Have You Ever Watched Poetry and Felt it in Your Gut?

I watched the video Graffiti Verite 6: The Odyssey: Poets, Passion, and  Poetry on Netflix back in 2012 and was transfixed to the screen. 31 poets speaking their truth of their passion, their poetry. My stomach tightened as I felt a familiarity with these poets that was out of time. My blood pulsed in my veins as I listened and felt their heat. My creative juices began to move and flow.

Wanda Coleman chants her poetry with such vigor that I feel it in my heart. FrancEye speaks into why she writes her poetry to discover who she is. Who am I? Do you know who you are?

Shahe Mankerian shares his passion with his students. He believes a red pen to poetry is like the page bleeding to which no band-aid can fix. No more red pens to poetry.

Take time to watch this fascinating documentary that is like no other and then make notes of what comes up for you; what begs to come through you in your own poetry. This is available on Amazon to rent or buy.

Honestly, I will most likely rent this myself because it has been so long since I watched this.

Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine, sit back and see what world this video opens for you. 

Have you signed up to participate in this Poetry Challenge? The time is drawing near, sign up and join us in this wonderful adventure into words.

------------------------------------*Above Reblogged from OctPoWriMo 2012.

Time for today's Indie Ebook!

I Love You In Paris by Juliette Sobanet

Life has been a little out of wack lately including this morning my granddaughter had to have eye surgery. But isn't that the way life usually is, something is always standing in the road waiting to block our path. It is up to you and me to keep our foot on the gas pedal (or hybrid pedal) and keep on moving forward. Here is to you and me moving forward, writing poetry, and expressing in words what isn't always easy expressing in life.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find more about her on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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Do You Love Writing Poetry?

If you aren't even trying to be happy, what is the point in life?

What I mean by this is if you aren't doing what you love, writing poetry, then what are you doing? Playing video games? Surfing social media?

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net
By Linnaea Mallette

Are you worried your words won't be good enough? Or are you worried about other things because it distracts you from the fact that you aren't writing poetry?

Have you given yourself permission to write?

What?

Maybe you haven't thought of it quite like that. Maybe you dabble but you don't think you're good enough to compile your poetry into a book. Or, you don't think your poetry is good enough for anyone to read. I have at least one friend like that. She thinks her poetry is too dark and no one will want to read it, that it is better left inside her mind.

Never.

Our words are scratching at us, wanting to be written. We can numb ourselves out but the scratching is still there, numb a little more and maybe you won't feel anything at all.

But what kind of life is that?

You know you want more, you want to see your poetry, your words, to see the light of day. I know you can do it. The time is now, not yesterday, not tomorrow but now.

If you can't find your happy place, embrace the dark, I do. Nothing ever stays the same, dark moves to light and light to dark.

If you don't let the dark out, the light can't shine.

Time for the Indie ebook!

All The Things I Never Said by Mae Krell and Tiffany Tremaine


Take the challenge, write 31 poems in 31 days - Link Up and join the adventure!

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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How to Find a Writing Partner

Rose asked a question in her comment on, OctPoWriMo Link Up, about how to find a writing partner. By the time I was done responding I realized I had basically written a post so I decided to share it here in hopes it will help you as well.

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net
by Kevin Phillips

I've been looking for another writing partner for years and finally found an online writing buddy. I'd prefer to have someone to write with in person but meeting with someone online is great too. I just kept putting it out there that I was looking for someone to write with.

I attend Twitter chats, online writing groups, in person writing groups, etc. I would let people know every where I went, where there were other writers, that I was looking for someone to meet up and write with. Not on the same piece, just together.

If you are on Twitter, use the hashtag, #wordmongering , when people are using that hashtag to write they start at the top of the hour :00 and end at the :30. Using the hashtag you ask if anyone is up for #wordmongering at the :00 and see if anyone responds. If they do, you then write after checking in and then check in at the :30 to see how you both did. I often used that when I very first started writing and I'm back to using it again with my new writing buddy. Definitely helps with the loneliness.

 You can also join us on Thursday nights, 8 pm EST, for #StoryDam Twitter chat. We talk about all things writing. Tamara now has a Twitter chat on Tuesday nights, #WriteStuff at 9 pm EST. I've been visiting that chat as well, I'm meeting a lot of other writers and it's a lot of fun.

Do you have a writing partner? If you do, share with us in the comments how you found them.

Time for the Indie Ebook!

Colour Me by Roxanne Simone Ricketts  I must say that the color and the dancing/moving bodies on this cover really got my attention.


Have you Linked Up to join in the fun at OctPoWriMo?

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body, move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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Move Your Body, Move Your Words

Tonight I put on some good, fast paced music and got up and danced. I wanted to loosen up my body and my words as I had a preassigned appointment with a writing friend. We planned a meet up on Twitter so that we could write for 30 minutes, check in, write for 30 more and check in again. Have you paired up with a writing buddy before? I have to tell you it can add hundreds if not thousands of words more every time you meet up to write. I wrote over 2200 words in an hour.

Image and quote by MDragonwillow.

Now you may think you can't do that with poetry, I beg to differ. Most of those words were writing poetry from prompts. I had a whole list posted next to me so that I could look up the next one as I finished one poem so I could move right into the next poem. Not all of them are great poems, though I think I have some gold in within the words, but I have poems I can go back over, play with some more, until I feel they are ready.

I challenge you to find one person, just one, that you can meet online at a specified time and write for at least 30 minutes. See how many more words fly to the page.

Time for the Indie ebook:

Letting Go is an Acquired Taste by Christina Hart


OctPoWriMo is 20 days away, have you Linked Up yet?

Put on some music, dance, and then sit down to write, you never know where your words will lead you.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body, move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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Following the Smoke - OctPoWriMo Countdown

“...something was starting to take shape, out of magic and will. Smoke and bone.” ― Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone 

We are a third of the way through September. 20 days left until OctPoWriMo: 31 Poems in 31 Days. Can you feel the excitement in the air?  I decided to hop on over to PublicDomainPictures.net to see what would inspire me tonight and I found smoke. Of course, wherever you find smoke, there's fire. Is that cliche or too dated or will that always be a saying?

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net
by Paduret Dan Cristian

See how the smoke twists and turns, flowing this way and that way. You don't know where the smoke is going or how it will look in the next moment. Kind of like poetry. But even though you don't know where it is going it is beautiful just as it is, just as it will be as it floats out into the world.

Today's Indie ebook is:



Love and Ink by Kiana Donae


Have you Linked up to join in the OctPoWriMo fun yet? Poet or not, you will find inspiration here.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body, move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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Find a Thread and Pull it into a Poem

Fear, it stands up and blows hot air in your face. You want to move past it but, fear. What do you do?

Write through it. Write about anything. The sky is dark because it is night outside, I can hear an engine as a truck passes on the street, I hear water softly falling into the aquarium behind me.

Photo by MDragonwillowI love playing with abstract photography.
Part of my creative process.

And you keep writing until something clicks, until suddenly:

black
black of the sky presses down
down into the marrow of my bones
bones turning brittle from age
age falling foward never back
back into a childhood better forgotten
forgotten memories turned to dust
dust sprinkled on the dresser, never clean
clean is a state of mind best left behind
behind closed doors, the sound of whispers
whispers softly spoken of love
love can change everything in a moment
moment of laughter on the tongue
tongue twisting words floating in the air
air light and sweet like cinnamon
cinnamon brings me into morning
morning chai tea fills me with joy
joy of misty sunrises on the lake
lake lapping at the shore
shore up your heart or break it open
Open

Write through it and see what happens, you just never know where your words will take you. Mysteries waiting for you between the spaces of now and forever. Take a moment and see where your words lead you in the comments below, see if you can find a thread and pull it into a poem.

Time for the Indie ebook:

Dead Starships by Wendy Rathbone

Have you Linked Up for OctPoWriMo? Come on over and join in the fun!

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body, move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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Break Free and Write What's Important to You!

Everyone is talking about having a voice as a writer, that you have to write and write and write to find your voice. I just want to break free with my words, don't you?

Magical worlds of inspiration for your words.
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net
 by Anthony Poynton

When you write poetry, is it difficult to allow yourself to write what you really want to write? Do you censor your words? I know I do. I rarely say what I really want to say. Not that I want to be mean or anything like that, I just can't seem to allow myself to write freely, not truly. Sometimes I think I come close. I am going to set that as my one and main intention for OctPoWriMo.

How about you? are you going to break free with your words? Are you going to allow your words free rein on the page?

What does that look like, I wonder?

I had an epiphany last night and wrote this:

When you suddenly realize
it just doesn't matter
and you write
whatever the hell
you want to write.

I believe that poetry can be anything, that isn't the problem. It is actually saying what we want to say. The thing is, do you even know what it is that you aren't saying? We just might have to figure it out together.

Do you have an intention for your poetry during OctPoWriMo or are you just going to go where the words lead you?

Indie ebook for today:

Love Notes from Humanity by Feminine Collective Media

This looks promising.

Have you LINKED UP yet, hop on over now!

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body, move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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Need a Place to Blog Your Poetry for OctPoWriMo?

Yes, that is a long title. I was chatting with one of our OctPoWriMo participants and discovered she couldn't use her blog for OctPoWriMo. I thought, why not let her use, A Writer's Universe? So, For anyone out there that wants to blog their poetry during OctPoWriMo that doesn't have a blog they can post their poetry, email me at morgan underscore dragonwillow at hotmail dot com with your gmail email and I will use that email address to invite you to my poetry blog. We can write as a team. Oh, and make sure to put OctPoWriMo in the title.

Three of my favorite websites during OctPoWriMo:

1. Shadow Poetry - absolutely the best place to learn all about different types/forms of poetry. I found this website the first year I started OctPoWriMo and they were going to be closing down their website for good that September before OctPoWriMo. I emailed them and practically begged them not to. I told them they were a great resource for poets and we needed them. They decided to keep it as a static site instead of the blog and community they were before. I was so relieved.
2. Rhymezone - Quick and easy to find that rhyming word you're having trouble with.
3. Public Domain Pictures - I use this twofold - sometimes when I'm needing some inspiration I'll hop over there and look through the photos and when I don't have just the right photo of my own for my poetry, I find a lovely one from them. Just remember to give attribution and link back to them. Thank you.

He was just too cute to pass up. Photo courtesy of
PublicDomainPictures.net by Sheila Brown.

Now for today's indie ebook, drum roll please...

Magic With Skin On by Morgan Nikola-Wren

This is an unusual one as it is a story and poetry but the reviews just rave about it. I can't wait to read it myself. Oh and if you didn't know, I'm posting whatever indie ebook takes my fancy, I haven't read them yet. There just isn't anyway I'd have time to read them all before I posted them. So I decided I wouldn't read any of them until after I post them. I just think we need to support our Indie poets as much as possible. 

A lot of these books are also either free or I get them from Kindle Unlimited. If you get any of these books free, please make sure you write a review for them. Even if it is just, "I enjoyed the book." I know some people have a hard time writing reviews but reviews are the bread and butter to an indie author, especially poets.

Head over and LINK UP for OctPoWriMo now! You know you want to, it's going to be a journey you will never forget.

And if you need a place for your poetry to land, check out my blog at, A Writer's Universe.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body, move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.
Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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OctPoWriMo Kickoff Party!

Photo by MDragonwillow

After reading Bev Tan's post, that I listed on yesterdays top 6 tips post, I decided to have an OctPoWriMo Kickoff Party! We are going to kickoff OctPoWriMo on September 30th into October 1st, both online and an in person party for those that live in the Marietta, Ga. area.

I've created an event on Facebook where everyone can celebrate the beginning of OctPoWriMo whether you are going to the in person party or will be sharing with us online. We will have prompts, music, videos from the party, and a giveaway at midnight EST!

You can also set up your own OctPoWriMo Kickoff Party in your own area. Invite friends over for food, writing, wine, writing, chocolate, writing, dance, writing, you get the idea. As we post the prompts on the event page you can share them with your party goers.

Your party can be anything from a whole group of people to just your best friend getting together to celebrate and write for OctPoWriMo. And of course, chocolate.

If you'd like to sign up for the party (online or in person) go to the Facebook event page. If you'd like to join in the giveaway, there is a pinned post in the event on Facebook with all the info and on my Instagram, @MDragonwillow.

Hope to celebrate with you on Saturday night, September 30th at 9 p.m. EST!

Today's indie ebook is, Jump by Annie Louise Twitchell.

Help me make one of OctPoWriMo goals a reality!
This year we'd like to take OctPoWriMo onto an online radio show talking about how it was started, the contributors, our philosophy about poetry and the special community of poets like you, that we've supported and encouraged over the years. If you know of someone that can help us make that happen please send them our way. Thanks!

Head over and sign up for OctPoWriMo now!

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body and move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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Top 6 OctPoWriMo Poetry Tips

Over the last six years OctPoWriMo has had some great contributors with fantastic poetry tips. I've decided today to share some of my favorites. The list is in no specific order.

Top 6 OctPoWriMo Poetry Tips:

OctPoWriMo 2012: Poetry Writing Tip #23 - Someone Special is Waiting to Read Your Poems

OctPoWriMo 2012: Writing Poetry Tip 19 - Dance to Stir Your Creativity

OctPoWriMo 2013: What Poetry Tools do You Have - Tip One

OctPoWriMo 2015: Do it like a twosome

OctPoWriMo 2016: Countdown - Writing Dangerously

OctPoWriMo 2015: Ready for Liftoff!

There you have it, 6 of my favorites, at least this year. Yesterday I forgot to add the Indie Ebook for the day so here are two.

Water in a Glass by our very own Beverly Tan

I am Miss Swift

We have all different types of people that join us year after year to write 31 Poems in 31 Days. Are you going to be one of them this year? Sign up and don't miss a single moment of OctPoWriMo!

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body and move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

Make sure you sign up to receive our updates, tips and prompts to share in all the poetry fun!
P.S. This isn't the sign up for the poetry challenge, OctPoWriMo. You can sign up here.

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Poetry Challenge - OctPoWriMo Countdown 28

Sometimes you just need a day of navel gazing to prime the words for later. That was my day today. I even built a fire pit in the backyard to gaze at the fire. I was hoping staring into the fire would help the words escape onto the page but they stayed put.

Photo by MDragonwillow

No worries, sometimes you just need to rest.

Remember on this OctPoWriMo journey you will have a day here or there that feels like you just can't find the words, it's alright, they come back. During those times I take out my journal and pull a tarot card and just write whatever comes up. You just might find a kernel from the free write that you can shape into a poem.


Have you signed up for OctPoWriMo yet? Click on over to the Link up and join in the fun!

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body and move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

Make sure you sign up to receive our updates, tips and prompts to share in all the poetry fun!

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Poetry Challenge - OctPoWriMo Countdown 29

29 days until OctPoWriMo! I've made a decision about where I am going to post my poetry this year, yes, I am writing with all of you this time. It will be on my old writing blog, A Writer's Universe, because of course it's my universe after all. Kidding, kidding.

Where will you be sharing your poetry? Make sure you SIGN UP to participate in OctPoWriMo before October 2nd, the linky will be closed at the end of the second day of OctPoWriMo.

Are you wondering if you have it in you to write a poem let alone 31 poems in 31 days? This is about exploring your words, playing with your words, breathing your words and allowing them to land on the page. You can do it, you are enough, tell fear to step aside, it can scare you in November when the holidays grow near but for now, allow yourself to play. Sign up now.

The Indie ebook I chose to share with you today stood out because of its title and cover. I just couldn't resist, check it out. Female by Sujata Balaram

In case you are wondering why I'm sharing these poetry ebooks, besides OcPoWriMo being all about poetry, it's because it is hard being an indie author and often they/we get overlooked. So take a few minutes and check out this ebook. Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to get out your notebook and pen and write your next poem.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body and move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

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OctPoWriMo 2017 Count Down!

OctPoWriMo is a month of poetry during October. It is a challenge to write 31 Poems in 31 Days. It is for people from all walks of life to play with their words until they breathe life into them. You don't have to be a master poet, you could have written a thousand poems or never have written a poem before, all are welcome.

Today we begin the count down to October and all things poetry - tips on writing poetry, words of wisdom, quotes, books about poetry and poetry books all to help you get ready to write 31 poems in 31 days. If you'd like to know more about how OctPoWriMo was born, check out The Poetry Challenge Beginning.

All month I will be sharing Indie Author Poetry Ebooks, first off is - One Hundred Breaths Later by Hayley Stumbo.

Make sure you invite your friends to explore their words through this poetry challenge by sharing the hashtag #OctPoWriMo across social media, the more the merrier!

Hop on over and sign up for OctPoWriMo Now!

I'm doing something a little differently this year, I would like to put together an anthology of some of the wonderful poems that have been created during OctPoWriMo. If you are interested in having one (or more) of your OctPoWriMo poems to be considered, please email me at morgan underscore dragonwillow at hotmail dot com with the subject titled, OctPoWriMo, and I will email you more information. Thank you.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo #PoetsonthePage. You can find out more about her and how she can help you "move your body and move your words" on her website, Read, Dance, Write.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

Make sure you sign up to receive our updates, tips and prompts to share in all the poetry fun!

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