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Hey guys…so I’m a poet…and I’ve always pretended to be allergic to NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo. This was because I was thought, geez, a poet like me can’t do that.
Update: A friend of mine has, in fact, convinced me to do that.
I’m going to tackle a poetry editing goal and (I hope) a word count goal this month. So here I am.
I need buddies. I need advice. I do not know what I do not know. 😀
@evelyn @cassandraia @eden-anderson @w-o-holmes @wisdomofprose @h-jones @pookiemonster @sir-leeds @scribbles @kate @libby @lianajdouglas @h-jones @k-a-greySpreading God's love until I can see seven billion smiles. 🙂 https://sevenbillionsmiles.home.blog
Hey @emma-starr, I can’t say I’ve ever attempted a word count goal as a poet. To me, word count goals aren’t bad for prose writers so long as they’re editing too, but for poets, the closest thing to NaNoWriMo I’ve heard of is the poem-a-day challenge (where you try to write one poem every day for a month). Poetry is a different beast than prose and I think it should be treated like it is.
Anyway, that’s enough of my opinion on word count goals for poets; here’s my advice. Find a mentor who writes poetry to help you edit and keep you accountable to your goals if you can. If that’s not possible, try reading your poems aloud to yourself before each edit and give yourself plenty of time between when you wrote the poem and when you edit it. My mentor usually recommends a month or so. Also, I’d allot yourself time in every day to read other people’s poetry, go for a walk or something else where you’re alone with your thoughts, like prayer time or something, and write/edit your poems. It’ll be rough after the first few days, but routine and discipline will get you through.
Hope that’s helpful to you. Please let me know if you’d like any clarifications on anything I said or if there’s any way I can help. I’m pretty busy these days but I’ll respond and read posts and poems when I can. God bless!
"We are far too easily pleased." - C. S. Lewis
@sir-leeds Thank you so much for your thoughtful answer. 🙂
The word count goal has a conundrum for me. You brought up a great point that stories and poems are so different. I think that word count might work against my poetry. I’m not sure, but it seems like stories are better for word count goals.
This month I’m going to log all of the words that in write my poems, but I think I may also try some flash fiction and short stories too.
I usually try to read/write/edit some poetry every day, so I already have that as a regular habit. This month, I’ll your advice and try to edit other people’s poetry more and take walks, etc, to enhance my creativity.
I’m about to become a full-time college music major, but I’m hoping to find a mentor in the English department who can help me with my poetry.
Thank you!!
Spreading God's love until I can see seven billion smiles. 🙂 https://sevenbillionsmiles.home.blog
@emma-starr I’d have to agree with Sir Leeds word goals are hard for writing poetry. I’ve tried and it was really difficult! The idea behind NaNoWriMo for novel writing is getting the story down in a huge messy chunk and it works well for that, but poetry has such a large emphasis on the right amount of words. Not to many, often very few. And an emphasis on working on good imagery, which is tainted when you are focused on getting a certain amount of words in. A better goal might be to just write/edit a poem a day.
Sir Leeds also has some amazing editing advice. What I would add on top, is print it out (if you currently have it typed up) and to read it over and over again. Mark it up as seen fit. Do it somewhere quiet.
Also a random tip from a friend of mine I’ve found fascinating: when editing change the font of the work from the font you wrote it in. Apparently it makes you catch more things.
All that said, I would love to be your buddy. 😉
Which month of Camp NaNo are you doing? (I assume not April haha)
@evelyn Thank you!!
I actually have a very similar editing process to what you both have advised, which is actually surprising me! lol
This is my usual process:
1. I write the poem in my poetry notebook that I keep on my bedside table. I keep it there for a few days in case I have a new idea to add.
2. Then, I type it up on my computer and print it out.
3. After this, I leave the printout beside my bed and mark it up with edits, and anything else that I think of.
Usually, I take about a month or more editing the printout, typing it up again, and repeating. I space it out to make sure I see it with fresh eyes.
I try to take some time every day to either read poetry, read a novel with inspiring prose, read and edit my own poetry, or write a poem.
Also, I have a local friend who writes poetry with me and we read and coedit each other’s work every week or so.
I’m in love with the idea of walks as creative medicine and I’ve never thought of changing the font to see mistakes. I’ll have to add both of those to my habits!!
I went ahead and joined the April one, actually. XD I made the word count like 10,000 though. I just want to log what I do and see how well I do, if that makes sense. It’s also a motivator. 🙂 What’s your username?
Spreading God's love until I can see seven billion smiles. 🙂 https://sevenbillionsmiles.home.blog
@emma-starr Wow, that is very similar! I love filling up notebooks by my bedside with images and poetry.(:
Walking is such a good thing for a person, mentally, creatively, spiritually, and haha physically of course.
It’s *double-checks* EvvieGrace! Can’t wait to befriend you over there. 😉
@evelyn Me too! It’s so satisfying. 🙂
I think I definitely need to take more walks. My happiness level is affected by fresh air more than I’d like to admit. It shouldn’t make me THAT much happier. XD But it does.
We be frens now. 🙂
Spreading God's love until I can see seven billion smiles. 🙂 https://sevenbillionsmiles.home.blog
I think I definitely need to take more walks. My happiness level is affected by fresh air more than I’d like to admit. It shouldn’t make me THAT much happier. XD But it does.
*facepalm* Me too girl. It feels pathetic sometimes when I think about it haha. xD
Ey coolio.(:
@emma-starr hey, thanks for tagging me! I do write poetry sometimes, but I mostly do novels and short stories, so when I do something like Camp NaNo, it’s usually for that. Most of my poems are emotion vomit and processing during emotionally stressful times 😛 anyway, I don’t think I can really answer your question, but thanks for thinking of me! <3
I crush readers' souls like grapes.
@emma-starr I’m not a poet by any stretch of the imagination but I think it’s awesome that you’re doing to Camp NaNo and I’d love to be buddies! 😊 Best of luck on this new adventure!! I hope it’s lots of fun. ☀️
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
@emma-starr I do poetry, too, but I’m a lot like Cassandra–I usually do novels and short stories. I do get a spark of poetic inspiration from time to time, though. 😉 Good luck with the writing this month! 😀
Hearts are like matter--they can be beaten down, torn, and burned, but they cannot be destroyed.
@naiya-dyani @eden-anderson @cassandraia Thanks, guys!! It’s hard for me to remember who is an official //poet person// and who just likes dabbling. haha
Thanks!!! 🙂
Spreading God's love until I can see seven billion smiles. 🙂 https://sevenbillionsmiles.home.blog
@emma-starr How did it go? (:
@evelyn ahh thanks for checking up on me. :))
So I started out editing a TON of poetry and writing a lot of poetry.
Then, I was like, “why not just start my novel?” I’ve always wanted to write stories, but they’ve always been much harder for me and I would give up after a week or two of plotting.
HOWEVER. This time I’m not giving up on the story, no matter how annoyed I get with it. Also, I’m actually writing it down. *gasp*
I got 2,500-ish something words done on it in April, so Nano really helped me get it down on paper.
🙂
Spreading God's love until I can see seven billion smiles. 🙂 https://sevenbillionsmiles.home.blog
@emma-starr Wow, that’s fantastic! I bet it’s amazing. 🙂
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