HELP NEEDED - omg

[Leonie]

I'm another one who has trouble getting anywhere near the 700, and I also tend to leave it til the last minute. I wonder why we put ourselves through it sometimes. I'm also having trouble these days coming up with anything new or interesting.

And talking of new and interesting, that's another thing I'm having trouble with - keeping up with all the new posts. It seems like every time I log in there as so many to chose from I don't know where to start. I know, I know, at the beginning, that's the best place. So off to start at the beginning, back in about two weeks.

[Bob Pacey]

Oh ladies methinks you all stress too much. remember why you started writing poetry in the first place. it is surposed to be fun.


700 words for me never gonna happen. Was going to say something about the length increasing with time but no! shut up Bob.


Robert

Ps Dave has arrived and brought his own audience.

[Irene]

HI Zondrae, Leonie and Bob
I didn't mean to sound like I wasn't happy with my poems I entered - I am, and they are what I wanted to write - one in particular is on a topic that I have wanted to write about for awhile. However, the writing style I have used is quite plain and factual, which does not really suit written competition, as they often look for a little more than that. I entered them because I had just written them and not published or handed them around anywhere (seeing I was just finishing one yesterday morning!! ) and they were longer poems than I normally write, but I'm not stressed how they go, as per Bobs comment, I do write for enjoyment and to get a message across. Also, I feel I haven't really supported any competitions lately due to my own disorganisation , and wanted to get back into doing my (little) bit towards keeping them going!!
Yes, Bob - don't say too much!!! That's how men get themselves into trouble!!!
Say Hi to Dave and Elaine for me - sounds like they are having a wonderful trip!! Must be all the great people he is getting to meet!!

Catchya
IRene

[Terry]

G/day Irene,
I'm betting they're pretty good as usual, and you never know what may catch the eye of a judge in the Bronze Swagman. Anyway good luck, I only put the one in, I like the poem but history has taught that what I like is not always what the judge goes for. I'm glad your starting to enter a few comps again, they need all the help they can get especially some of the smaller ones. I remember Kym saying she often enters a comp for that reason even though she reckons she has little chance of winning that particular comp. I try to do the same but don't have a vast collection of poems to select from.

Cheers Terry

[Irene]

Thanks Terry. I'm a bit like you - I don't have a big supply of poems I consider suitable for comps lately. I was only going to put the one poem in that I wrote for the comp, but I started writing another the other week - just because it was there to write - and thought I should enter that one also, as it was another one that ended up a little longer than my usual ones. But then, I left it until Friday to finish it!!!
Funny isn't it, how often the poems we like the best are not the ones that catch a judges eye, or are well received by other poets!! Still, if they say what we want, that is the important thing!
Did you get to the April muster? I must look at getting there again, but Friday is not a good day for me unless I take the day off!!

Catchya
IRene

[Terry]

Hi Irene,
No I didn't make the muster, my wife's family had a reunion at Busselton that weekend starting on the Friday so I was away.
I should be up bush by now but I'm having a couple of minor medical problems at the moment.
My wife was going to do a quick first trip with me but I have to be back by the 18th to see a specialist so not sure it's worth going for a couple of weeks.
Speaking of writing I sometimes wonder if we start trying to be too perfect we may begin to lose a little of that naturalness that I think we all have in our own way, the poems may end up perfect but have lost a bit of something in the process.
Cheers Terry

[Terry]

G/day Marty, and thanks.
I suppose the other side of the arguement is that we should be clever enough to find the right words so the poem doesn't lose anything in writing it perfectly.
I suspect this may be the case with the odd very gifted poet who's blessed with exceptional word skills, unfortunately most of us aren't so lucky, so we do the best we can with what skills we do have and as long as we enjoy what we're doing that's all that matters really.

Cheers Terry

[Zondrae]

G'day Terry, Irene and everyone,

It is hard to have something ready in advance for competition especially when some comps have a line limit of 40 lines and others want longer stuff. I agree with what has been said about the poems we like. I had three rather long poems last year and the one I liked best had, what I thought was a luke warm reaction. Then again, as Kym remided me, a few years back I would have done cartwheels over a 'HC', I should have been happy with the placing, in the company they were in.

Now I have to put my mind back into gear. I have 5 weeks to my next festival so I have no excuses. Peter Mace gave me an idea at the National during the yarn spinning, asking my why one of the personal stories I told wasn't a poem. I'll have to get back to real life.