Quantity first, then Quality

Well, my Personal Poetry Month has ended. I gave myself the task of writing a new poem every day in April, and it is now May.

I didn't manage a new poem every day as such, but on some days I managed more than one poem, so the overall total is more than thirty poems, so I am very pleased with myself. I definitely managed to get the quantity done.

But what of the quality? Well, I wasn't aiming to get thirty fully polished and publishable poems every day. I was just trying to up my written matter to work on. The hard work starts now, I suppose.

But I've had a bit of a look at what I have written in April, and I am surprised at the quality of some of the poems there in my notebook, and on my computer. Some of the poems have had a little going over to sharpen them up, some of them came out already sharp, and some of them need lots of work if they are ever going to be anything.

But overall, I can recommend this method to anyone who is able to devote half an hour every day to pen a poem. Even if, or maybe especially if, you only write poetry every now and then, give it a try. Worst case scenario? You have thirty poems you don't like much. But I think doing this exercise can bring you closer to your poetry, and focus you more on the idea of working on your writing.

If you seriously care about improving your poetry, getting this many poems to work on is a huge help. With thirty poems, you don't feel so protective of them and you become more at ease with editing properly.

Give it a try, you'll be pleased you did!

The Smallest Things
Always be prepared to be amazed by the smallest things in life. The rewards can enlarge your sense of wonder, and your appreciation of the joy that Nature can bring you.
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Personal Poetry Month

My Personal Poetry Month is going great guns, with an average of 1.something poems every day. The quantity is certainly there, and the quality is holding up better than I ever expected.

So for me, April 2009 is certainly my Poetry Month. For anyone who is struggling to find their muse, or who otherwise feels uninspired, why not give it a try? Commit to writing something new every day, don't worry about quality, go for quality.

If you can only get ten percent good poems for bad, it's still more poems than you'd have written if you sat back waiting for that silly muse to deign to visit. Cut out the middle-man, just go without that silly muse!

I've mentioned this idea of mine in a variety of places, and I'd love to here from anyone who decides to give it a go themselves. Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.

Poetry Exercise - Joy of Nature

Is there something in nature that creates a sense of wonder or joy in you? Share that with others in a poem. It can be short, or long. Rhyming or not. The poem and your feelings will tell you what, and for how long, to write.

The main task is to try to create the same sense of wonder in someone else. Puppies can do it for me, or watching a horse galloping across a paddock, tail high, ears held forward and alert.

I saw again earlier today the swallows that perch most of the time on the brackets for plant pots on the wall of our carport. They sit there, and usually fly away when we open the front door, just a few metres away.

But sometimes they don't fly away, or one does and the other doesn't. Sometimes there are no swallows there at all, and I feel slightly bereft. When we had the long heatwave here in South Australia back in March, the swallows didn't seem to move at all, they were as motionless as everyone else was, blasted into immobility by the heat.

Everyone, surely has their own thing in Nature that brings them joy. Rain, Rainbows, birds, young animals playing. Pick your own and write your own "Ode to Nature".

I would love to hear about your personal thing.

Post a comment and tell us what works for you.

April is Poetry Month!

I think it's in the US, but I've decided it's my personal Poetry month too. I am going to write a new poem every day in April. It is the fourth of April today, and I have five new poems so far, plus I have worked on poems I have written previously.

I know I won't write fantastic poems every single day this month, but by April 30, I will have thirty new poems or more, to work with in May.

I am going to take on some study starting in May, so I feel I have to do something or my creativity might get swamped in new, non-fiction type things.

Or, perhaps my creativity will be electro zapped into overdrive, and I may be writing lots and lots of new stuff. Only time will tell. I just know that I am excited about this new phase in my poetry growth, and in my possible career prospects once I have my certificate.

Upward and onward, that's me!

I heartily recommend everyone starts their own personal poetry month. Pen lines, or work on older stuff.

I challenge everyone to make April your biggest poetry month ever, and tell us all about how it's going. We can cheer each other on, and offer tips.

Embrace poetry!