Note: "The Elizabeth George Foundation is transitioning in 2025 to a charitable trust with a new focus. It will be administered by Wells Fargo Advisors." Uh-oh.
Need to swallow this Lilliam quote like a vitamin: "‘Oh, there's a contest. Okay.’ And it's Bellevue Literary Review about hospitals and stuff. Sure. I could write a short story about that."
I hate the idea of getting stuck in just one thing, be it as a writer or in any profession. Love the idea of promoting oneself as curious first—that’s exactly the impetus for exploring new ground. It’s also why I read across genres & forms.
Thank you for being here! And I love that you have that versatility and range. To be honest, exploring screenwriting has really expanded my toolkit for fiction so I'm a big fan of curiosity, like you. Now if only I had the courage to write poetry... ㅜㅡㅜ
Steve, if you're a storyteller, then try your hand at narrative poetry. My narrative poetry book won an award in July - - - and will be released in October: "Always Haunted: Hallowe'en Poems" (Wild Ink, Oct. 1, 2024). It's available on NetGalley . . . . https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/437468
Jen, I have no suggestions on courses. But I wanted to share a recent experience - - how "birthing" a nonfiction narrative poem became difficult & how I resolved it. Sharing an annual, laborious family ritual - - by pouring it into a poem - - kept playing hide-and-seek with me as I tried to compose “The Rite of Pummarola” (a narrative poem in Blank Verse). So I attempted it as a CNF piece. When satisfied with the prose-poem format, I returned to the demands of iambic pentameter.
* * * Fun! Everyone who reviewed my book praised my tomato sauce poem. :-)
From Andrea Walker’s book review of “Apprenticed to the Night” - - - - “The Rite of Pummarola” bears an explosion of the senses in the cellar, draped in orange light, steam-kissed by four steel pots at constant boil, rattling, air thickening. Readers can taste the pureed tomatoes, sniff the aroma of herbs, hear the clang of the pestle and pot lids. The family’s work becomes a rhythmic dance to the percussion of bottle capping, teasing the appetite by the end of the poem.
A master of form, LoSchiavo crafts her work with detail as she continues the themes of family and childhood. . . .
Thank you, LindaAnn, for answering the question I had in mind while reading the Lilliam interview: does "might as well" apply across forms of writing too? Just this past month, after several years of personal essays, I've started to have prose poems fall out of my head; some have developed line breaks, some have stayed prosey, and I'm wondering how much time to devote to these. In the meantime, they're fun as hell, so "might as well" may apply here.
Love that for you! Not advice in any way but if *I* had a hot hand like that I'd keep rolling those dice. It's strange how some of our best work falls out of us, practically done or fully formed. Like it has a mind of its own and wants to be born, with or without our help
EX: I had only written one werewolf poem (in 2022) about an estranged wife who sees a Wanted poster for her werewolf-husband & tracks him down to collect the reward $$. How did she make him transform? By stuffing a silver wedding band down his maw.
This year I decided to write an entire werewolf collection -- with some innovations.
My werewolf poems were accepted 3 at a time; this forced me to keep going.
Now I have a collection and I'm seeking an SFF book publisher.
EXACTLY. Truth be told, I don't really feel like I have a choice in rolling those dice right now. If they come, let 'em come. As long as my ESSAYISTS' critique group understands if, well, gee, I just don't have a submission for next month. ; )
Wondering "how much time to devote to these" - - is best answered by another question: Quo vadis? Yes, prose-poems are fun to write! But you might wish to think in terms of themes. Why? Because pieces on a similar theme create a book.
Speaking for myself, I don't write poems per se; each poem is seen as a brick that will build a book.
In 2024, by working this way and pursuing a theme, I had 3 books released.
You can think of building an essay collection that way, too, as you know.
Great questions. Curiously, I was just thinking about an essay collection in the shower this morning. With the poetry I may just need to have fun first (and exorcise a you-can't-do-this demon along the way) before thinking book, but it's a good vision to have in mind. Thank you.
It's not surprising how quickly pages pile up - - even without striking a Faustian bargain. Next thing you know, you have a manuscript.
My tip to essayists is: read the bios of all those editors who like your ESSAYS and see what other publications these good people are attached to. Then pitch newer styles of writing to the names who know you - - - - at the other lit mags.
Nice side conversations on this thread. Nice to meet you all here at Chez Steve.
Excellent. Will read a few times. Thank you.
Thanks for checking it out! Appreciate your voice and presence here :)
Note: "The Elizabeth George Foundation is transitioning in 2025 to a charitable trust with a new focus. It will be administered by Wells Fargo Advisors." Uh-oh.
Right? Wells Fargo?? Waving goodbye to another resource for writers... hope I'm not being glum about the changes prematurely.
I am worried, Steve. Wells Fargo admin has pretty dirty hands, as the headlines have told us. Yikes!
Need to swallow this Lilliam quote like a vitamin: "‘Oh, there's a contest. Okay.’ And it's Bellevue Literary Review about hospitals and stuff. Sure. I could write a short story about that."
lol the confidence, the chill
Love this!
I hate the idea of getting stuck in just one thing, be it as a writer or in any profession. Love the idea of promoting oneself as curious first—that’s exactly the impetus for exploring new ground. It’s also why I read across genres & forms.
Great post! Thanks 😊
Thank you for being here! And I love that you have that versatility and range. To be honest, exploring screenwriting has really expanded my toolkit for fiction so I'm a big fan of curiosity, like you. Now if only I had the courage to write poetry... ㅜㅡㅜ
Steve, if you're a storyteller, then try your hand at narrative poetry. My narrative poetry book won an award in July - - - and will be released in October: "Always Haunted: Hallowe'en Poems" (Wild Ink, Oct. 1, 2024). It's available on NetGalley . . . . https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/437468
And congrats on your award!
Thank you very much, Jen. Very excited for the October 1st release!
Erin Caldwell did a fine job with her full-page illustrations of my spooky poems. She's thrilled about the award, too.
I would love to learn more about writing narrative poetry. Any suggestions for an online course?
Jen, I have no suggestions on courses. But I wanted to share a recent experience - - how "birthing" a nonfiction narrative poem became difficult & how I resolved it. Sharing an annual, laborious family ritual - - by pouring it into a poem - - kept playing hide-and-seek with me as I tried to compose “The Rite of Pummarola” (a narrative poem in Blank Verse). So I attempted it as a CNF piece. When satisfied with the prose-poem format, I returned to the demands of iambic pentameter.
* * * Fun! Everyone who reviewed my book praised my tomato sauce poem. :-)
From Andrea Walker’s book review of “Apprenticed to the Night” - - - - “The Rite of Pummarola” bears an explosion of the senses in the cellar, draped in orange light, steam-kissed by four steel pots at constant boil, rattling, air thickening. Readers can taste the pureed tomatoes, sniff the aroma of herbs, hear the clang of the pestle and pot lids. The family’s work becomes a rhythmic dance to the percussion of bottle capping, teasing the appetite by the end of the poem.
A master of form, LoSchiavo crafts her work with detail as she continues the themes of family and childhood. . . .
https://panoplyzine.com/2023/04/21/review-of-apprenticed-to-the-night-by-lindaann-loschiavo/
Thank you, LindaAnn, for answering the question I had in mind while reading the Lilliam interview: does "might as well" apply across forms of writing too? Just this past month, after several years of personal essays, I've started to have prose poems fall out of my head; some have developed line breaks, some have stayed prosey, and I'm wondering how much time to devote to these. In the meantime, they're fun as hell, so "might as well" may apply here.
Love that for you! Not advice in any way but if *I* had a hot hand like that I'd keep rolling those dice. It's strange how some of our best work falls out of us, practically done or fully formed. Like it has a mind of its own and wants to be born, with or without our help
Yes, Steve, those illuminated moments are a gift.
But I regularly buggy-whip my Muse.
EX: I had only written one werewolf poem (in 2022) about an estranged wife who sees a Wanted poster for her werewolf-husband & tracks him down to collect the reward $$. How did she make him transform? By stuffing a silver wedding band down his maw.
This year I decided to write an entire werewolf collection -- with some innovations.
My werewolf poems were accepted 3 at a time; this forced me to keep going.
Now I have a collection and I'm seeking an SFF book publisher.
Got werewolf! Will travel! :-D
Werewolves are notoriously unruly and love to be out and about. That collection sounds cool! Can't wait to see it in a bookstore
EXACTLY. Truth be told, I don't really feel like I have a choice in rolling those dice right now. If they come, let 'em come. As long as my ESSAYISTS' critique group understands if, well, gee, I just don't have a submission for next month. ; )
John, transform an essay into a poem or a poem sequence. Roll the dice in the casino across the road. We're applauding behind the red velvet curtain.
lol "Sorry everyone but I'm a vessel for greater forces at the moment" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Wondering "how much time to devote to these" - - is best answered by another question: Quo vadis? Yes, prose-poems are fun to write! But you might wish to think in terms of themes. Why? Because pieces on a similar theme create a book.
Speaking for myself, I don't write poems per se; each poem is seen as a brick that will build a book.
In 2024, by working this way and pursuing a theme, I had 3 books released.
You can think of building an essay collection that way, too, as you know.
Good luck to you!!
Great questions. Curiously, I was just thinking about an essay collection in the shower this morning. With the poetry I may just need to have fun first (and exorcise a you-can't-do-this demon along the way) before thinking book, but it's a good vision to have in mind. Thank you.
It's not surprising how quickly pages pile up - - even without striking a Faustian bargain. Next thing you know, you have a manuscript.
My tip to essayists is: read the bios of all those editors who like your ESSAYS and see what other publications these good people are attached to. Then pitch newer styles of writing to the names who know you - - - - at the other lit mags.
Nice side conversations on this thread. Nice to meet you all here at Chez Steve.