[WoPoWriMo] WoPoWriMo News Letter

[World Poetry Writing Month Newsletter]

Hello WoPo's!

A week of the challenge has gone and a new one has begun - some of
you will be finished already! Well done! We've had reports of 35
poems and the like and we are so proud of you!  However if you are on
such a role don't stop - keep going!  Write and write those poems or
maybe you should start thinking about 'gulp' editing and sorting the
material you have out :)

But we also have people just joining the challenge and that is great
too! A new week means a fresh start for those who are floundering or
those just joining - there is still plenty of time to get those poems
or at least the bones/essence of them down on the page.

Another problem you may find yourselves with is producing too much
'junk' you are writing, where what you produce it is not stuff you
like, not the sort of thing you would be happy showing to people. But
this is actually a good thing.  If you are producing this sort of
thing then it is there and needs to come out and only once that well
of inspiration has run dry will the poems you really want start
flowing.  So don't worry about flowing too much; just keep writing -
you don't have to share the results and who knows you may produce the
best poem ever in amongst them :)

If you are struggling, don't forget there are writing exercises and
challenges going up on the WoPoWriMo website; or if you are really
stuck, try writing an alphabet poem.  Literally write out the
alphabet; then chose a subject. For example insects, the economy or
art and write a line beginning with each letter of the alphabet, such
as:

Accountants holding power
Bankers bankrupting the nation
Cash-machines spewing the wage's death knell....

This should get you writing, thinking about words and just playing
with sounds.

Also you may or may not have noticed that there is now a place to
share your poems on WoPoWriMo Poems. The poems do not have to be
publicly viewable; read the About and How-To pages for the lowdown.
You do not have to post poems to be taking an active part in WoPo,
but it is fun sometimes to share and get feedback :)  You can also
just post links to your own blogs or writing areas on there.

In the coming week we are also going to see guest bloggers in the
form of Poets who are out there doing the festival and club scenes,
as well as a few other gems for you to mull over on the website.

We hope you are enjoying the challenge :)

Best of Luck

The Team WoPo