So there's nothing new or crazy about doing the Poem-A-Day (POD) Challenge for a month. I've enjoyed this with writer friends on several occasions. What I realized some time ago, however, was how I often managed a poem every day normally and that I could learn something (and maybe others, too) over a more formalized timeline of that natural process.
My admittedly crazy plan is to write at least a poem every day for a year and live to tell about it.
I'm well down the road already. I've been exchanging a POD with a partner poet or two every month since September 15th, 2016. My first writing partner joined me up through the end of October. Two writers joined me for November. Another single writer joined the challenge in December. I had a few folks help me start the year off. Now we're here in the middle of January and my current partner and I are planning to write until at least the middle of February if not through the entire month.
And just like that, the project is already closing in on half a year.
I'm meeting new people through their work and getting to know people better. Exchanging with so many others over the months exposes me to their writing styles and voices. Believe me, I've been influenced by these good people. I'm learning better discipline in my writing routine. I'm learning to work with prompts whether I want to or not. I'm learning to write when I don't want to write. I'm learning a higher level of awareness since such a challenge requires constant streams of inspiration and / or material. Inspiration is never guaranteed when you need to work, is it?
I'm having to prioritize my time since I have a regular life (though writing IS my life): I've actually started a fiction semester with my MFA program, so on top of having to have my poetry brain going, my fiction head is running full-bore as well. I have non-writing projects to keep up with. I paint, enjoy photography daily, and have other life obligations.
I'll definitely be writing a book about this personal writing quest once it's over and I've had time to process how the experience turns out and leaves its mark in my life. That's a little over half a year from now, though.
"And miles to go before I sleep."
My admittedly crazy plan is to write at least a poem every day for a year and live to tell about it.
I'm well down the road already. I've been exchanging a POD with a partner poet or two every month since September 15th, 2016. My first writing partner joined me up through the end of October. Two writers joined me for November. Another single writer joined the challenge in December. I had a few folks help me start the year off. Now we're here in the middle of January and my current partner and I are planning to write until at least the middle of February if not through the entire month.
And just like that, the project is already closing in on half a year.
I'm meeting new people through their work and getting to know people better. Exchanging with so many others over the months exposes me to their writing styles and voices. Believe me, I've been influenced by these good people. I'm learning better discipline in my writing routine. I'm learning to work with prompts whether I want to or not. I'm learning to write when I don't want to write. I'm learning a higher level of awareness since such a challenge requires constant streams of inspiration and / or material. Inspiration is never guaranteed when you need to work, is it?
I'm having to prioritize my time since I have a regular life (though writing IS my life): I've actually started a fiction semester with my MFA program, so on top of having to have my poetry brain going, my fiction head is running full-bore as well. I have non-writing projects to keep up with. I paint, enjoy photography daily, and have other life obligations.
I'll definitely be writing a book about this personal writing quest once it's over and I've had time to process how the experience turns out and leaves its mark in my life. That's a little over half a year from now, though.
"And miles to go before I sleep."
