Friday Writings #187: Celebration

 

 

Hello again, dear Word Weavers –

As a citizen of the world, how are you holding up?

These are such difficult times to be alive! Most of all, of course, for those who are directly suffering the terrible effects of both wars and climate change – but also for all those of us who watch in horror. For writers, there’s the extra complication of whether we have a duty to comment in protest, or whether instead we need to remind our readers of all the beauty and good in the world. 

I rather believe it’s a bit of both. But in contemplating the horrors, I have most often been struck dumb. On the few occasions I’ve been able to write something – particularly on the military operations – I have wondered if it’s too inflammatory to share, if it would only exacerbate everything. 



Then I bethink myself that the teachings of Jesus (although I am far from an orthodox Christian) really are the ultimate answer: Love is the only workable way to live; if we could all embody that in our dealings with each other, what a wonderful world it would be! It may be that we'd do better to write poems and stories which add to the love and joy in the world. How good if that could have a collective effect on the overall energy! Even if it raises the spirits of a few individuals – including ourselves – isn’t that well worth doing?

I don’t really know any final, definitive answer to these questions. But I do think that writing poems which celebrate life, and all or any of its components, is a thing worth doing.

So, your optional prompt this week is to write in celebration of a person, a place, a thing, whatever ...

Extra: Optional form prompt. If you care to use this, it may be combined with the prompt I’ve just given you, or with anything you choose to write off prompt … or, of course, you need not use it at all. For those who would like to (and especially Priscilla, who requested it recently) let’s try a Sapphic ode. [Instructions at the link.] They can be tricky, using what is nowadays an unusual pattern of heavy and light stresses – but that can result in finding new ways to say things. (Perhaps this pattern is more common in Greek than English, but I'm not a Greek speaker so I don't know. Can anyone tell me?) Your ode can be any number of verses. Because I find the form challenging, my own this time is only one.

Bonus (a little gift – some extra reading you might enjoy. I did!): From musician and writer Nick Cave’s ‘Red Hand Files’ where he answers questions from his public, Issue #330 talks about the inspiration for his song lyrics. 

Guidelines: One post per person, 369 words maximum (excluding title and notes), post it on your blog, use Mister Linky below to link to the particular post (not your blog as a whole) and hopefully read, enjoy and make encouraging comments on others’ work.

Next week: We will invite you to find a scar on your body (or in your mind/heart), and write poetry or prose inspired by it (how it happened, how it makes you feel, what it means to you...). If you don’t have any scars (hey, it could happen!), then find inspiration in the concept of scars.

 

Friday Writings #186: Survive Out of Spite

 

Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! One of the more awesome things in this world is a friend who gets you. Several months ago, I was in a bit of a funk. OK, it was more than a bit if I'm being honest. A good friend, who knows me pretty well, sent me a wee gift.

While this did not completely dispel my funk, it did make me laugh. And in the second that I laughed, I could see the first steps that led away from my funk a little more clearly. All I needed to do was start taking them. 

So in honor of this most excellent gift, I am offering "Survive out of spite" as the optional prompt of the week. Feel free to interpret it in a way that is most interesting to you. I am taking poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction. Just please be sure to 1) keep it to 369 words or fewer and 2) one entry per person, please.

Tune in next week, when we shall ask you to write a poem of celebration, whether of a person, a thing, an event… Optional extra: do it in the form of a Sapphic ode.

Friday Writings #185: Don’t be Afraid to Start Over

 

Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! There are plenty of scary things in this world. (Way, way too many.) One thing that doesn't have to be scary is starting over. Sure it can be a little frustrating, a little embarrassing even. But there's one thing that we have now that we didn't have the first time around. Experience. We're a lot smarter about the things to avoid now and with a little luck will be able to see the right way forward a lot more clearly.

This week's optional prompt is to find inspiration in the following quote: “Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.” I'm taking prose and poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Just be sure to keep your word count to 369 or fewer and one entry per person, please.

Next week, the optional prompt will be, "Survive out of spite".

Friday Writings #184: Let's Go Formal

 

 
Hello, dear Word Weavers –

I hope you are surviving the cold or the heat, whichever you are having at the moment. (Nights here are very cold.)

Meanwhile, you may have noticed that we haven’t been offering you much in the way of poetic forms as prompts. We haven’t wanted to be unfair to the ‘Storytellers’ here, as in our group title, which seems to imply prose writers.

However I’m re-thinking that.

a) We can tell stories in verse too, and often do.
b) Most of what people share here tends to be poetry anyway.
c) The prompts are always optional. If someone wishes to regale us with a prose piece – or some free verse – when we're asking for a formal poem, that will be perfectly fine. (You may also twist or subvert any prompt. They are meant to inspire you, not restrict you.)
d) The occasional formal prompt doesn’t mean that’s the only kind we’re ever going offer.
e) Although I love free verse, I also like to play with form sometimes, and I’m betting I’m not the only one. In fact, I know I’m not. Some of you consistently work in form in response to our prompts. (Smiling at you especially, songwriter Nick.)

This week I offer you a range of well-known forms to choose from.

Your (optional) prompt this week is to write a limerick, a ballad, or a sonnet – or to write on the subject of formality without necessarily doing so in formal verse (or even any kind of verse). If you choose to write a sonnet, the particular kind is up to you (Shakespearian, Petrarchian, Clarian, Curtal, American ...) but please do let us know.

I'm expecting you'll be quite familiar with all these forms, but if you would like to refresh your memory, look here: 

Limerick. 

Ballad.  

Sonnet.  

Requirements: One post per person; 369 words maximum (excluding title and notes); on prompt or not / verse or prose / new or old; post to your blog and add the url for that particular post to the Mister Linky below; please read what others share and leave some encouraging feedback.

You are also very welcome to leave comments here for the admin team, if you wish to or need to.  E.g. let us know how you feel about being asked to write formal poems.

 

Oh dear, my treasured book of Border Ballads doesn't look very treasured, does it? 
But you must understand I have had it since 1956.

 

Bonus: After I'd finished this post (or so I thought) this link turned up in my facebook feed. It leads to two amazing sonnets, masterfully translated from Spanish by one of my fb friends. Not that I know Spanish, but the English is a treat to read – a revelation of what can be done with the sonnet form. Since we are looking at sonnets today, among other things, I couldn't resist sharing them with you. (There are several other wonderful poems there too, by other people, which have nothing at all to do with any of this, but are very much worth a read. Enjoy!) 

Next week: We will invite you to find inspiration in the following quote: “Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.”