napowrimo: mid-month check-up
Published by January April 15th, 2008 in Deb, Discussion Thread, January, NaPoWriMo.
30 Poems in 30 Days. How has that challenge been for you? Let us know what you’re doing.
As you cast about for yet one more inspiration, be sure to use the random prompts or previous prompts and share any tricks you use to get through the rough spots.
Are you writing American Sentences, haiku or prose poems? Are you trying new forms or going free verse all the way? Your ideas may help another struggling writer. And if you skip a day or two, don’t worry about it. The goal is to look back at all the bad poetry you’re written. And maybe, just maybe, there’s a gem or two that you’ll expand into a draft. You’ll surprise yourself.
~January.
Those that have staked out a NaPoWriMo experience started out committed and enthusiastic. Out of 85 votes, folks said:
• I’m up for the challenge of daily writing. (59%, 50 Votes)
• What is this NaPoWriMo you speak of? (20%, 17 Votes)
• I can hardly wait for April Fool’s Day to start! (16%, 14 Votes)
• I like NaPoWriMo: I get lots of poems to work on through the year. (16%, 14 Votes)
• Is April here already? (14%, 12 Votes)
• Maybe, but I haven’t decided. (9%, 8 Votes)
• No way! (6%, 5 Votes)
• I said never again last year, but I am tempted to try it once more. (2%, 2 Votes)
• I would, but I am on a tropical island for most of April, without internet access. (1%, 1 Votes)
• I’m on the fence, but I’m leaning towards “no”. (1%, 1 Votes)
There’s a new poll that checks in with how you are doing, now that your taxes are behind you (nearly) and you are halfway home (Ah, sweet May!)
And for those who aren’t doing NaPoWriMo, perhaps you have found a new approach to your writing, too, and isn’t that cool? This obsessive hoopla will be over soon, and we’ll all have a new bag of tricks and lots of ideas to work from and over!
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There were a couple of nice inspiration ideas that I want to make sure aren’t lost. Sharon offered an intriguing list of ideas over at her blog Watermark, and Paisley told us about Easy Street Prompts .
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We’ve tried to keep up with the roll call. But if you have been participating at Read Write Poem and haven’t seen your name up on the Participant page yet, please email us (see the “get involved” tab) and we’ll get you fixed up. It does take a while (we’re all volunteers!) so be patient, and keep writing poetry!
~Deb.
23 Responses to “napowrimo: mid-month check-up”
- 1 Pingback on Apr 30th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
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As a non-poet I took on this challenge with some trepidation, but I’m so glad I did because I’m loving it! I have no idea what catagories my pieces fall into, I just write what comes into my head. I know my work is naive a bit basic but I’m having fun and I’m sure that’s what it’s all about.
My only disappointment is that my request two weeks ago to be included in the participants list has so far come to nothing, and no-one knows I’m taking part!
But hey-ho, I’m happy in my own little world!
I’m still slightly behind in NaPoWriMo, and I’m not exactly thrilled with the work I’m producing, but I’m sticking with it no matter what! I just want to be able to say I did it. Plus, who knows when I’ll write something I like? Maybe I won’t write anything good today, but that might open the floodgates for something worthwhile tomorrow.
I’d like to know how many are posting all the poems they write this month. So far I haven’t posted everything, but I am trying to post a poem a day. That’s the hard part for me.
I noticed that on LiveJournal you can keep your poem up for one day, and then only have it available to friends, those who are on your list. That might be a good option for some poets, because publishers often don’t want to look at any poem that has appeared already on the web.
Any thoughts on this topic?
I do feel like my poems are starting to open up, like the dam has broken, the judging voice is waning, and I’m more willing to write about topics my inner self would at one time have said No! Taboo Theme! Red Alert!
I am posting everthing I have written and have not missed a day. A could days I have been temper to post an old poem but I usually turn to humor or a form and it has worked. Im enjoying the month. I’m sure some of the poems are diamonds in the rough
So far I have been almost religious in writing one a day, at least. I almost didn’t make it yesterday, and some days it’s just crap, but I am putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard no matter what, which I think is good for anyone.
I’m posting everything I write. Psychologically difficult, because some of the stuff is pretty bad, but if I was that opposed to it I really wouldn’t do it.
I have written probably like sixty poems so far.
Regardless. Yesterday, I started to write a play, and today I finished it.
If you don’t have a sense of humor, are very religious, don’t like cuss words, don’t like plays, or don’t like me, don’t read it.
The Taming of the Jew
Anyway, it’s basically Waiting for Godot in a grocery store.
I have been writing one-a-day, and those days i missed, i made up with two or three another day…but i havent had a chance to spend as much time exploring different forms. I wanted to do it so badly but time has been fighting me from start and my busy schedule allows me only fifteen minutes sometimes per day….so i am not producing top quality pieces everyday, but this exercise is surely pushing me to do my best and that I love.
I’m writing every day and posting what I write - good, bad or worse! I’m with Keith - I must have missed a beat somewhere because I don’t find a list of those participating. I did find the logo and have almost remembered to put it on most of my daily posts!
Also wanted to thank you for directing me once again to Sharon’s list, I saw it a few days ago and wanted to attempt a few prompts there but had forgotten all about it until I read this post - so it inspired me to do the poem for today, stop by if you have time -
http://ul-typingaway.blogspot.com/2008/04/blind-perspective.html
Days that I work I’m not much up for writing–12hr shifts, and legs and eyes are aching. If I’m not posting a poem I’m posting someone else’s published poem that resonates with me. I agree with the above statements that somedays it just feels good enough to write–the good, the bad, the Pulitzer winning…
First of all, I should mention that there’s a small team of volunteers maintaining the site. So please be patient as names are posted and requests are answered. Quite frankly, the posts this month have been tremendous!
As for myself, I have posted poems every day. This year has been easier than last for some reason. I find that I’m more in tune with ideas for poems. And the ones I won’t keep have lines that I can salvage.
It does my heart good to see so many people participating. If I haven’t come by to read your poems, I promise to do so over the weekend.
Happy NaPo everyone!
I have written and posted a haiku every day so far and I am really enjoying it. I don’t see a list of participants either so I am not sure if I’m on it… probably not? It is separate from your regular participants on this site?
I’ve posted a poem every day so far. This week has been a string of haiku as I’ve been busy, but not too busy - I’m not going to get little things like work and school get in the way of my writing.
The past few days I have been going through the motions but tonight I felt like I wrote a better on that just came to me after a few false starts:
http://brokeness.blogspot.com/2008/04/napowrimo-16.html
It’s been great to see what everyone’s been doing. Thanks fro all the Prompts and encouragement that comes from ReadWritePoem…..
You know, I didn’t have a clue how positive the response would be to our “help” for NaPoWriMo and think the roll call could certainly have been better organized.
Would it help if I made a separate page or tab for NaPoWriMo participants? Even at this place in the month?
I have been trying to tie it to general RWP participation, but wonder if that is too cumbersome. It is a lot of work to do for a month, fun as the month is.
Do people think they will stay in touch after this month? What about you, Keith? Think this bug will keep biting? (I think it is so cool that you took this on.)
My own poetry has been not-daily. RWP site management takes time (more than I realized, frankly
), and this has ended up being an incredibly busy month at work and elsewhere. I have gotten some bad good ideas (and some good bad ideas!) that I will revise or pick through for lines to develop into more thoughtful work through the year.
Deb
hi deb,
i think you are doing an amazing job, for an all-volunteer website. this is such a great place to visit…and to participate in. I will answer your question about being involved after NaPoWriMo…my answer is YES. I haven’t been part of many weekly prompts yet but plan to attempt more of them. I have been getting in touch with my muse, who has intermittently taken sabatticals and vacations when i need her most–but for me, poetry touches my soul and writing poetry helps me express aspects of myself that i have no idea even exist until i see them on paper. Now i must admit, my poetry has not been ‘great’, maybe not even ‘good’…but this is a start, and I am more than eager to continue. Thank you to everyone on your volunteer ’staff’ for their part in keeping your site active and alive! i am truly loving this opportunity to ‘expand’ my universe! jan
I’ve only written 5 poems so far but that is much more than I had been writing before the challenge so I’m happy. I’m going to try to do better for the rest of the month. So far my favorite prompt was the speaking for someone else one…
Keeping up with the flow. 18 for 18 it’s been fun so far.
Lots to develop afterwards. Working and thinking is hard let alone writing in the midst of grease and dust. (is that a prompt?)
Anyway, check Basket Case.
All the best!
http://rscocoloco.blogspot.com
Hi all,
I think I am becoming manic. So far, I have written 50 poems this month and still going. Usually during the week, I only write one poem a day. But often step up the pace at weekends. I jump from one poetry prompt blog to the next for inspiration.
So far I have written haikus, tankas, pleiades, nonets, abc poems, found poetry and sonnets. I even tried one in iambic pentameter. In between, I have written some free verse that I love so much.
What on earth will I do next month?
Gemma
Gemma,
“What on earth will I do next month?”
That’s easy. Revise! Revise! Revise!
50 poems? Wow, that’s incredible! I’ll have to come by this weekend to check in. Awesome!
I am down a poem, which I hope to make up tonight. Woo hoo!
hello… it has been a wonderful experience.. i am a bit behind b/c of travel but i am catching up… at first i couldn’t wait to start the challenge.. then came the pressure… everyday… doesn’t give me much of a chance to think and ponder… oh, the pressure why did i ever sign up for this… and now, im relaxed and excited abt catching up… didn’t have much chance to write for a week was traveling attending a funeral… family and friends… spending time in the now…