Poetry Challenge #281-Judicious Pruning
In my current silly state of mind, couldn’t resist riffing off of a Cole Porter standard* to introduce today’s prompt. After all, it’s February 2nd—Groundhog’s Day—and whether or not that frisky little fellow scurried back inside or not, Spring is just around the corner.
“Gardeners do IT!
Chef’s do IT!
Even top excec-u-ets do IT!
Let’s do it! Let’s . . . ”
There are many weak words in the English language. Anytime you want to strengthen your writing, look for them and delete them. I keep a list to refer to, and add to this list whenever I notice words I overuse.
You might start out with this list:
Cutting away the chaff is especially helpful in a poem where you don’t have many words. Each word must help convey the picture/feeling/sound that you are trying to get. Words that are more specific are stronger because they help the reader create a clearer picture.
Poetry Challenge #281
Judicious Pruning
Find a poem you’ve written that has a feeling you like. Use the following steps to see whether you can make it better.
1) Read the poem and watch for words used more than once. Can you change these words?
2) Check for each of the weak words listed above. (Feel free to add other words that you think are weak.) Delete these weak words and rewrite the line as needed.
3) Look for your nouns (People, places, or things). Is there a better word that creates a more specific picture?
4) Are you using sound? Watch for repeating sounds or see where you can add some.
5) Read your poem aloud.
6) Have someone else read your poem aloud while you listen.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Chop-Chop-Chop!
*Did you recognize which Cole Porter song inspired the riff? Send the title in the comments and you’ll be entered in the next quarter’s Winner-Winner Chicken Dinner Giveaway!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #192-Mix-Blend-Whirrrr-Slurp!
It’s National Juice Slushie Day! Yes, it really is a thing, celebrated annually on the 3rd Wednesday in May (May 18, 2021). And why not?
What do you get if you put juice and ice in a blender? A Slushie! Orange, cranberry, grape, lemon, lime, the list is open to anything you want to add. Or you could mix them up and see what you get. According to the National Day Calendar, slushies have been around as long as snow!
I hear McDonald’s has teamed up with Minute Maid to introduce a watermelon/strawberry slushie this summer. Can you say Brain Freeze?!!!
Poetry Challenge #`192
Mix-Blend-Whirrrr-Slurp!
Pick two (or three if you dare. Come on! You dare!) poems that are close to the same length. Either your own or other poet(s) poems. Now add them to the poem blender, one line at a time from each.
Read over your new poem.
Add more words (berries) if necessary to make the meaning clear. Cut words that are unnecessary. Turn on the blender and shift lines to make it even better.
Then read and enjoy your Poem Slushie aloud!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 4 years ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl): SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #189-Leftovers Again??
In our old house what’s for dinner was never a question: Meatless Monday, Tuna Tuesday, Whatever Wednesday, Taco Thursday (yes, Tuna Noodle Casserole—don’t knock it…), Pizza Friday, Saturday and Sunday Surprise! That was then. Nowadays and since CoVid-19 struck every meal is a mystery. The only thing that’s remained is Whatever Wednesday as in Q: What’s for dinner? A: Whatever you can find. It’s our version of Leftover Night.
Thanks to my sis-in-law Valarie, who forwarded this The New Yorker article by Roz Chast, I’m realizing every house with a fridge has Leftover Night with at least 1700 different names for it. I know because Roz Chast, clever Instagramista @rozchast, took a poll. After reading through some options, I’m changing ours to Touski, the Quebecoise version of leftovers. It’s short for tout ce qui reste, “all that’s left.”
So, from this post on, Tuna Tuesday becomes Touski Tuesday for the way in sounds not because we have many leftovers on Tuesdays. With fridge pickings in mind, Touski Thursday would be better but it’s a tongue twister. And as food is the way to this writer’s soul and the sole purpose of this prompt is using up leftovers, let’s pull out our touskis (Ala Scarlet, the matter of what to do about tuna casserole will wait.)
Poetry Challenge #189
Leftovers Day aka Touski On!
The best thing about Leftovers Day (Touski Tuesday) are the strange combinations you can make into a meal.
The same goes for poems. Read through some old poems and pull out some juicy tidbits. They can be whole lines, phrases, or one special word. Combine your “leftovers” into something new.
Put 7 syllables/words onto the first line and 5 syllables/words onto the second line. Repeat this pattern for the whole poem.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just Toutski!
And, because I know you want—need it: Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 4 years ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl): SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #180-Revisionist Wednesday-Cutting UP!
Are you a cut up? Did you every get in trouble for “cutting up?” Does anyone even use that term in Merriam-Webster’s Intransitive Verb option #2 anymore?
“to behave in a comic, boisterous, or unruly manner: clown.”
Well get ready cause we are! Perhaps with more physical intent: a poet’s version of the newspaper Jumble (my mom-in-law’s favorite).
For this you’ll need scissors!
Poetry Challenge #180
Cutting Up
Choose a poem you’ve written that you’d like to make better.
Print the poem in a large font or write it out by hand in large letters.
Cut the words into individual pieces.
Organize them—alphabetically or by number of letters or any other way you can think of. Can you see any interesting/exciting combinations of words now?
Work on a sheet of blank paper and rearrange the words into a new poem. Feel free to add more words if needed. Write them on the paper where you want them to be. You don’t have to use all your words. Read the new poem aloud and see how it sounds.
You can do this on any poem. If you want a different challenge, Take two poems and mix their words together. Have fun!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Scrambling!
Don’t Think About it, do it! Play!
Be a Cut Up!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 1766 days ago! We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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Poetry Challenge #172-Revisionist Poetry
20/20 hmmmmm. Along with everything else, 2020 has forced us to revise: revise our thinking, our habits, our actions past and to rethink—revision—going forward.
It’s not as simple as upgrading our eyewear prescription, is it? But necessary.
As we zoom into 2021, Let’s take time to revise!
Poetry Challenge #172
Revisionist Poetry
Choose a poem you like and see if you can really make it sing!
Look for repeated sounds in your poem—maybe several words contain an “O” sound or a bunch start with the letter “B”. . . a hint of a pattern, rhythm or beats.
Now’s that you’ve found them, play with those accidental patterns by changing some of your words so they have the same sound; some lines breaks to intensify the rhythm, etc. Try adding some onomatopoetic words—words that sound like actions: AHCHOO! CRINKLE! MUMBLE! SNAP!
Now read and compare both versions. Hear the difference?
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing
Don’t Think Too Much About it; just do it!
Revisionist Playlist:
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge about 1700 days ago! (without a miss!!!) We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you (This one is Cindy’s.) If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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Poetry Challenge #170-Backwards Day
Today, Dec. 16th is actually, officially Barbie and Barney Backlash Day, a day created by Thomas and Ruth Roy at Wellcat.com to “allows parents to take a vacation from all the repetitive sing-a-longs and storytelling.” Which, if you ask us is the most backasward idea ever. Repetition, songs, storytelling—yes, even cartoons—irritating as they may be, those sing-song verses help children become literate. So, in recognition of this incredibly backward idea, we’re retaliating by retaking the day:
Poetry Challenge #170
Backwards Day
It’s BACKWARDS day!!! (Or if you prefer !YAD SDRAWKCAB) Wear your shirt backwards, walk toe-heel, write notes and try to read them in the mirror.
And write a BACKWARDS poem!
Choose a poem you’ve already written and write it backwards. That means write the last line as your first line, the next to last as your second, and so on. Read through it and adjust it so it makes sense. You can add or take away a word if necessary. Does your BACKWARDS poem have the same meaning as the original?
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing
Don’t Think Too Much About it; IT DO JUST!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge about 0071 days ago! (That’s 1700 backwards—without a miss!!!) We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you (This one is Cindy’s.) If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl): SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #158-Mine for Lines--Foundlings
“Nikki Grimes” saying her name is synonymous with poetry. The way Nikki lives, loves, creates is pure poetry—as are her books! I keep a copy of her WORDS WITH WINGS on my desk-always!
A few years back I was gifted with a week of mornings with Nikki at Kindling Words West. If you’re not familiar with KW it’s a “professional retreat for the children’s book world.” To continue:
Fellow attendee, SCBWI-Houston bud, Force of an Author, Lynne Kelly was there too.
While I soaked up Nikki’s magic, Lynne shared snippets of what Nikki sprinkled us with on her blog: “Making Stuff Up and Writing it Down” including Nikki’s instructions for creating Found Poems which, to non-poet me felt like validating paint-by-number as “art”. It sort of kind of feels like cheating—but also like an easy way in. I can do easy!
Nikki’s magic doesn’t come in a jar!
Poetry Challenge #158
Mine for Lines-Foundlings
Its time to revise. Read through some of your previous poems and “find gems”—favorite lines or phrases or words. Use these foundlings to create a new poem. You might decide to only mine one poem.
Or, maybe even more exciting: stir things up by combining foundlings from several poem to create your new poem. Surprise yourself!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing
Don’t Think Too Much About it; Just do it!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than SIXTEEN HUNDRED days ago! (without a miss!!!) We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments. And scroll down for my happy news:
