Iamb, stressed or unstressed, that is the question!

I seem to have been doing a lot of writing and putting documents together but none of it poetry!  I had things to
prepare for an AGM of Mothers' Union branch which I am leader of, as well as preparing items for a display to do with National Marriage Week which starts on 7th February.

I haven't been in the mood for writing poetry.  However, poetry class was interesting on Thursday.  We looked at  meter - all those stressed and unstressed syllables and by the end we were all stressed!  Even our tutor who spent months studying this stuff finds it hard!  I feel a lot better about my lack of understanding of it myself now. We all attempted a two line iambic pentameter and looked at Sonnet 18, Shakespeare's famous Shall I compare thee to a summer's day and we had a copy of part of Milton's Paradise Lost (thankfully we didn't have to read it!).  Basically, iambic pentameter is five iambic feet (five beats or stresses per line (foot) - it's the dum-di-dum-di-dum-di-dum sort of rhythm. There are variations of stress which all have names like trochee, anapest, dactyl and spondee and there are different feet length.  Because I am by no means an expert I'll refer you to other places if you would like to get to grips with this.  Firstly, a book by Stephen Fry called The Ode Less Travelled, well worth a read.  Try this website but there are many more.  The sign used over a stressed syllable is a dash - or a slash / and unstressed syllables have a u above them.  Here is another website which may be helpful using Sonnet 18 as an example.  Good luck!  At class we will be looking at Sonnets in a couple of weeks, so revisiting this nightmare, ha, ha.  Meantime, next week we are to take in a poem to workshop.

New poetry link

Twice in one day - what can I say!

Found this nice link http://www.poetrystation.org.uk/ There is a 'poem of the day' read by the poet.

Missed train and a takeaway

After a tense lesson work-shopping poems, I missed my train and nearly missed another and had to stand for two stops I arrived home thinking of a cold sandwich but my lovely son had sent out for a takeaway and ordered my favourite (which had just arrived and was steaming hot) - Szechuan Beancurd with steamed rice followed by a Banana Fritter in syrup.  It's the only thing I ever order because it SO good.

World Book Night - coming soon

World Book Night is on it's way (23rd April) and if you would like to be involved register before 1st February to be a giver.  This year the books include The Time Traveller's Wife, The Book Thief, The Remains of the Day, Pride and Prejudice and A Tale of Two Cities.  To see all 25 titles click on the link.

New faces and old friends

It's always a struggle going out at night in the winter time an even leaving for my course at about 4.20pm is an effort!  But last night it was still light enough for me to to take the cut-through the park (I'd never go through there in the dark) to the station.

In class there were three new faces and four from the previous term.  We began by those awkward introductions!  Our tutor gave us an overview of the term and we then looked at couplets and discussed three poems - one by Don Patterson and two by Gillian Allnutt - quite intense for a first night back!  We ended with a writing exercise as we started to think about rhyming.  It was quite frustrating to a few of us who weren't sure what we were doing or how to go about it!  Basically we started off with a word for an object in the middle of the page, then in the four corners write a word to connect with that object.  Next to each word we then had to write a description of that word and finally to find a complete rhyme for each of those words.  The object was then to write a sentence for each of those rhymed words using that key word at the end of the sentence.  Still with me? Um, it wasn't easy but there may just be a poem in it! As usual I couldn't think of words to write but at least I ended up with words that easily rhymed with other words.  This was my feeble attempt:

paper   page                                                                                                   leather     cow
                                                                                                                      weather   sow
Black words on paper
A story on a page
Light from a taper

                                                                Books




smell  hide                                                                                                    touch    wood
tell     glide                                                                                                   much     stood  
well   wide                                                                                                   such      good
fell    side


I am sure you can all do better.  We ran out of time to complete the exercise but of course these things can be added to homework - which this week is to take a draft of poem in next week to workshop.                                                                  

Coming unstuck!

Not having a good writing day!  I did one of the exercises from the Writing Poetry book, drafting something from a list of titles.  Re-drafting, I came unstuck.  I couldn't find an angle and wasted the whole time mulling it over and having false starts.  Decided to leave it there and go back to it another day.  Sometimes it goes like that.

A book to get you writing!

I've just bought the book Writing Poetry by W.N.Herbert.  This was recommended by my poetry tutor and I can see where she gets some of her ideas for class work!  I have only just started the book but it is packed with good advice and exercises.  This book is used by the Open University as part of their Creative Writing course.  At the moment I am working through the drafting section and already I have two pieces of work in two different stages to use. This is  not a book to rush through, you need time to work through several exercises within a chapter but this is well thought out, taking you through the process of writing a poem from scratch, step by step.  If you don't know how to go about putting ideas on paper, or lack the initial ideas, or even if you know how to go about it but want a new approach, this is a book I would thoroughly recommend.  It is like having your own personal tutor.  There are discussions with poets about either a particular poem or poetry writing in general (poets include Vicki Feaver, Gillian Allnutt, Sean O'Brien and Jo Shapcott.  Chapters are - drafting, line, voice, imagery, rhyme, form and theme.  This is definitely one to have on your shelf (even though I have no more room!!)

Looking back - looking forward

My writing 'stuff', files and reference books mixed up with other books - a tidy needed, I think!

I've been looking back over my writing year, seeing what I achieved, any progress made and where I am going this year.

Last year I sort of set myself a target of sending out at least two items a month for either possible publication or competition entries.  It is always a good idea to set low targets because if you aim too high you are more likely to fail and then feel despondent.

In January I submitted to four different places, two competitions, one with two poems, one to another and two hopeful publications.  One, Poetry on the Move, halted its publication and has never yet got back to publishing and I wonder if it will so those poems are still 'hanging there'. (Just checked them out and they seem to have disappeared!)

February came and I submitted three poems to two different competitions - no luck there either.

Not sure what happened in March but I have a feeling I wasn't very well and nothing got sent out but I kept on blogging!  In April I submitted a short story to a competition - no luck.

In May I went mad and entered five pieces, one was to a webzine and I got close to publication but they said the last two lines of my poem were weak!  One was a postcard comp with the Arvon Foundation (no luck), another to Poetry London (no luck) and two to Areopagus, both published and one was awarded first prize in their summer competition.

June and July I entered three competitions in each month (one was a mini saga) and a couple had three poems entered (no luck).

August I took off from writing much - I needed a break!

In September I entered a short Story to Best magazine (no joy there).  In October I had two poems published in the Workbook of OU Poets and they are out for voting on by members to see if I get published in their Anthology later in this year.

In November I entered three poems into a competition and three to Areopagus and Areopagus printed all three (where would I be without them?!)

Last month (December) I entered one poem to Holland Park Press - too early for any result on that.

Last year I decided to really give writing a go after reading and working through a particular book on writing (the name escapes me but it was mentioned here at the beginning of last year).  Although I didn't follow the book completely and detested the free writing every day, I did get something from it as some of the free writing tuned into poems and potential short stories.  So I booked up some courses for later in the year and I sent for some free samples of magazines on writing and subscribed to some new publications.  I read a lot more poetry and began writing more. I went to a poetry reading and an open mic session.  So although I haven't achieved a great deal in publication I do feel I have  moved on.  My writing had become a bit stuck earlier last year, but now I feel I've moved forward slightly.

It is easy to get depressed as a writer, knock-back after knock-back but I take comfort and encouragement from the feedback I have had from the courses I've done this year, both from fellow writers and the tutors.  It means I am not completely wasting my time, that others do like what I write and that I should keep going (in fact I can't imagine life without writing something!).  I am always blown away when someone says something good about my writing because as a writer you always wonder if you are fooling yourself!

So what about 2012?  Well, I am still doing my course at Morley College in London and I will keep writing and reading and submitting to publications/competitions.  I will try and stick to the same targets as last year (I don't think there is much chance of me doing more yet!).  More than that I cannot say at present.  I did hear about a poetry course run by the Arvon Foundation (the elite for writing courses) but I heard too late because already it's fully booked. I must try to find out when there will be another course.  So many people have praised their courses (they do courses in short story writing etc. as well) and my class tutor has done a course with them.

Whatever this year brings I will be here to write about it - the good, the bad, the ugly!  I hope you will be here too and that you will find something worth reading, an exercise inspiring or the whole thing funny!  Whatever your thoughts, do comment now and then, it makes all the difference.

Happy writing!

Freshwater Bay - poem

I hope yesterday's little exercise has got you thinking.  Here is my offering.  It hasn't had a final edit but it's about there.  Want to share your poem?  Perhaps you would like to comment on mine - what works, what doesn't.  Do you like it? Not like it?

Freshwater Bay

The cool breeze sneaks in across Freshwater Bay

feeling it’s way through gritty sand and wind breaks,

unnoticed, winding through legs of excited children,

ruffling hair, blitzing skin, goosepimpling,

extracting a twitch from the dog under the deck chair,

up from the beach, licking a line past the ice cream kiosk

and rolling it’s salty tongue towards the outer reaches

of the town, away across the downlands.

A cloud teases the sun, cloaks it,

turning heat kissed rocks to grey,

the sea mocks, bathers shiver,

mothers wrap towels around swim-suited boys

and girls, fathers pack up cricket sets, buckets,

spades, picnic food and sunshades,

heading with flip-flop feet between white cliffs

to the Farringford Hotel or some busy holiday centre,

the channel’s breath at their backs. 

Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight

Holiday Monday writing exercise

Okay, so who has started writing in a journal everyday?  Who has written a poem or story so far?  Who has made their New Year's Resolution to join a course, class, group or workshop?  Who is going to attend some book readings, literary fairs or open mic evenings or poetry readings?

Oh you lazy lot!

Get those creative juices flowing - here is a line to start you off on a poem:

The cool breeze sneaks in across Freshwater Bay 
feeling its way through gritty sand and wind breaks.

Freshwater Bay is on the Isle of Wight so it might help to look up some information about it to aid writing.  Good luck!

Freshwater Bay