Let's talk about poetry

Photo: Nick Fewings on Unsplash

 We all have questions about poetry, like how to write the best opening line, titles, poetry forms and why some poetry leaves us cold while other rave about it.

These, and other questions, were discussed last night in a Poetry Toolkit Zoom by Bridport Prize, hosted by the lovely Liz Berry. Liz spoke to two poets, Michael Lavers and Kizziah Burton. All three read a poem they had written, and Liz explained how she edited her poem, workshopping it with a group and with another poet. I don't know why, but I just thought that well-known poets don't need to do that. They've made it. They know their craft. So this was a bit of an eye-opener for me. Am I really that innocent? Seems I am! This editing process was fantastic to watch, and included which parts she changed and what was important in her poem that she felt should stay. Liz showed examples of the edits before it reached completion.

So, first lines. These were described as being:

• an arrow in flight
• mysterious
• surprising
• something to engage with the reader (whether they agree/disagree or feel curious about)
• a question
• beginning mid-story or conversation giving info to locate so the reader can enter the poem

What a poem should not be:

• boring (what you did on holiday - what is known as postcard poem)
• predictable (in spring the daffs bloom)
• too obvious or on the nose
• cliched
• a run-up to a poem (I've been thinking about trees or when I was young we had....)

The good thing is that a bad first line can be transformed.

Suggestions:

• read your poem aloud
• Refine, add detail, the more the better
• come to the poem with questions not answers (you don't need to know the ending of your poem before you begin)

Now about those submissions to competitions or magazines:

It is all subjective. A poet once entered the same poem twice to the National Poetry Competition. The first year it didn't even make the longlist. The second year he won the competition. It was down to different judges and what they liked. So don't beat yourtself up the rejections. There are many reasons for a 'no'. Which brings us on to those poems we cannot understand and think we must be an idiot when so many people rave about it.

Liz Berry suggested we compare it to music. We all have different tastes. Some genres of music we may really dislike, others we love, yet our friends may feel totally different about our musical choices. Poetry is the same. Suddenly, after hearing this things began to make sense. So, it doesn't matter if you 'don't get it', that you think the poem you've read is obscure and doesn't touch you, while others think it's the best thing since sliced bread.We all have preferences. I also think this is like art. I visit many galleries and exhibitions. Some pieces move me (and some I can't even say why, except maybe the colour choices - I'm no art expert), while other pieces look as if they have been painted by a kid in nursery, and why is it so popular?

When it comes to your writing, write how you want. There is a sudden trend for abstract poetry, big gaps, long drawn out concrete poetry. All three poets have noticed this trend, and they seem to be winning prizes, but I hate it. Often I don't even read it. The way it sits on a page does my head in! But that's my preference. Some of you reading this may well really like it, and that's fine. It was suggested that as poets wee can play with these ideas. Give it go, but you don't need to adopt it, just because it's the trend. Trends change.

Still on forms, it was suggested that we consider the form we use and how it works for our poems. I wonder how many of us reading this use a set form for our poetry. I love free verse, but do sometimes write a sonnet or villanelle. I do like to experiment now and again. I'm a big fan of Brian Bilston who writes a lot of amusing poetry and was known as the Twitter poet. Once he wrote a poem in the form of a spreadsheet. I loved that idea and got the idea for my Sudoku poem from him.Thanks Brian. I had it published!

Finally, that old chestnut - how do you know when a poem is finished? Most poets will tell you that a poem is never finished, and I understand this. I've had poems published and gone back to them and thought, 'I can do this better now'. And it's always going to be like that. Kizziah Burton said that with her, some poems seem to lock the door on her and refuse to let her edit anymore. Again, I understand this. One of my best poems (it was a runner-up in a competition) was written in one long stream of consciousness. After some editing, I was totally happy with it, and though it had been out on submission a few times with no takers, I would not alter one word of it. I backed it as it was, and it came good in the end. Other poems, Kizziah said had loose threads in them that needed attending to. According to Michael Lavers, he said the finished poem came when he was sick of it! I think we have all been there!

Liz Berry said that some poems never get finished, and that she had lots like that. They just don't work however much she edits them. Again, that sounds familiar.

And those pesky titles? Each poet said titles for poems was hard, so we are in good company. Keep going!

There was time for a quick Q&A and then the hour was up. I learned a great deal from this Zoom and will have to check out my first lines.Maybe compare the ones that made it to publications against the ones that haven't. But at the end of the day reading a poem is subjective, so our poetry takes a chance, and we hope it gets to a person who appreciates what and how we write.

Updating

 Having talked about technology and social media last time, I've been thinking about how I can update my website (again) and my other accounts. So early this morning I put all my published books together and took photos. The best one I uploaded to this blog  see above and on About and Publiciation History pages) and I also updated X and my author page on Facebook. It is a little thing and I don't know why I didn't do it earlier. At least this is something I could manage. 

Then I read a post from a penpal of mine who had used Copilot to make some lovely writing paper. Why can't I do these things? Of course she is much younger than me! My son once put a synopsis of one of my stories into AI and it came back with a cover. It wasn't quite right, but I must say I was blown away by what it could do. Maybe I will have to lean on my son more. He'll love that!

Maybe there is a course I can go on to learn this stuff. I've not looked into that. It annoys me that I cannot use these tools, not just for what it might be able to do for my publicity, but just being able to understand this stuff. 

When I was younger, I was good at this. I could install a new video recorder for my mum and dad, change plugs, and at work I was the one people called on to sort out paper jams on the copier and change the toner and paper rolls. When the audio machines went wrong, I was the one who tried to rectify the problem before calling the engineer, who had the audacity to ask if I had switched the machine on!

Then technology went crazy. Videos and DVD players became complicated. How many people, I wonder, ever used all those little extras written in the instructions? We didn't. I even find some microwaves complicated. Ours for instance. I just use the basic buttons and up the time by 30secs rather than use the programme which I just don't get. I know I'm not the only one. A friend and I guessed using a microwave while staying in an apartment. (Please leave instructions for appliances!). As I said, if the food is piping hot it's done.

Does any of this ring a bell with you? Or maybe you are of that age of growing up with fast technology. Don't even get me started on apps!

My son kindly bought me a refurbished Google Pixel mobile just over a year ago. He said it would be easier as I use Google and I wanted a better camera. Well, Google tries to take over everything. I take tons of photos, and it wants to back up everything, which means I run out of storage. But I back up all my photos on my laptop and a secondary device, so I had to Google how to switch off backup. But they don't like it. They keep reminding you that you might lose your photos. I miss my old phone, which had an SD card. When that was nearly full, I'd replace it. And then for this mobile, I had to buy an adaptor to plug in my earphones as there was no separate socket. I suppose this is because everyone wears Bluetooth ones (yes I do know what means, strangely!), but I'd be worried of them falling out and losing them.

Why can't things be simple?

I must apologise for a second rant about technology and I hope I haven't duplicated any of this! I will try and do better next time. Please do leave a comment about anything I talk about. It's a lonely business, this writing business. Hearing from others lets me know I'm not just talking to myself! And it's lovely to interact, isn't it?

Technology/social media friend or foe?

Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash

 I have to admit that technology and me don't mix. Some of my friends think I'm really good at it. It's just that they are worse than me! I have managed (sometimes) to help friends with their mobiles. Tthe most recent was when a friend couldn't pick up wi-fi except in the hotel where we were staying. I suggested turning the phone off and on again (a tip my son gave me...and hers apparently). It worked. Sons, what we do without them? Though they don't get why us oldies can't remember what they've said/shown us before. It will come back to haunt them one day!

Technology can do so much these days, if only one can understand it. I'm not good at reading instructions and prefer someone to physically show me how things work. And then I need notes. It takes time to learn new things, and too much at once overwhelms me.

Instagram, now that's another thing I can't seem to master. I used it years ago when my youngest went travelling. He was never the most communicative, but he did post to Instagram, so I joined for him. That way I'd knew he was safe. I used it myself very rarely. Recently, I thought I'd go back to it. It's changed. I have no idea what I am doing. I posted a couple of times and haven't bothered since. The whole thing confuses me. Writers use it a lot, so I thought it might work for me, but I'm out of my depth and I don't have the patience to get involved.

Goodreads is another place I thought I'd engage with. I've used it in the past to review books, so this time I decided to set up an author page. Three times I've tried, and I really thought I'd got there the last time, but no. I know a friend has left a review of my book there (and Watersones), but that's all that's been achieved there.

On Substack, I have a few followers, but not nearly as many as I have here, and like X I seem to attack US males who have no interest in books or writing. There is very little interaction on any media I choose. Am I just not doing it right, or does everyone have this problem? I've heard others complain about it, yet others have tons of followers. Sometimes I think it's just luck. And then I wonder whether it's all worth the bother.

Whether you are a traditionally published author or go down the indie or self-publishing route, most of the marketing/publicity is down to you. But if you cannot get your book across to people, what then? And as for book reviews...well. I had people tell me how much they loved my book and wanted a follow-up. I begged them to write a review. They said yes but I'm still waiting. I  know everyone hates writing reviews. I do too. I don't think readers think how difficult it is to get noticed. They just see all the books on shelves and how much these authors are making. Huh? Only a small minority make the kind of cash that one can give up the day job for. 

I would rather be writing than have to deal with all the business side of this game, especially as I am not savvy on social media. I do my best, and of course there are people you can pay to do this for you. That's more money I cannot afford to spend.

Sorry, this is a moany post. I envy the youngsters who know their way around apps and such like. All I want to do is write stories and hope people like them. Is that too much to ask?

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Books, glasses and writing

Signs of spring

 I've never been one to read a book to the end if it doesn't suit me. The Sea by John Banville was one of those. The book was adapted for TV, but I'd not watched it. The blurb on the back of the book made it sound my kind of read. Sadly, it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, it's beautifully written, but so slow. Description far outweighed dialogue (and I'm a dialogue kind of girl) and I'm afraid I gave it up after around 60 pages. Thankfully, this was a library book, so at least I'd not spent money on it. 

There is a backlog of books here at home waiting to be read, so I picked David Bellamy's autobiography, a book that belonged to my cousin and which I rescued when clearing her house last year. I'd grown up watching David Bellamy on TV and still own his book Botanic Man. Eveyone on TV in those days was doing impressions of David Ballmay romping through the foliage. He was just one of those guys. I even did it myself, along with my impression of David Attenborough and Alan Wicker (the Monty Python version). Yes, I am a sad person! Or is that mad?

Anyway, Jolly Green Giant is an apt title for David Bellamy's autobiography. I learned that he was born not that far from me in a place I love to visit - Carshalton, and he mentioned catching the 213 bus which runs all the way to Kingston (one of my bus routes).

David charts his life through home, school and university and how he became a Don at Durham University. He married Rosemary and after a stream of miscarriages and baby deaths, they finally had a child. After that they adopted many children. As well as a being a botanist David taught, lectured and wrote so many books. I don't know how he found time while travelling all over the world for projects and TV shows. He campaigned widely on issues close to his heart, and he gave a speech on how he would like to see the future of this world. He died in 2019. David did so much to encourage others to take species loss and the damage to our planet seriously. He was one of the greats, a man I admire. He was funny, but serious about his aims. 

David talked about Gerald Durrell, another wonderful man. I first came across Durrell at school when we read one of his books. I think it was The Bafut Beagles. If I am right, and this was about 50 years ago, some of it was written in the pidgin English of the natives in Cameroon. For some reason we never finished the book. I wasn't a great reader in those days, but that book intrigued me. As an adult, I visited Gerald Durrell's zoo in Jersey and loved it and what he was doing. Of course, a few years back there was the wonderful TV series. I miss that.

I've always been interested in nature and in my later years have even been on protest marches standing up for the environment, but like David Ballamy says, sometimes it's like banging your head against a brick wall getting people to change. Having just watched the documentary called Dirty Business on Channel 4 about the state of our water, it brings it home to you how companies lie for profits. I hope the documentary (which was excellent - do watch it) changes something.

I needed a lighter book after all that, so I'm reading one from the Summer Mysteries series by LJ Ross.

I now have a pair of reading glasses. This is to make things easier when I use the laptop. They do help a little, but I think the main problem is that I cannot get the laptop at the right height. What I need is a separate screen and keyboard. Basically, I need a desktop. The alternative is to raise the laptop on some sort of platform and use a separate keyboard plugged into one of the USB ports. All this will take space I don't have, so I am persevering and making the best of it. It's a sad fact that my sight isn't ever going to be perfect. I've been wearing glasses since I was five years old, so I suppose I've not done bad all these years.

Meanwhile, back at the writing, I can tell you I am writing again and it's going well. I manage around 1,000 words or more a day, but because I don't want to put the kibosh on it, I'm not yet revealing what the project is.

I've just had the proofs through for two poems to be published by Stoat Poetry. The journal is going to the printer next week, I believe, so I should have something to report about it next time, I hope.

And here we are at the beginning of March. How did that happen? Easter will soon be upon us. If I get my act together I might even try and make a few Easter cards this year. See you next time.

New inspiration

 

I finally finished reading the book Why I Write Poetry. While I haven't been writing, I have been trying to catch up on reading. I have a backlog of Writing Magazine and Mslexia which I am now going through. And then two bits of inspiration came on the same day. Yeah, finally, thank you, Lord!

I was reading an essay by the Welsh poet Jonathan Edwards (in Why I Write Poetry) about how he writes about family in his poetry. This was a complete eye-opener. Over the years I have written about my family, but this gave me a new perspective on doing it. Suddenly, I had an idea for a poem about my grandfather and how he played piano in a bar and was paid in kind with beer! I have linked it with something that's not true, but, blimey, it works.

Edwards talked about how readers see poetry as being personal and true to what happened. We associate the poem with the poet's experience in a way we don't with fiction. This has opened up new possibilities for me. Think of it like a fiction writer's licence to exaggerate. Edwards illustrated this by two poems he'd written and then explaining which bits were true and which wasn't. Absolutely fascinating, and I loved his poetry. I exaggerate all the time in my fiction, obviously, but when writing about family in my poetry, I tend to stick to truths.

Why I Write Poetry contains essays by twenty-five different poets and they show new, fascinating ways to write, and each essay comes with an activity. I've attempted most of the exercises and have come away with poems I wouldn't normally write. I'm definitely going to rework my poem about my grandfather and see where it takes me. The prospect is exciting.

My other inspiration, as I said, came on the same day. I went along to my writing group where there were some picture prompts. I was drawn to an eerie snap of a dark place with fog swirling around. I began tentatively, not knowing quite where I was taking this and whose voice it was to be in, but gradually it opened up. Two hours later I had a complete story. Yes, it needs editing, but I was so pleased. This is the first new thing I have written since way before Christmas.

I'm going to be writing about picture prompts and other things in my next post on Substack. Now it's back to the reading and typing up my scribbled lines of poetry and fiction. See you next time.

The first three reads of the year

 I maybe struggling with writing right now, but I have been reading a lot. The first read of the year comes from Uncertain Stories, an imprint of The Fiction Desk.

This anthology called Broken Ground features seven stories both ghostly and ethereal. They have uncertain endings and the reader is left not quite sure what is real and what isn't. In The Builder by David Frankel, a man returns to a house from his past in the countryside and he begins to demolish it by hand, taking out everything that is left in the house and burning it. Afterwards he takes the house apart stone by stone and timber by timber, joist by joist. Memories edge in of the people who lived here, but on he goes until he has destroyed everything. It would be hard to see what remained. And then he walks away. In another story a young lady lives in a flat. She thinks others live in the building, but she has never seen them. She thinks about her boyfriend, but gradually she is losing herself and eventually joins the other 'ghosts' who live there. If you like something a little different (and I do), this is a nice little anthology.

My second read this month was a classic, which I borrowed from the library. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy couldn't be more different. However, I was expecting tragedy, and yes, it was there. Jude pines to go to university, but he hasn't had the education. He only attended night classes and was fond of the old schoolmaster. Jude reads everything he can get his hands on and writes to the old schoolmaster after he leaves the village, asking for books in Latin and Greek. When they arrive, Jude feels overwhelmed by them. Yet over the years he learns from them. Still he has his heart set on moving to Christminster and being a student. Then he meets Arabella, who is set on Jude and tricks him into marriage. They later part. Finally, in Christminster Jude meets his cousin Sue and falls for her, yet she has agreed to marry someone else, as it turns out, the old schoolmaster! The couple do come together, but Sue feels guilty about having left her, by then, husband. This is a book about prejudice and guilt. The two never marry because they are married to others, but even after the spouses relinquish their interest, Sue cannot bring herself to marry Jude, though she loves him dearly. They have three children together and also end up looking after Jude's son by Arabella. Tragedy strikes in a terrible way and eventually Sue leaves Jude, even though she loves him. I won't give the ending away, but expect sadness. I really enjoyed this book, far more than I expected. Sometimes classics can be a bit dry and waffly. This one had its moments, but the story was so good. Interesting to learn that when this book was first published it was banned for being immoral. The feedback Hardy received put him off writing again and this was his last novel. What a shame. This is the third Hardy novel I have read, and I intend to read more.

The third book, Cold Earth by Sarah Moss, was her first novel. I have read a few books by her, and she has really grown on me. With this book, I felt I might have read it before, but a long time ago. I keep a list of books I read going back a number of years, and I looked through the list but couldn't find it. The list isn't foolproof, as sometimes I do forget to enter things. I thought I might remember bits if I'd read it before, but the feelings were vague and I still can't make up my mind whether I had read it before. I have read similar books, so maybe these were echoes. The book is set in Greenland and a group of archaeologists are assembling traces of a lost Viking settlement. At home there is a virus spreading (this was written before COVID) and soon into their stay they cannot get the laptop to update,. There are also strange happenings which one of the team experiences, but the other dismiss, thinking she is dreaming or imagining. Eventually, they come to believe there is a presence there. This is a spooky story, though it took me a while to get into it. The story is told in the voices of all members of the team. As they wind up their time there and pack up the tent,s they wait for the plane to take them out. It doesn't arrive, and they are left wondering whether this is it. The food is running out, the weather is deteriorating and they all begin to write their last letters home. A good read.

What have you been reading? Do let me know. Have you read any of the above?

Stress and writing

Photo by SEO Galaxy on Unsplash

 How does stress affect you as a writer? For me, I find it hard to write. At the moment I have things going on and I feel like I'm on hamster wheel and can't get off. I'd hoped this year would be better in this respect, but it seems to be a continuation of last year. There is so much to be done and at times I feel overwhelmed by everything. I've found it very hard to write anything new, or indeed to concentrate on editing existing work. I know I overreact, but knowing that doesn't help. It is my nature to feel anxious, especially about things I have no control over. So, what, if anything, works?

For me, switching off usually involves reading or listening to music. They are my go-to stress busters, yet the problems linger in the background. Walking, getting away for a day somewhere also helps, but that isn't always possible. Being with friends who make me laugh is a great help too. Where would I be without those great friends of mine?

 Stress interrupts sleep. I either can't get to sleep, or wake too early and can't get back to sleep. Sometimes both! Lack of sleep then adds to the problem. I get snappy with people, and I feel cold all the time. I can't concentrate and can't settle to anything for long.

Today, I have fallen back on my trusty herbal tablets. These should help me feel calmer and hopefully able to sort out the things I need to do without getting into a state. When anxious, my decision making isn't as good and/or I make mistakes. It's time to take action.

I wonder how others deal with stress and/or depression when writing. I think some write through it, but I find if I do write at these times it reflects how I feel, so angry words, dark subjects, and I usually have to scrap what I've written, or at least tone it down! It's probably more about me than anything else, and I wouldn't want anyone to read it. Another way is to just write my feelings down to try and exercise the ghost, as it were. However, this can become self-indulgent and ends up making me feel more depressed! When the reading and music stop working, I know I'm in trouble.

It's not all doom and gloom. There are lights in the darkness. I've had two poems accepted for a new poetry print magazine (two poems from a set of four I submitted last year and was awaiting the outcome of). I'm thrilled about that. More news to come on that.

I have been trying to edit a short manuscript; it feels like an uphill struggle. It needs to be gone through again before I let anyone see it. It doesn't help that the subject matter of the piece is a little depressing and contains very little humour, which is unusual for me. I have even considered abandoning it, but I don't think I'm in the right mindset to make that decision right now. So, I'm leaving it for a bit.

Submitting poetry and short fiction is something I wanted to get back to this year, and I have managed to submit to two places this month so far. At the moment I don't have any particular goals. Last year was a great year for my writing, but I can't keep that up. I feel a bit wiped out, so I am not rushing into anything at the moment. I've had the opportunity to sign up for courses, but again, I'm not ready to tackle them. My personal life is commanding so much of my attention right now I cannot commit to much else. So, I am doing bits and pieces when I can with no big projects to aim for yet. Sometimes you just have to look after yourself.

I have another nice photo to share with you from my launch night for Tinsel Street. This was taken with my friend Ioana, who took her play to the Edinburgh Fringe last year. If you would like to find out more about her work, you can find her on Instagram @joan-of-all-trades.

If you have comments about how you deal with stress as a writer or anything else, do leave a message. See you next time.