OctPoWriMo Day 20

 

I'm a huge fan of participating in different writing events when I can. In addition to OctPoWriMo, one of my favorites is the Weekend Coffee Share. The idea is that you have a virtual coffee date with your readers and share your imagined conversation. I post these every few months and love the responses. It's led me to the work of some incredibly creative people and is a great way to feel connected to the writing community. What does being a part of this community mean to you?

Suggested Word Prompts:

support

shared interests

introduction

exchange

inspiration

Suggested Poetry Form

Free choice - there are so many directions this can take!  Shadow Poetry is a good resource if you're looking for new forms to try.

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Writing and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Day 19

Not all poetry wants to be storytelling. And not all storytelling wants to be poetry. But great storytellers and great poets share something in common: They had something to say, and did.  — Sarah Kay 

Image by Lolame from Pixabay 

I love the storytelling aspect of poetry. Weaving words together for greatest impact and in a way that makes the reader see the familiar in a different light makes the time spent agonizing over each tiny detail worth it. What does storytelling mean to you?

Suggested Word Prompts:

storyteller/storytelling

unlock

rise

magic

slip

Suggested Poetry Forms:

Terzanelle or Song

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Day 6

 Are you someone who likes to plan? I love to make lists and organize things in my daily life. Although I don't have as much free time as I would like, I do enjoy playing cards or Chess when the opportunity arises. Strategizing is somehow more satisfying than whether I win or lose. I think it forces me to be present in the moment and adjust as necessary to reach my goal. For today's prompt, let's consider what we do to achieve our dreams.

photo: Mark Vecchitto

Word Prompts:

intention

design

purpose

believe

dream

Poetry Forms:

Villanelle or Elfje

OctPoWriMo Day 5

 Happy Tuesday! It's already Day 5 of OctPoWriMo. How are you feeling?  Remember - this is your journey. Follow your path wherever it may lead. 

Word Prompts:

path

steps

nature

meander

introspective

Poetry Form:

Prose Poem

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Day 4

 Welcome to Day 4! It's the start of a new week in the new month. As we settle into Autumn, I find myself preparing for all the changes that brings - cooler weather, Fall activities, and the approaching holidays. It's my favorite time of year. What does the change of seasons mean to you? Depending on where you live, you might be pulling out the sweaters and the apple cider like I am or maybe you are about to move into Spring. Maybe you are somewhere that doesn't experience these differences. I find that even beyond weather patterns, my feelings and expectations adjust with every new month. What does this time of year mean to you?

Image by Prettysleepy from Pixabay 

Word prompts:

As time goes by

comfort in tradition

fresh starts

change of direction

cool nights

Poetry Form:

Pantoum

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Poetry Prompt Day 16: Once Upon A Time...

One of the purposes of poetry is to tell stories. 

Today’s prompt is both simple and familiar.

Remember the beginning of every fairy tale?

Once Upon a Time… is your prompt and

the traditional ending -

..." and they lived happily ever after" may now become whatever you please.

.. "and they….(fill in the ending of your choice.)"

You may begin with the actual words and end with the actual words OR you may decide this is a prompt you just can’t get into and move along to a different theme entirely.

 
You may also elect to use the image prompts to further stir your creative pot. All of these images are in the public domain so feel free to use to your heart's content!

 

Share your poetry with us by linking up. Make sure you visit your neighbors one or two before and after. If you are last on the list go back to the beginning of the list. If you are the first few on the list please go back to the day before and visit the last on the list if you haven't already. Have fun!

-- Julie Jordan Scott

=====

Julie Jordan Scott is a writer, creative life coach, speaker, performance poet, Mommy and mixed-media artist  whose Writing Camps and Writing Playgrounds permanently transform people's creative lives. Watch for the announcement of new programs coming Fall and Winter, 2014 and beyond. 

Check out the links below to follow her on a bunch of different social media channels, especially if you find the idea of a Word-Love Party bus particularly enticing.

Please stay in touch: Follow me on Twitter: @JulieJordanScot    

 Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook. (Thank you!)

Follow on Instagram

And naturally, on Pinterest, too!
© 2014

On the Eve of OctPoWriMo 2014: Write Poetry & Be Swept Up in Gratitude

On the eve of OctPoWriMo2014, I sat in a Denny’s restaurant, reading from The Best American Poetry 2014.  It is a carefully curated volume of poetry, each poem within a masterpiece among masterpieces.

It was later than I hoped it would be but the evening had run long and I had laughed and cried and sketched and written on-and-off throughout the day as I watched my grandson and fussed over my daughter and marveled at my son’s growing independence.

Finally, I sat down and read a poem of Erin Belieu, “With Birds.”

I have never heard of Ms. Belieu but reading her poem I immediately I felt kinship with her. She and I share interests, we share passion and I imagine as I come to know more of her words I will discover more synchronicity.

Immediately I felt swept up in gratitude.

This is one of the things the experience of poetry has become for me: a gleaning of gratitude for other poets from now and from the past, especially the ones as honored and revered as the ones in this collection I have now devoted to be my companion throughout OctPoWriMo2014.

That’s a big part of OctPoWriMo, afterall: companionship.

We choose to write 31 poems in 31 days. 

We commit to the artform and to one another throughout the month. 

We celebrate each stanza written.

We choose whether or not we continue and I like to think we celebrate both sides of that spectrum - that victory is not in writing daily or even completing 31 poems. The poetry victory is simply in showing up at the page with the poetry when you can with the intention of being present however that ends up looking to you when we sit here, a month from now, on the eve of November.

Maybe then it will be your turn to sit at Denny’s and be swept up in gratitude.

Let’s devote ourselves right now to love one another’s words, heart and especially one another’s showing up.

Some of us will blog and tweet and facebook and some of us will scribble in our notebook away from prying eyes and it is up to each and all of us to be with the each and all of the others.

Even in writing these words I am swept up in gratitude again.

It is the eve of OctPoWriMo2013. 

I am so grateful we are both-we are all - here.

-- Julie Jordan Scott