read write prompt #37: hotel california
by Tom Adam
Yes, the song. No hidden meaning there. For over thirty years the Eagles’ “Hotel California” has inspired and intrigued people the world over. It has been covered and translated and parodied and most people still have no idea what the song even means.
But what in the world has that to do with a poetry prompt?
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
Your prompt this week is to write a story, but not just any story. Write a ballad. Yes, a ballad, complete with meter and rhyme as strict or as informal as you like.
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
Of course, that’s not all. It wouldn’t really tie in to a rock song if I left it at that, would it? Your prompt this week is to write a modern day ballad, something like “Hotel California” or “Piano Man” or “Space Oddity.” Something similar to the items on this list from Wikipedia. Ground your ballad in the world of today.
It would be great if you used the traditional elements of The Ballad, too. Flirt with darkness (literally if you like), talk about death, use speech and description. If you could use a little help on what a ballad is, check out Wikipedia, or stop back tomorrow where I talk about the ballad form a bit.
|
get the read write poem badge! 
Wear it loud, wear it proud! Display the Read Write Poem badge on your site. Just click here or on the image above to get the code! read write poem news- yes, yes, here’s another virtual book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 6, 2010 | 11:37 amFind the latest tour stop for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace at Jillypoet, Jill Crammond Wickham’s blog, where you can find an interview with Pamela that discusses how she creates manuscripts.
Previous stops include Daniel Romo at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies and James Brush at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- the best of the web is in our ranks
February 6, 2010 | 11:35 amSarah J. Sloat’s poem,”Attending the Tasting” (published in The Literary Bohemian) has been selected for Best of the Web 2010. Congratulations, Sarah!
- another (w00t!) read write poem member on the joe milford poetry show
February 6, 2010 | 11:34 amOn the Joe Milford Poetry Show tomorrow (Feb. 6): W.F. Roby at 9 AM (PST). Find the show here!
Joe describes Will as a “great language poet and bad-ass.”
- ‘literary podcasting made simple with wordpress.com’
February 6, 2010 | 11:33 amDave Bonta has published a how-to article that might be of interest to WordPress users: “Literary Podcasting Made Simple with WordPress.com,” based on his and Beth Adams’ experience at Qarrtsiluni.
Thanks, Dave, for continuing to help make the community aware of technological resources that can expand our art.
- the latest (virtual) book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 3, 2010 | 3:53 pmThe latest tour stop has been posted for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace. Find out how Daniel Romo responded to the work at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies.
James Brush provided our first tour stop at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- planning for napowrimo in april, and you are invited!
February 2, 2010 | 6:12 pmHello, hello dear Read Write Poem community members! We are in the planning stages for NaPoWriMo. (What? Is that a groan I hear, or an excited exclamation?)
We are planning another prompt-every-day for those folks who love to write a daily poem in April (which is, as most of you know, National Poetry Month in the United States — although there is an international following of writing poetry every day in April, too, so it is not just about the States).
Anyway! This is a call for prompts because we want to run your ideas, one every day, in April. So here’s what to do:
- Prompts must be no more than 250 words, and we will take the first 30 that we receive.
- Include “NaPoWriMo Prompt” in the subject line of your email as well as your username (e.g., the name you use when you log in) so we can match you up with your prompt and give you the link love.
- Email your submission (in the body of the email — no attachments please) to prompts (at) readwritepoem (dot) org!
We’ll let you know when we’ve got the 30, but don’t delay because it takes a lot of time to format the posts and we want to be ready come April Fools’ Day. Woohoo!
- new senior contributors at read write poem
February 2, 2010 | 11:51 amWe are thrilled to announce that Ren Powell and Dave Jarecki are moving into the senior contributor role at Read Write Poem. Both have been writing feverishly for the site, as well as providing ideas for content and for the community as a whole. In short, they make this site a more lively, and better, place.
Ren and Dave will fill the roles vacated by Carolee Sherwood and Jill Crammond Wickham, who have moved into the manager role.
Everyone please thank Ren and Dave for their hard work and commitment to Read Write Poem.
- rounding out the virtual book tour of sarah j. sloat’s ‘in the voice of a minor saint’
January 31, 2010 | 1:53 pmOur last stop on the Virtual Book Tour of Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint is with Ren Powell. Find Ren’s review at More Babel.
Joseph Harker provided our first stop in December, and you can find David Moolten’s review at Edible Detritus. David’s was followed by Dave Jarecki’s. Dave’s review is at his blog. Find Jill Crammond Wickham’s at Jillypoet: Mom Trying to Write.
In case you missed the introduction, we are (virtually) hosting Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint. For complete tour information, such as how you can get your own copy of the collection or how you can get involved in future tours, read this post.
- make your own book: get off the computer and onto the paper
January 30, 2010 | 4:19 pmBeth Adams has posted her latest project at The Cassandra Pages. “A Handmade Book” may not explicate all the details of bookbinding, but Beth shows readers the “Secret Belgian Binding.” It’s a beautiful as well as inspiring post.
If you would like more detailed instructions, Google “secret Belgian bookbinding” and find sites such as this one. Or look for a local book arts class for hands-on instruction.
As Beth says, ” … it did me good to get away from the computer and feel my hands at work!”
 Archive for read write poem news »
|
|
Loading ...
Oooh! This prompt just made me salivate.
What a great prompt! I’ll need a jug of Diego Red for this. Tom, you’re spending to much time with old records. Get a life!
DCH
[...] ballad was written in response to readwritepoem’s recent prompt to write a ballad. In the post they mention the song Hotel California, and reading the lyrics I was [...]
Is this the right place to ask for help with the ballad prompt? I am SO narrative challenged! I don’t know why, but my creativity just ENDS when it comes to stories. I know that this prompt is going to be good for me, but I’m having a terrible time getting started when I almost always concentrate on images or ideas rather than things that unfold over time. My automatic response is to try and write something silly, which is what I always want to do when I’m afraid of failing miserably.
Does anyone have advice for a reluctant storyteller?
Katherine, just because the ballad tells a story doesn’t mean you can’t use images and ideas to tell it. Consider in “Hotle California” how many of the scenes are almost vignette-like, strung together not by narrative thread but by metaphor and meaning.
Try writing all of your ideas on paper and tearing them into little pieces, then put the pieces in the order you think they should go. A few temporal transitions and you have a narrative thread. But I’m sure some of the other people here would have much more useful ideas too. Good luck, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
This is fun, I like the idea of writing a rock opera….
i’m with catherine, i’m so narratively challenged as well. thanks for the tip! i’ll try my best.
[...] is a ballad written for Read Write Poem Prompt #37: Hotel California. Simply, we were to write a ballad. Since I don’t normally write ballads, this was a real [...]