Project Poem
Project Poem is designed to get me, and hopefully lots of other people, writing more poetry. Every Sunday, my girlfriend will give me a title or theme for a poem - I have a week to write it and hand it back to her. You have a week to post it here.
What's the point?
I want to get in the habit of writing more often, and hopefully improve a bit. What I'm not trying to do is turn out poems that will win competitions or end up submitted to publishers.
I just want to write more poetry. I've tried started many poems before but have only ever finished one. It's too easy to procrastinate by waiting for that perfect idea for a poem to come along, while finishing the ones I do start seems next to impossible. By asking someone else to commission the poem, I eliminate the first problem. By having a short deadline, I have no choice but to quickly finish what I start and not get bogged down in creating a masterpiece. If I do this for a year, I'll have 52 poems by the end of it.
How do I get involved?
I really want other people to get involved and do ths with me. We can learn from each other through reading each others poems, and give each other feedback too. Anyone is welcome to send in a poem or feedback.
The blog is aimed at people like me, who want to find a way of writing more and getting better, but seasoned and published poets are just as welcome to join in.
What should I be sending in?
Well, that's up to you. But we're not after polished masterpieces. At the moment I'm ignoring my reservations and going for quick and dirty - whatever is ready come Sunday evening.... and if you are commenting on people's poems, you should remember this.
A week isn't very long to write a poem on a theme you didn't pick - particularly when you're fitting it into a busy life. I plan to spend an hour or two over the week working on each poem, maybe more sometimes. Poems can be as short as you want them to be. If you're just starting out, I'd try and stick to traditional verse like iambic pentameter / blank verse - it's actually easier than writing free verse which opens up all sorts of cans of worms.
If you like the poem you post here, you can always work it up in your won time. You might get some helpful feedback here for doing that.
When should I send in poems?
Unless otherwise stated, anything sent it after Sunday evening won't reach the main blog here. If the deadline slips, then so does the point of the whole exercise.
How to send in poems
Each week I'll put up the theme / title - usually on Sunday or Monday. Write your poem in the comment box (this won't be made public) - I'll copy it into a post on the blog for people to see. Please leave a name (it can be initials or a pen name), and an email address (optional) so I can get in touch should anyone want to contact you about your contribution and I can let you know your poem is on the blog. Your email address will not be shared - ever. When you send your poem in, it won't be seen in the comments section - it will appear in the blog later, in a post of it's own, credited to you.
What kind of feedback is expected?
Constructive feedback is the best, and praise is always appreciated. Tell people what works for you in their poems, and why you liked it, if you can.
I'll be moderating feedback and comments so it remains a positive and encouraging place.
If you're new to poetry...
If you're really new to poetry, you haven't read many collections, and you've not tried writing much before, it's a really good idea to have a think and explore before you get involved. Maybe look at the links and books at the top of the blog.
Copyright
By sending in your poem, you are giving me permission to put in on this blog. I won't claim any right to it beyond that.
If you want to share, spread, or publish any of the poems here, you must seek permission. I'll pass on your request to the author. All of the authors retain ownership of their work.