We now have a jokes section?

[DollyDot]

Thanks Heather for the encouragement.

Good point Marty.

Neville - I think what you said is what I was thinking; though I never found anything offensive in what people said but it is like baring your soul (that's if you have one) . I think the idea of having a group of people is good but then maybe one person giving good constructive advice is also good. One of the main reasons I decided to come on here was to get feedback as well as to read good poetry, the former is hard to get (anywhere else) but the latter makes it worthwhile.

Also there are many different ways of explaining the same thing and that probably is the best thing about the way the forum operates now as one can take the way they understand best and run with it. It is not much good saying to me hear the hard/soft sounds in the piece as I don't hear them. Singing the words does help and I do that at times. Anyone who has any ideas, I'm open to them. You can pm me anytime. I have heaps of half/ poorly written stuff; that's why I thought Irene's idea was a good one. I also find tha by just reading it yourself it is easy to make the 'metre fit' and and is not so noticeably incorrect; but once you put it on paper for others it is blaringly obvious, to them that it is all wrong. I realise time is a major factor as most people are busy with their own poetry and of course there are other things in life (I think)!

Thanks

Dot

[Maureen K Clifford]

Dot - all the advice that is mentioned here is good - Just post it or pm it someone who doesn't scare you if you think it is really crappy - which I would doubt anyway. You can feel free to send it to me if you want - but I have been writing for years, and am still getting it wrong sometimes so it is an ongoing learning curve. What you say about all the different explanations also rings true - someone will say something one day and the penny will drop just as Marty also alluded to. Metre is my biggest bugbear - I think I have got it, and then do something, a comment is placed and I realize that maybe I haven't got it after all.

But that is what this site is about, learning, refining, helping with friends and people who genuinley care about what you are doing but who also know or at least have a fair idea of what your are doing wrong.

Just post them up girl - it won't hurt and it will surely help.

Cheers

Maureen

[Maureen K Clifford]

Irene that is a good idea - and would be most helpful. I think that we do get some good comments on work - on the homework site Uncle Neville usually separates the wheat from the chaff.

It is hard to know if people would take offence at comments especially perhaps newer writers, maybe this particular segment of the forum needs to have an annotation to the effect that work submitted here will be subject to constructive critiquing or words to that effect so that people realize its intent.

Cheers

Maureen

[DollyDot]

Thanks Maureen

I did not mean that the advice I got wasn't good. It was and I was most grateful but does not help the nerves!

Thanks again!

Dot

[Maureen K Clifford]

I knew that Dot - Valium, Bachs rescue remedy - a double shot of Southern Comfort - all work wonders......for the nerves anyway You might forget your lines though but you won't be feeling any pain

Cheers

Maureen

[Irene]

Yes Maureen - you are right. It would need to be clear that that section would be critiqued, so if anyone posts their work in that section, you would expect that. If they don't want constructive criticism, then they would not post in that section.
Certainly, everyone else could still write on the given topic - and post it in the members/users poetry sections, so they don't miss out on the challenge for the month.

I just hear concern about newcomers confidence (or lack of!) in entering competitions - I believe that would be a good opening for them, and at the same time, everyone can see the comments, and pick up on little things that they may not have been aware of.

It would not stop everyone else from commenting and offering advice in the other sections if new poets so wish to post their poems for general comment. By the same token, where newcomers may be confused by different advice from different poets, it may also help them to receive just one lot of advice, until they have the confidence to put it out there for everyone else to comment.

Catchya
IRene