I Won a Poetry Contest!

John Keats, by William Hilton (died 1839). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 
    Since many in the United States are celebrating today (May 27th) as Memorial Day, I'll keep things light.  No heavy controversy or debate.  We'll get back to that mode next week.  Today is time for pie a la mode and other such summer fun.

          Today I offer a poem.  Last week this poem won first place in the light poetry contest at the May meeting of the Writers Workshop West in Downey, California.  My prize was twenty bucks!  Cool!  After today's post I'll add the poem to the Writers Workshop West blog.

          This poem was inspired by one of the poetry experts in the group, Lorine Parks.  I essentially revised her guidelines on writing light verse into my own bit of silliness.  Her most recent collection of poetry is Catalina Eddy.  You can find an interesting interview with Lorine at YouTube--Part 1 and Part 2. 

Here is my prize winning bit of poetry:

On Writing Light Verse

Here is my treatise on writing light verse.

Since I'm confined in my lines I must keep it terse. 

A treat it is to hear this treatise explained,

But if you think not, then please don't complain.

Now I'm referring to poems that tend to be lighter.

You must write them right to be a right writer.

Don't versify ravens or birds that are dark.

Stick to chickens or chickadees or maybe the lark.

And by all means we must avoid doggerel

Lest when we read it aloud it sounds like caterwaul

Oh, and speaking of similes--or metaphorically so--

We must keep all verse under proper control.

No making up words or messing with grammar.

Or you might anger grandpa or cause the r-r-reader to stammer. 

Avoid haughty pretention of supercilious verbiage.

Nonsensical imagery is highly encouraged.

It's not the lyrical stanzas of Keats, Shelley, or Wordsworth--

They owed it to their readers to give them their words worth.

Still, you must be sure that your literacy shows

After all we want to write poetry like pros. 

        Did you catch my puns and wordplays?  Do you ever write light or humorous verse?    Are you part of a local writers group?

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Ask Arlee: What Do You Think of Group blogs or Team Blogs?

    
     Recently I have been involved in setting up a prototype group blog that has been suggested to a local writers group that I've been a member of for the past year.   A couple of the members have blogs that are not very active yet, but I'm the only member who has an active ongoing blog.  Since I have the more extensive blogging experience they've been asking me for some advice concerning the potential of having a group blog.  You can see my test blog as it currently stands at Writers Workshop West.

         Likewise, not too long ago, author Sharon Hamilton asked what I and my readers thought about shared or group blogs.  In the present post I will express my thoughts about this type of blogging and invite you to leave your thoughts and experiences in the comment section.

What Is a Group Blog?

          The first group blog I encountered  my early blogging days was Writers on the Move, a collective effort by several writers who present a wide range of topics.  In fact in my third month of blogging I was featured on this blog in my first guest spot.  The blog is still active with 23 contributors showing on its roster.

         Since this first encounter I've discovered many group blogging efforts and I'm sure many of you are either familiar with some or may even collaborate on a a group blog.  This type of blogging allows for diversity and greater flexibility in keeping the blog more active than just one person can do.  The pressure to produce can definitely be alleviated when a team is working cooperatively.

          A group blog starts with one primary administrator opening the blog (this is true for Blogger--perhaps others can tell how this works on other formats).   When a team has been assembled, each member is added  to that blog as an author.  All approved authors can enter into that blog account and sent up their own posts.

Disadvantages

         If the right team has been assembled I see very few disadvantages.   I set up the Blogging from A to Z Blog in October of 2011 and since then I've had the finest team of collaborators a blogger could ask for.  Several of the members are now in their second year of blog collaboration and A to Z works like a finely tuned machine as most of you who visit can attest.

         D.G. Hudson said:

Re - group blogs; I don't like them as much; too many voices in the mix. It will be interesting to see what you say about them, Lee.
Visiting a group blog can make a reader feel like they are interrupting a private party. The A to  Z blog is one exception to this. I'm not saying all group blogs tend to be that way, but many are.
For professionals (journalists, etc) I see the need, but I'm still not a fan of group blogs. Give me an individual's blog, because in a group, no one stands out...

         I can see D.G.'s concern.   I can't recall a specific blog like this that I've encountered, but I know it can happen.    This is why the blog must have a purposeful theme that is directed toward a reading audience and gets them involved.  

         Having the right team members is so important.  If some members aren't pulling their part of the weight, the blog can easily fall apart or drag down in quality content and hurt the reputation of the others.  When a blog fizzles it can be demoralizing to those who had previously been enthused about it.

Advantages

         So far I'm sold on the group blog idea.  As stated above the right team makes a world of difference.  When you've got good players the whole team wins from the standpoint of getting more exposure for themselves and their blogging efforts.  The extra posting opportunities add to ones internet presence and allow more links to the individual member sites.  

        Collaboration also builds good internet bonds.  I love the A to Z Team and we work well together.  We each have our specialties to help spread out the work.   If one of us is sick or in a inopportune fix of some type, another member will jump in and pick up the slack.   It's a good feeling to know you have online friends you can count on.

        As a writing collective we are also an idea factory.  Between our own material and the connections that allow us to gather up posts from many sources, we can keep this blog running seven days a week with minimal effort from most of us.  With so many hands available the blog almost runs itself at times.

Other Group Blogging Ideas

         One method of communication we have begun using this year for the A to Z Team is a private group blog.   Allowing us to separate our team communiques from our regular email, we can exchange thoughts and make team announcements on the private blog.

           A private group blog would be great for critique groups or others wishing to have non-public exchanges without resorting to email.   A group can do essentially the same type of communicating or work on collaborative efforts through methods like Google Docs and other similar platforms.  The private group blog allows for good ongoing communication threads.

Tell Us What You Think

          Have you tried team blogging?  What are the advantages and disadvantages that you see it group blogs?   Have you ever tried a private blog?    Can you recommend some good group blogs?

         

           

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The Good, the Bad, and the Perception

   
    There are many good things in the world.  There are also bad things.  Then there is how each of us perceives either of the extremes.  I tend to be the optimist--the glass half full guy.  When somebody says "not possible" I might be apt to counter with "what if" or "maybe there's a way".

         I suppose there's a childlike way I view the world sometimes.  Sure, as some of you may have noticed in my blog posts, I can tend to appear pragmatic in my thinking at times, perhaps almost to the point of being too rigidly realistic or literal about some things.  I like to be cautious in my approach to many thoughts and deeds, but I can be a dreamer to the point of the ridiculous.

        It's probably much to do with upbringing--perhaps everything.   My mother was a storyteller and my father liked to dream big.  We always seemed to be looking toward the horizon for the next new thing, the adventure of what we could imagine.

        Then I think of a friend of mine who tends to look at the negative side of life much of the time.   I didn't know his parents very well, but in my experience with them his father seemed to be a rather grumpy fellow.  You could say it was a nice day and for him it was too hot, too cold, or not a perfect day in some way.  My friend's mother conversely was a cheery lady who seemed to be lost in a happy world of her own mind.

         My friend--the by-product of two different personalities--is now a slightly happier-seeming version of his old man.   But maybe I see it this way because my friend is my long-time friend and I never really knew his father.  Perhaps if his father had been my friend I would have had a whole different perception of the guy.

        Life is what we make it based on how we perceive it.   If we've got something to look forward to then we keep at it.   I don't ever want to be the kind of person who plops down in hopelessness and gives up.  Life is too rich.

        Recently I met a very cool guy who is a member of a writer's group I joined a year ago.   At 90 years of age Jack Eiden is ready for the next 100 years.  He's got two epic novels in the closing stages and will be shopping these around soon.   He published a novelette in 2000 and learned how to build his own website so he could promote that book. 

         Lately Jack and I have been putting together a blog for our writers group.   I encourage you to stop by the Writers Workshop West blog and take a look around.   It's currently still a work in progress that needs to be taken before the membership before we finalize how we will proceed with it.  If you would, please stop in and leave a comment on any post so our membership can see the potential of blog interaction and networking.  This will be a new concept for many of these writers.

         In developing this blog, Jack became inspired to start his own blog in preparation for expanding his platform and to eventually be able to showcase his upcoming books.   I hope you will take some time to drop by the blog of Jack Eiden Author Relapsed and provide him some encouragement.   Become a follower of his blog and welcome him into our blogging community. 

           Are you a member of a local writers group?   Does the group have a blog or a website?   Have you encouraged others to start a blog?

           Again, please visit these sites, Writers Workshop West and Author Relapsed, to welcome them to the world of blogging and encourage them in their endeavors.   Thank you all!
 

        

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