on a tombstone praising a deceased person, usually
with rhyming lines."

Example: My Epitaph Poem
Here lies the man named Buck
he just ran plum out of luck.
He's buried here in the ground
Now ya know where he be found
by Buck Withers

Example: The tombstone of Hillaire Belloc (1870-1953)
Here richly, with ridiculous display,
The Politician’s corpse was laid away.
While all of his acquaintance sneered and slanged,
I wept: for I had longed to see him hanged.

That's all for this week! I'll write again on the 25th for the final five poems:
26th- Nonet
27th- Etheree
28th- Rictameter
29th- Brevette
30th- The Pictorial

Until then- keep writing!

Poetry Month (April 14-18)

2008-04-18T17:42:00.002-04:00

14th:Tyburn
15th:Tongue Twists
16th:Nove Otto
17th:Oddquain
18th:Mini-monoverse

So the first poem for this week is tyburn.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a tyburn poem as:
"A six line poem consisting of 2, 2, 2, 2, 9, 9 syllables. The first four lines rhyme and are all descriptive words. The last two lines rhyme and incorporate the first, second, third, and fourth lines as the 5th through 8th syllables."
Example: Shall I?

Prevent?
Comment?
Lament?
Assent?
No need to prevent, comment ... undress.
Don't think of lament ... assent, caress.
by Suzanne Honour

Example: At the Airport

Sleepless
Restless
Breathless
Wondrous
Promising a Sleepless, Restless flight
Hoping for some Breathless, Wondrous sights
by Ben Gieske

The next poem is tongue twists.
Shadowpoetry.com defines tongue twists as:
"Made up of lines/verses that are hard to say when read aloud by using similar consonant sounds in succession (use of alliteration). In other words, the poem ties your tongue into knots. This form does not require end or internal rhyme."

Example:
An undertaker undertook to under take an undertaking. The undertaking that the
undertaker undertook was the hardest undertaking the undertaker ever undertook to undertake.

Found here

Example: lost Lamb

Last lent, Laura and Lester
lest they lost their luster,
lamented at the loss of
their loyal little lamb.
At the loss of the lamb
They languished on
their laurels lamenting,
lounging on the lawn.
So they lost their laugh
at the loss of their
loyal little lamb.
by Amera

The third poem type, for the 16th, is a nove otto poem.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a nove otto poem:
"The Nove Otto poetry form was created by Scott J. Alcorn. It is a nine-lined poem with 8 syllables per line (isosyllabic). The rhyme scheme is as follows: aacbbcddc."

Example: Caribbean nights

The soft flickering flame entreats.
Candle burns slow - its fragrance sweet.
Bare Terra cotta walls close in,
stifling in the late evening...
A careless moth tempts fate- dancing-
The scotch and I...alone again.
Soft Caribbean nights call me.
Dark, unknown waves roll from the sea-
The moth's last flight- hovers and spins...
by Scott J. Alcorn

Example: emotions tarry in limbo

now empty, his promise shattered
had it ever really mattered?
simple pleasures already gone
all around me, http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifin his shadow
emotions tarry in limbo
his love, now untimely withdrawn,
was whispered “till death do us part”
yet these words have destroyed my heart…
broken glass of our love’s icon
by Alfred Booth

A cool poem type is the oddquain.
Shadowpoetry.com defines an oddquain as:
"short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of seventeen syllables distributed 1, 3, 5, 7, 1 in five lines, developed by Glenda L. Shank.
Oddquain variations:
oddquain sequences - poems made up of oddquain stanzas
crown oddquains - a five stanza oddquain sequence
reverse oddquains - a oddquain with a reverse syllable pattern of 1-7-5-3-1
mirror oddquains - a two stanza oddquain sequence of the pattern 1-3-5-7-1 1-7-5-3-1
oddquain butterflies - a “merged mirror oddquain” where the two stanzas of a mirror
oddquain are merged together, one of the middle 1 syllable lines is dropped, resulting in one nine line stanza of the form 1-3-5-7-1-7-5-3-1. Please note that a oddquain butterfly is not a “oddquain” because it doesn’t have five lines, but it is “butterfly” made up of two oddquains that were merged together into one poem."

Example: Cards

Cards
Game of chance
Can be played alone
As a game of solitaire
Deal
by Dove

Example (sequences with monorhyme.): Seasons

Trees,
in Fall's breeze
with colored leaves, tease
as degrees, ignoring pleas,
freeze.

Snow
soon will blow,
as Winter's days flow,
dropping temperatures go
low.

Bring
season's king,
with sprouting seedling,
to rid us of Winter's sting...
Spring!

Yet,
to Spring wet,
Summer owes its debt
that's, as seasons' cycles set,
met.
by Peggy Paris

The last poem type for today is the mini-monoverse.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a Mini-monoverse poem as:
"a poetry form originated by Emily Romano. Each Mini-monoverse is made up of two stanzas of five three-syllable lines. They rhyme scheme is a/a/a/a/a for the first stanza and b/b/b/b/b for the second stanza. For a double Mini-monoverse just add two more stanzas. They rhyme scheme for the third stanza should be c/c/c/c/c and for the fourth stanza, d/d/d/d/d. It is desirable that the Mini-monoverse tell a story, but this is not a hard and fast rule."

Example: The Kill

Crack of dawn
On the lawn,
Timid fawn,
Lacking Brawn,
Becomes pawn.

Nature's raw --
Tooth and Claw,
Crushing jaw!
This I saw
Filled with awe.
by Emily Romano

Example: The Addict

Pusher's deed
Sowed the seed
For my need
There to feed
On my greed

Gorgeous lie
While on high
I could fly
Liquid sky
Lorelei!

by Aidenconnors

Next week:
20th- Musette
21th- Essence
22th- Pleiades
23th- Clerihew
24th- Epitaph

Until the next time I post (19th probably) keep writing!

Poetry month (April 8-12)

2008-04-18T11:34:00.005-04:00

This week's types:
8th- Septolet
9th- Palindrome
10th- Harrishan Rhyme
11th- Epulaeryu
12th- Diatelle

The first type is the Septolet. Shadowpoetry.com defines a Septolet as:
"a poem consisting of seven lines containing fourteen words with a break in between
the two parts. Both parts deal with the same thought and create a picture."

Example: Fireworks
Fizzling fuses
sizzle into
colorful cylinders.

Suddenly,
night skies explode;
sparkling fireballs
dazzle onlookers.

by starkat

Example: Leaf Lakes

Shimmering lakes
on green
flood then careen

Miniature rivers
cascading from

leaf to

leaf

by: delightfulmess

We move on to palindrome. I like these, they can be really fun to write. By using well placed punctuation, you can really make a great poem.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a palindrome as
"a word, phrase, verse, sentence, or even poem that reads the same
forward or backward."

There are three ways to write a palindrome.

Example 1: Love is This and This is Love
Darling, my love
Is great, so great;
Recalling Heaven's calm above.
Fate is sweet this---
All after fall!
Fall? After all,
This, sweet, is fate--
Above calm Heaven's recalling.

Great, so great is
Love, my darling!
by J. A. Lindon

Example 2:
Mood's mode!
Pallas, I won!
(Diaper pane, sold entire.)
Melt till ever sere, hide it.
Drown a more vile note;
(Tar of rennet.)
Ah, trowel, baton, eras ago.
The reward? A "nisi." Two nag.

Otary tastes putrid, yam was green.
Odes up and on; stare we.
Rats nod. Nap used one-erg saw.
(May dirt upset satyr?)

A toga now; 'tis in a drawer, eh?
Togas are notable.
(Worth a tenner for Ate`.)
Tone liver. O Man, word-tied I.

Here's revel!
Little merit, Ned? Lose, Nap?
Repaid now is all apedom's doom.
by Hubert Phillips

Example 3:Doppelganger
Entering the lonely house with my wife
I saw him for the first time
Peering furtively from behind a bush --
Blackness that moved,
A shape amid the shadows,
A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes
Revealed in the ragged moon.
A closer look (he seemed to turn) might have
Put him to flight forever --
I dared not
(For reasons that I failed to understand),
Though I knew I should act at once.

I puzzled over it, hiding alone,
Watching the woman as she neared the gate.
He came, and I saw him crouching
Night after night.
Night after night
He came, and I saw him crouching,
Watching the woman as she neared the gate.

I puzzled over it, hiding alone --
Though I knew I should act at once,
For reasons that I failed to understand
I dared not
Put him to flight forever.

A closer look (he seemed to turn) might have
Revealed in the ragged moon.
A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes
A shape amid the shadows,
Blackness that moved.

Peering furtively from behind a bush,
I saw him for the first time,
Entering the lonely house with my wife.
by James A. Lindon

Our next poem is a Harrisham Rhyme.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a Harrisham Rhyme:
"Harrisham Rhyme, created by the female poet, Harrisham Minhas, belonging to the State of Punjab in India, of a six-line rhyming stanza. In this form, the last alphabet of the first word of each line is the first alphabet of the first word of next line.
There is no restriction on the starting alphabet of the first line."

Example: Dancing Pebbles
Soft, is the wind floating feathered dreams,
twirling into billows of pale shades of blue
guarded by mountains with cool pebbled streams,
dance over memories of a time spent with you
elation of nature holds heart in warmth’s beams,
nobility of love, reflecting from view
By jasminerose

Example: Along the Road I'm Walking
The road ahead I can not see;
each step, circumstances all are pending.
High mountains steep and rough may be
hard as from death's valley I'm ascending.
E'en though I know not where it takes me,
never fear, I know it's ending.
by Annie

Now we will look at epulaeryu.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a epulaeryu as:
"all about delicious food. It consists of seven lines with thirty-three (33) syllables. The first line has seven (7) syllables, the second line five (5), the third line seven (7), the fourth line five (5), the fifth line five (5), the sixth line three (3), and the seventh line has only one (1) syllable which ends with an exclamation mark. The form is 7/5/7/5/5/3/1. Each line has one thought which is about the main course. Therefore, this poetic form, the Epulaeryu, which has corresponding lines built around the main course and ending with an exclamation point, concludes with the ending line expressing the writer’s excitement and feelings about the poem. The poem may be rhymed or unrhymed."

Example: Island Lobster Treat
On the plate lobster steaming

So finger licking

Pallet and taste buds jumping

Mango juice—real nice!

This taste is just right

Lobster treats?

Yea!
by Joseph Spence, Sr.

Example: Keeping it simple
Snap crackle pop, happy smile
Cornflakes fresh and crisp
sliced bananas, strawberries
too – caramel mousse
dollop of whip cream
What a dream
Crunch.
by Margaret Okubo

The last type for today is the Diatelle.
Shadowpoetry.com defines a Diatelle as:
"a fun, syllable counting form like the etheree with a twist. The syllable structure of the diatelle is as follows: 1/2/3/4/6/8/10/12/10/8/6/4/3/2/1, but unlike an ethere, has a set rhyme pattern of abbcbccaccbcbba. This poetry form may be written on any subject matter and looks best center aligned in a diamond shape."

Example: Red Leaves
Wind
in blew
red leaves hue
abandon quelled
feathered in gutters view
rustled its leaf down the street spelled,
up towards the sky ; landed as it felled
airy, chased by magic ambience, whimsical, jelled
presence, unflawed sewage, rain grit, defined
mud, feathered lint, all the trash meld
global, natures compelled
beauty, askewed
shape, withheld
handheld
Blind
By kendhal22

Example: Blues Creeps In
fear
snuck in
it had been
hid until now
it smiles and then it grins
I have to wipe my fevered brow
fear I refuse entrance, I won't allow
it wants to torture me for things I did back there
this time fear will not find me I avow
I am not like I was back when
living for pills and gin
please tell me how
blank out sin
its twin
tear
by Jerry Pat Bolton

Next week's poem types:
14th:Tyburn
15th:Tongue Twists
16th:Nove Otto
17th:Oddquain
18th:Mini-monoverse

I am soooo sorry for the delay, I thought I submitted this week's work, but when I went to submit the next week's work, I couldn't even find the draft. It disheartened me and so I couldn't bring myself to retype it and type a new one.

But here I am, and I want to remind you that even if you run into computer problems, keep writing!

Poetry Month (April 2-6)

2008-04-01T11:43:00.000-04:00

This is poetry month and in honor of poetry, we are going to... write some poems! I have selected 25 of my favorite types of poems, and on the days marked on the calendar above(definition days(1st, 7th, 13th, 19th, 25th)) I will tell you how to do the next 5 poems. I hope you have a great time writing poetry! Not my favorite writing type, but even if the poems stink, everyone has fun in the end.

The first five poems to write are on the following days:

2nd- Cinquian
3rd- Shape Poetry
4th- Tetractys
5th- Clarity Pyramid
6th- Wrapped Refrain

I used shadowpoetry.com for the definitions. Shadowpoetry.com is a great site if you're into poetry. It features contests and many resources like definitions, guides, a handbook, biographies of famous poets, and much much more.

For the April 2nd, the poem type is the cinquian poem.
"Cinquain is a short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of twenty-two syllables distributed
as 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, in five lines...
Another form, sometimes used by school teachers to teach grammar, is as follows:
Line 1: Noun
Line 2: Description of Noun
Line 3: Action
Line 4: Feeling or Effect
Line 5: Synonym of the initial noun"(shadowpoetry.com).

Example:

Spaghetti
Messy, spicy
Slurping, sliding, falling
Between my plate and mouth
Delicious
(by Cindy Barden)

Example:

Listen...
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.
(by Adalaide Crapsey)

For April 3rd, the poem type is shape poetry.
"Shape is one of the main things that separate prose and poetry. Poetry can take on many formats,
but one of the most inventive forms is for the poem to take on the shape of its subject. Therefore,
if the subject of your poem were of a flower, then the poem would be shaped like a flower. If it
were of a fish, then the poem would take on the shape of a fish. ><<<*>
Shape and Concrete Poetry go hand-in-hand; however, Concrete or Visual Poetry don’t have to
take on the particular shape of the poem’s subject, but rather the wording in the poem can enhance
the effect of the words"(shadowpoetry.com).

Shadowpoetry.com suggests drawing the shape first and then fitting the text into it. It also warns against shapes that may be too difficult.

Because of the way blogspot works, I cannot show a certain shape, so I'll link in some examples.

Example 1 and Example 2 are from the same page. They are relatively simple, and more what I expect you to create.

Example 3 is an example of an extremely complicated but beautiful shape poem by Jonathon Price.

For April 4th, the poem type is tetractys.
"Tetractys, a poetic form invented by Ray Stebbing, consists of at least 5 lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 10
syllables (total of 20). Tetractys can be written with more than one verse, but must follow suit
with an inverted syllable count. Tetractys can also bereversed and written 10, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Double Tetractys: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 10, 4, 3, 2, 1
Triple Tetractys: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 10, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10
and so on."(Shadowpoetry.com).

Example(single): Excel

To
become
a master
practice perfect
execution of all the basic skills.

Example(double): Sunburn

Hot
Summer
Sunshine burns.
Protect yourself.
Always wear a hat and stay in the shade,
Sunburn causes blisters and peeling skin.
Apply sunscreen
Keep your youth.
Don't get
Burnt.

For April 5th, the poem type is clarity pyramid.
"A Clarity Pyramid is a poem consisting of two triplets and a single line (7 lines in all). Usually,
this poem is center aligned when displayed.
The first triplet has 1, 2, and 3 syllables. The title of the poem is the one-syllable word of the
first triplet, which is displayed in all capital letters. This line is followed by a two-syllable line,
and then a three-syllable line, both of which clarify the definition of the poem, or are synonyms
for the title.
The second triplet has 5, 6, and 7 syllables. Its design is based around a life event contained
within the triplet which helps give a poetic view oroutlook on the first line (title).
The last line is 8 syllables, and is in quotations as this line contains a quote that defines the first
word (title)"(Shadowpoetry.com).

Example:

JAZZ
in thought
simply deep

I once heard Coltrane
His stuff, tight, astounding
Never have gotten over such

"His stuff is deep as the ocean..."
(by Jacquii Cooke)

Example: YOU

YOU
Lunar
Mystic Miss

A beautiful mind
Likes to give you all gifts
Mirror images at night

"Writes uniquely sensitive work"
(by Machu Picchu)

Finally, for April 6th, the poem type is wrapped refrain.
"The Wrapped Refrain, created by Jan Turner, consists of 2 stanzas of 6 lines each;
Meter: 8,8,8,8,12,12 and Rhyme Scheme: a,a,b,b,c,c.
Refrain rule: In each stanza the first 4 syllables (or 4 single-syllable words) in the first line must be
the last 4 syllables (or 4 single-syllable words) at the end of the last line. This is what wraps each
stanza with a repeated refrain ...thus, the wrapped refrain.
Optional: The first stanza refrain and last stanza refrain can be joined (or loosely joined) together
for the title of the poem"(Shadowpoetry.com).

Example: Fruit of Knowledge

The evil fruit enchants my sight
with strive for perpetual delight,
teach me now the words to utter,
end this game of nightly flutter.
Show me my new world lacking this endless repute
surrounding this undone soul of the evil fruit.

Attain this night and try to see
my lurking mind's fallen banshee.
She comes to me to teach a thought,
her eyes have seen a mind’s distraught,
each dilatory hour her soft songs recite
along paths made of knowledge I attain this night.
(by Jay H.)

Example: The Lulling

They failed that day to take a stance,
leaving their offspring cast to chance -
allowed the world's whims to dictate.
But lies build up and suffocate,
deception comes in lullabies and has its way.
They wake, only to realize, they failed that day.

Truth is obscure, gray, void of light
and who can say what's wrong or right,
so they turned their heads, hoped the best.
Without mentors, their children guessed
and searched for meaning elsewhere, something to endure.
In confusion, they wondered why truth is obscure.
(by kansaspoet)

And those are all of the poem for the first six days. It took me a LONG a$$ time to compile with a lot of searching for good poems and typing, so please appreciate it and submit a poem you have created.

Next week's types:
8th- Septolet
9th- Palindrome
10th- Harrishan Rhyme
11th- Epulaeryu
12th- Diatelle

Until the 7th, keep writing!

It's my birthday!

2008-03-30T00:52:00.001-04:00

Yay! I'm 16 today! Not really that exciting actually... next week I'm having a party and I'm forcing some friends to go with me and volunteer to pack food for the elderly. It should be great! I promised them cake after >.<

So Karis Koett sent me the following unphotographable scene.

Night Ski

The computer said it was 2 degrees out, but it had to have been to be at least 0. It may have just been the shock of going from inside to outside. The sun was setting, but it always sets very slowly in Alaska, so although it was well after 10:00 in the evening there were still remnants of the light reflecting of the stratus clouds that stretched from the north sky. The puffs of white were blue and pink with a darkening background. Everything south was dark. We walked towards the spot where we would put our skis on, shoes crunching in the snow. Crunch, crunch, crunch, it went, and so on. The sound of the skis rubbing against each other as I carried them in my left arm, and my poles, falling slightly, clicking against each other as I tried to adjust them in my right arm. We walked quietly towards our spot, through the dusky evening, white covered world. The buildings are hardly distinguishable, except for the odd colored paint that shows through the dabbles of snow that seems to control the color. Even the red house we pass on the left is less red, which seems weird. You would think that the turquoise apartment building would be more turquoise when surrounded by white. But somehow it sinks into the snow - everything becomes the snow. It's all snow. I live and breathe snow. We walk snow, we ski snow, we talk snow, we die snow. At our spot we gently laid down our skis and clicked our boots into place carefully, one at a time. We discussed our latest slips because we both enjoy watching people fall. "Yesterday morning I went outside to get my dog, and I only had house shoes on, so I totally wiped out, fully flat on the ground, didn't even see it coming." And I hadn't. One foot went up, and my entire body followed. The oval blue bruise on my left leg is evidence. She laughed, and then we were skiing over the river and away from town. The sound here is perfectly acoustic. Every noise is heard at that place - the sound of the skis moving over the fresh powder, the sound of the poles hitting the ice and snow, the creaking of each pole as they give with the weight of my body, the sound of the air as it hits my face. When I finally turned my head lamp on I could see my breath as though it were smoke fresh from a fire. It floated in front of me, almost resting, freezing in the air, barely making it to evaporation. My finger tips began losing feeling, so I swung my arms as I skied, attempting to force the blood to my hands. It's a trick I learned from a dog musher. We continued moving along, side by side, in the contrasting dark sky and white floor. When I looked up through the darkness I could see white for miles where the tundra leads to rolling hills to the north and east and towards perfectly formed white mountains to the south, just past the river, which is hardly distinguishable as a river. The ice is about three feet thick, and snow covers the top. We skied on in the night, guided by our small blue lights, which seemed very small and insignificant next to what light from the night reflects on the snow. Everything is white and clean, everything is the same, everything is, or was, in that moment, perfect, unbreakable, silent. Everything was nothing, even the cold. It all just was - Heidi next to me all in black, gliding to her rhythm across the fresh snow, the movement of the small flakes that fell into my light, my skis making new trail. And I never wanted to leave.

Great job Karis! It wasn't exactly from an outsider's perspective, but it was still a solid piece of writing and I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you so much for your contribution. Please continue writing!

So now for a big announcement!

Next month is poetry month which means...
for all of you who enjoy the art of poetry, April is for you! I created a cute calendar with the schedule for the 25 poem types I chose. What I have done is I've split the month into 5 parts. There are 6 days to each part. One day will contain the definitions for each poem featured in that section and some examples.

All submissions will be collected and posted in May.

I look forward to hearing your poetic voices. I've picked out some fairly simple and fun ones for you to do.

I can hardly wait until Tuesday!

I'll see you when poetry month starts, so get ready to write.

I'm sorry, a thousand apologies.

2008-03-25T17:57:00.004-04:00

Wow, I started a new semester and all all thoughts about my blog were forgotten. I was updating a separate blog of mine today, when I thought I'd check on this one. 5 comments! Thank you to everyone who responded to last week's 6 word story posts. Three people sent me their stories.

Ramesh wrote:
"He tripped and fell into Heaven".

Bill Tessore wrote:
"Build people, people will build you."

Sophia wrote:
"Everything since Bach is a lie."

I love your stories! They were really great and I hope to see you all submit more stuff soon. Ramesh's story achieved exactly what I was aiming for. It spoke volumes with a sentence. Bill's story was quote-like which is another way to do them. It tells a moral rather than a story. I enjoyed Sophie's story too. It made me giggle. Keep writing, you'll find your niche soon!

This week I thought that since I was gone so long, I'd give you all a special treat. A cool website I found is unphotographable.com. I happened upon this site which gave me a great idea. This photographer can't always photograph everything he sees and so, instead of simply forgetting what he was about to photograph, he writes down a description of the scene.

One example is this one he posted on 11/14/07:
"This is a picture I did not take of a Muslim man, pushed to the limit by an evangelizing Christian, who swaggered in front of the Muslim, mocking Islam and calling the man schoolyard names, nor is this a photograph of the punch the Muslim man landed on the Christian man's ear, a punch thrown from behind, thrown hard enough to make the Christian man's eyes tear-up and start pleading that he wasn't disrespecting, and as the two of them fought their own small religious war on a street corner in Atlanta, three people stood quietly watching, looking-on from the safety of their slouches, they were waiting-for-the-bus before the fight and would be waiting-for-the-bus after so why make a fuss -- and two of the watchers weren't watching the fight really, but were looking down at the ground, at the fate of a box of chicken, that was suddenly, precariously, between the Christian and the Muslim, but had actually been there all along, quietly marking the spot where two men would have their own religious war, above a box of forgotten fried chicken."

This writer does something fantastic-- he makes you see the scene without the picture. his story really says something and I think yours can too.

This will be the first larger writing exercise. What I want you to do is this: create a scene which tells a story from an external person's point of view. You are the observer. Observe. What is the person doing? Where are they? What's going on around them? The object is to create a picture with words. You want the reader to SEE what you see. When you can do that with words, your writing will improve before your eyes. A reader must be engrossed.

I encourage you to go through and read some more of his fantastic pieces. It's really worth it. Michael David Murphy does a tremendous job.

I'm once again very very sorry for my lapse in posting. Lots of new classes and new worries. I'll try to be better about it, really.

Feel free to comment with your writing pieces and I'll put them in the next post!

So until the next time I blog, keep writing!

(Oh, and I turn 16 in 5 days!)

Six word Stories

2007-11-28T16:18:00.000-05:00

Today I thought I'd continue with the concise writing aspect and feature something which I greatly enjoy reading. I also think it's a helpful tool in writing. It really teaches you to focus on words in particular and how they fit together. When you are given boundaries, you must work to get around them and create a great piece in spite of or because of.

What I want is six word stories. That's right, six words, one story. They can be a correct sentence, something poetic, anything you want. It can even be six different sentences! It's all up to you. Funny, inciting, crazy, commentary, anything you want can be written. The only boundary is six words. It sounds strict but when you think of everything you can do with six words, all the words in the language... it boggles the mind.

I found sixfix, written by Anantha, to be a clever and interesting blog of six word stories.
Here are some examples from the site:
The pencil died of lead poisoning.
Pythagoras was playing poker with Einstein.
4:53 AM, President. 4:59 AM, Ex-President.

I really enjoyed reading her comical and thought provoking stories. Sometimes the title played a role in the story and she really stretched the possibilities of the six words into something magical.

So please create wonderful stories and search your mind for as many great word combinations as you can to make something truly beautiful!

So until next time, keep writing!

The Rhythm of words

2007-11-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

Today I want to talk about my experiences when I write. When I write I feel the balance and rhythm of the sentence. Without proper balance and rhythm, the sentences don't work together and it throws off the entire piece. I know that personally, the rhythm is everything. I write the words in my head and transfer them letter by letter onto the paper like individual notes of a greater symphony. This is why I always to rough drafts on paper instead of electronically. While I hate with a burning passion the arduous paper to computer transfer, it gives me not only the intimacy of my hand to the page, but also the refining and editing that results from me being forced to read the entire piece while I transfer. But this system isn't for everyone. Some people prefer to feel the tapping of the keys and glow of the monitor as they create, they feel closer that way. Others dictate stories to people because their voice is their medium. However you feel comfortable getting the words out, do it. There is no wrong way and you certainly shouldn't let someone you don't know tell you how you should handle something so intimate.

When you first begin writing, i find that taking baby steps is best. Hearing those sentences in your brain is the reason you're putting pen to paper so just get them out, use your pen, keyboard, or whatever other thing you are using to express your story. Never mind if the sentences sound a bit rough together, go where your gut tells you to go, first drafts are for putting ideas on a page. When you are a more experienced writer, the artistry comes into play. Rough drafts are still rough drafts, but now they are more cohesive from practice of taming the thoughts and sentences. This is where the rhythm of the entire piece comes together. This is the real symphony of words and how it is completed. It takes longer to write, but the stream of consciousness on the page has turned into something truly amazing, a ballad of your heart, This is the key to real writing. Find the balance and rhythm and sew together a creation.

Now I'll get to the music in writing. I speak of what I know to be true. When i write I do feel like my words are a rhythm, I do think that writing and music are connected which is why I personally need silence, to be able to hear the rhythm of my own voice. Others, I believe, work differently. Some cherish the chaos in heavy metal while others flourish in the tranquility of classical music. There are those who are inspired by the hum of people or even a conversation between others. Whatever the music, it's an important part of your character and your writing. This is why it is so key to understand the workings of the language. With writing you can stretch the language and really create something totally your own, but you need to hear the rhythm to understand how far you can go.

Concise Writing Exercise

2007-11-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

Today I thought I'd assign a great little exercise in sentence structure and creativity. This exercise is called one sentence stories. It's great for people who are a little longwinded or don't have a lot of time.

Now this exercise does sometimes lead to run-on sentences, and while those are not what we are going for, we are sometimes going for ridiculously long sentences that are still sentences and grammatically correct. The sentences don't have to be long though. Some of the best examples are a few words that say so much about a bigger picture.

These sentences can be funny, philosophical, introverted, social, or make you wanting more. Whatever your style, there are many ways to express yourself through one sentence stories.
Here are some examples taken from onesentence.org

I thought I was a Chinese, until I went to China.
-Sam Tan
If my writing career doesn't work out, I'll invent a cereal which is composed of only marshmallows.
-Danielle
It's never like the movies...we pulled the plug and he took two hours to die.
-La De Da
When I arrived at the memorial site, I couldn't think of anything witty or poignant to write, so I just carved 'I miss you' into the telephone pole that killed you and went home.
-Lost theories
Truly admirable friends go with you on frantic and unnecessary detours simply so you can avoid someone you probably should talk to.
-bottom

Another site which you may find interesting if you enjoy these stories is bulwer-lytton.com which is a contest site for one sentence stories. They have lots of really great and interesting one sentence stories to check out and if you like your own story, you can enter! Even if you don't win, You'll be putting something you're proud of out there and that's important.

Before I say goodbye this week, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Family can be a great inspiration for writing as can food! As a bonus exercise for this week, try writing a description for the food you'll be eating like a person who makes a menu does. I wouldn't suggest being a food critic, because some moms can hurl a turkey pretty far...
Happy novel writing month and keep writing!

Helpful tips for story creation

2007-11-13T15:54:00.000-05:00

To anyone with a creative mind, making up stories is fun and a part of everyday life. I'm not just talking about the stories you write down and read to others, I'm talking about anytime you tell a lie, think about a scenario, and even when you dream. There are those, and I'm sad to admit it, that do not have an imagination. But these people are rare and if you are here, I know you have some imagination!

Now story ideas are easy for some and difficult for others. Look at your experiences and try writing down your dreams. These stories don't have to make any sense whatsoever. This is your paper! You can write about how you were gardening and suddenly a magical gopher whisked you away to Russia where an alien (space) abducted you thinking you were the long dead Catherine the Great! Your story is your story and you shouldn't let some person tell you that it's a bad idea. If you are just writing for fun, you can write about anything you want. Discover a planet, become emperor, make war on bison, insert yourself behind Washington's troops, or even just drive down to Starbucks to people watch. This is your blank template to create a world.

If you have trouble imagining story ideas, don't worry. Maybe you should try a writing prompt or writing down something that really happened to you. At creativewritingprompts.com, there are some fantastic and imaginative ideas with hundreds of ideas to jump start story writing. For those of you who want more of a challenge, one site that will give you challenging writing prompts is languageisavirus.com where you can generate writing prompts through this generator that uses advanced ideas and sometimes requires a literary background. These prompts are not as much story ideas as writing exercises, but for those of you who like to write and know some literary terms, this is a good site.

Three examples from creativewritingprompts.com are:
#37-Use the following words in a story: hypocrite, cookie jar, city, telephone.
#121-Start your story with this: "She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled."
#295-In 250 words, write from the point of view of a ball of yarn being chased by a cat.

Three examples from languageisavirus.com are:
-Experiment with writing in a group, collaborative work: a group writing individually off of each other's work over a long period of time in the same room; a group contributing to the same work, sentence by sentence or line by line; one writer being fed information and ideas while the other writes; writing, leaving instructions for another writer to fill in what you can't describe; compiling a book or work structured by your own language around the writings of others; or a group working and writing off of each other's dream writing.
-Get a group of words, either randomly selected or thought up, then form these words (only) into a piece of writing-whatever the words allow. Let them demand their own form, or, use some words in a predetermined way. Design words.
-The possibilities of synesthesia in relation to language and words: the word and the letter as sensations, colors evoked by letters, sensations caused by the sound of a word as apart from its meaning, etc. And the effect of this phenomenon on you; for example, write in the water, on a moving vehicle.

Three examples that I have come up with for you:
-In five minutes, write about what you would do if you heard the world was going to end by 7:00 pm. Make sure you record what time it is when you are writing this prompt. It can be a list, a state of mind, a poem, an adventure or anything else you can think of.
-Linda has just stolen a diamond worth $5,000,000. How or will she get away, where will she go, how will she get rid of the diamond, will they ever catch her?
-"I watched in amazement as..." Finish the sentence and elaborate on the story.

I hope these were helpful. Remember the importance of not plagiarizing, though fanart(stories written about characters or set in a place from a show, movie, story, etc.) is fine as long as you don't claim ownership of the characters you didn't actually create. Untilour next writing exercise, keep writing! (and happy novel writing month)

First writing exercise!

2007-11-08T19:23:00.000-05:00

So I thought I'd start off with one of my favorite writing exercises (though a bit silly) having to do with alliteration. It's quite easy depending on your vocabulary and fun.

What you do is this- write out every letter of the alphabet vertically down a sheet of paper. Now write a word for every letter.
For example:
Abigail
Bare
Canyons
Delightful
Energetically
etc.

Please skip x because there are very very few words beginning in x. I came up with 'Xavier x-rayed xenophobic xebecs.' This is the only sentence I could think of without using the dreaded word xylophone.

You are welcome to use words beginning with other letters, but keep that to a minimum, approximately one to every 4 words at most. The sentences certainly don't have to make any sense whatsoever, so have fun putting together and practicing constructing sentences!

Here are some I came up with using names as my beginning word.

Harold hates having hairy ham harrowing his home while horrid heptagons haggle hasty hillbillies.
Lionel licked lemmings lightly, later letting lemons lay little loose linens laterally.
Patrick piteously put pen to paper and proclaimed putrid peonies park permanent pandas profusely.
Queenie questioned quarreling quails, quickly quelling quacking quitters.

Have a lot of fun with the sentences and let your creative juices flow! This is a great way to get you thinking on your vocabulary, sentence structures, and literary devices.

Please don't use a dictionary, your sentences are always more satisfying and interesting with just the words you have in your brain. Remember to utilize those adverbs, my favorite of all the parts of speech, guaranteed to make any sentence sound better when used correctly.

Until next time, keep writing! (and happy novel writing month)

Hello and 3 basic tips

2007-11-07T17:29:00.000-05:00

Hello readers of my blog! Thank you for logging on and checking out my page. I am new to blogging but am not new to writing. Although I am young, I am filled with knowledge, tips, links, and lots of time! Please visit this site to see some of my writings. I may not be experienced, but I think my advantage is that I'm young and ready to learn, so please enjoy the blog. Some quick tips for this week to get you started, basic things (and maybe a little obvious) that every writer should do and follow.

1) Write! For goodness sakes, every chance you get write down a feeling, an observance, a story idea, a crappy poem! I always carry a few notepads and a pen around with me but if that’s not your style, okay. Maybe I’m exaggerating. You don’t have to be writing constantly, but set aside some time maybe once a week and just put pen to paper. I always hated journals, but if that’s your thing do that, if you like poetry, do that, if you just saw a bird write that. An important thing to remember is that you’ll never get better without practice (major duh but seriously).

2) Read! Many people complain about reading when they are writing and say that it influences their 'writing style.' While this may be true, you need to see how an author constructs a sentence, makes their writing flow, uses description. It is always a good idea to study other's writings to better your own. Am I say plagiarize? Certainly not! You should definitely come up with your own style, but seeing other people's can help you better your writing.

3) Share and have people critique your work. I don't mean just your mother who will always love it, but perhaps a brutally honest friend or some other person you know will give you the truth. Make sure you tell them that you want constructive criticism, because sometimes people just want to make you feel badly. I understand that it feels good to hear 'Marvelous' and 'You will win the Pulitzer for this masterpiece' but a developing writer needs to know what needs improvement. This is not to say that you cannot share it with people who will never say a bad word, but don't steer away from criticism, it is your lifeblood. It's okay if you want to keep your writing bottled up and never share, but it is harder to improve like this.

Those are my basic starting tips! I hope they are helpful and I'll post soon with my first writing exercise.
Until then, keep writing!