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In the paper I just found out that the local university branch is hosting a free creative writing workshop this afternoon. People are supposed to bring a poem or short story to share. The group will give feedback.
I'm excited and slightly nervous. Excited because this is a passion of mine and opportunities like this are rare in our small city. Slightly nervous because there's always a risk when you share what you've created. ...But this is good for me. It's time to take advantage of chances to exit the comfort zone again. I'll pull out my thick skin from the closet and will hopefully get some useful critiquing while there (and hear others' good material). No doubt it will be a small, casual group. ...Okay, I'm getting more excited now!
Hmmm....what material to take?
If you're interested, I'll update you later on what it was like.
31 comments:
Please let us know what happened!
Happened with what?
The creative writing workshop.
You said "If you're interested, I'll update you later on what it was like."
and I said "Please let us know what happened!"
So quit messing around and tell us how it went! Don't leave me in suspense! After all, you are my biggest fan!...or something to that effect
We're interested, too.
Yes, please let us know the outcome of the writing critique.
Well, let's just say that as I left there I reached for my kleenex to wipe my sad, tearful eyes.
Just kidding.
It was like I expected...a small, casual group. They've actually been meeting regularly for about a year, but just now had the meetings publicized in the paper.
As for material, on my way out the door I grabbed a couple of poems I've posted here on the blog as well as the short story I submitted in Midland. Wasn't sure what to expect.
A writing/poetry professor at the university wanted to hear my poetry before having to leave for another appointment. It was odd reading my things aloud, but nice at the same time. I was encouraged by the prof to submit the haiku I read (from our haiku-a-thon here on the blog!) for a local, regular literary publication, and also to submit for possible publication in a national journal. I'm not sure it's that good, but maybe just the process of submitting was the main idea.
Later, after the group read some of their material, they wanted me to read the nine pages of my story. They were very encouraging and also offered some specific critiquing, which I was hoping for. It was fun, too.
They meet again in two weeks, and I'm planning on going back. Thanks for asking.
P.S. It was also productive work wise! ...One of the members is a man named Ernie. He is part of a regular AM radio show here. He invited me back to the show later this month to promote a work event.
Thanks for sharing about it. Do you know what you're going to take to the next meeting?
Congratulations on your insightful afternoon and future possibilities!Will the radio promotion be a big step in promotion for the coalition?
When you're on the air, tell Ernie you are a die hard liberal, who has designs on forcing the world to conform to your image. I think he'll appreciate it.
Oh, yes...that's first on my agenda. If he raises a ruckus about it, I'll sway him with my power ball and unstoppable brain stem. I've been working on those, you know.
While sure to be some fun, the radio show won't get the Coalition a paparazzi following any time soon. It'll give us a tad more publicity, though. We were on it last summer.
What I'm taking next week is still a mystery. The group chooses a theme each time, and you can write a poem, story, instruction manual...any form and any variation on the theme. Or a totally different theme. The topic for next time is, "impressions of a summer day." Sounds like a title some romance novelist would come up with.
I'll tell you what. Any poem you can make, I think I can top. So, whatever title is presented and chosen, I'll create one also. We will allow the 3 people who read our blogs to decide who wrote the best poem. What say you?
If you accept my challenge, we will agree on a due date and getter done. Why not the next day? Gasp-maybe that's not such a good idea...but we will agree to a day to deliver.
Is this a Poem-Off?
...I said, IS THIS A POEM-OFF????
Fair enough. I assume that you mean the poll on my blog, and not the writing challenge for the next writers' group meeting. Let's hope for both of our sakes that "Circus Surprise" doesn't win. I don't know what I was thinking. It sounds like a souffle with balloon bits and clown noses baked in it.
Uh-oh. A Poem-Off. This should be fun.
Anyone else can join in, too!
trust me, you don't want dan and i in the poem-off. have you ever either of us speak? i mean, even angels tear up (and not in the good way).
This contest will be more fun if more people join in.
Okay, so what are the rules? What is the theme? Do we limit the size and scope? Do we have certain words we have to work in? When is the due date? And, most importantly, what is the prize?
I'll do a new post with the rules in just a bit, but I'm thinking...
- One entry per person
- No limit on size, scope, or form, as long as it's a poem
- Title is "Circus Surprise" (yipee)
- Prize is braggin' rights and a batch of homemade brownies
- Entries due by midnight Tuesday
- Entries will be posted anonymously by me, voting will be by a poll I'll create...honor system that you vote only once. You can vote for yourself if you're that insecure.
- If someone wants to suggest a required word, they can (very soon), but we might not make it a rule.
What do y'all think?
Circus suprise...required word should be trapeze and half of the "rhyming" of the poem should be based on this word.
(I just dying to use the word chimpanze in a poem)
I accept your conditions. A mandatory word, though fun to employ, might accidentally limit a real poem from being developed.
That word had crossed my mind, too.
Only thing is...a lot of us don't do rhyming poetry. How 'bout we have to use "trapeze" somewhere, but you don't have to rhyme if you don't want to? I think that's fair.
No, not a good idea. I was only kidding when I suggested a mandatory word. It's catagorically unfair to impose a word into a poem. Besides, we're not accepting rules from an anonymous source. If you want a rule, you must stand and identify yourself. (Besides trapeze and chimpanze dont rhyme.)
chicken
that's not a word suggestion
that's a name calling
Thanks Will. I was thinking the same thing.
Good luck to those of you competing. I look forward to the results.
Here's a real poem for you:
Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But words will always--I mean--never hurt me.
Besides, I know its you, Dave
I'll call and Dan both chickens to your face. Dan, write a poem! (not that I will, but you should)
Hey, what if I was the anonymous rule maker? Hmmm...then maybe I should write a poem called "Sybill."
No, you shouldn't!
Shhh!
I commend anyone who got my obscure little joke there. Ahem. I did think it would be fun to have a mandatory word, but I didn't want to be held to that myself, so no mandatory word for you! One year!
Well, I'll offer this token to Dave:
trapeze and crappies rhyme. Crappies, as in more than one fish.
Will, I'm not the one who made the trapeze comment. I'm not smart enough to even know how to spell that word by myself.
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