Photo by Mike Tinnion on Unsplash Modified by me Using Photoshop
This is @raj808 here to hopefully provide an up-welling of poetic expression and expel those writers' block blues. These prompts are meant as a fulcrum; a pivot point for pumping the nourishing water of inspiration from the depths of The Ink Well.
This week is all about getting out of your comfort zone.
Just to be clear all or part of any of my prompt suggestions can be ignored if you like... any good poetry posted to The Ink Well gets treated with respect and read. These prompts are just great tools for a writer to break a creative block or learn to move beyond a typical style.
My idea for this week (a little less technical or involved as I'm ill) is simply to ask people to think about trying to step out of their writing comfort zone in one, or more, aspects of their poetry.
Thematically: perhaps you mainly write about nature and the wild places of this world. Or maybe you always write very internalized poetry that focuses on your inner world. In the first example you might decide to write a poem solely focused on technology or a city environment. In the second example you might strive to keep the majority of your poem following a descriptive narrative of actions happening to yourself, or others, or both.
Stylistically: maybe you write very image heavy poetry. By this I mean a lot of simile and metaphor that is quite ephemeral. There is nothing wrong with that in moderation, but to step out of that comfort zone you could try writing very pared down poetry which relies more on situational parody or rhythmic device to build artistry within the verse structure. Many great performance poets do this very well.
Although I do feel imagery is essential to poetry, it is possible to make your simile and metaphor more concrete. A good example would be this poem called 'The Worker' by Richard W. Thomas.
My father lies black and hushed
Beneath white hospital sheets
He collapsed at work
His iron left him
Slow and quiet he sank
Meeting the wet concrete floor on his way
The wheels were still turning—they couldn’t stop
Red and yellow lights flashing
Gloved hands twisting knobs—they couldn’t stop
And as they carried him out
The whirring and buzzing and humming machines
Applauded him
Lapping up his dripping iron
They couldn’t stop
Notice how much of this poem describes action to create the story eliciting an emotional response. There is only one reoccurring metaphor about his father's iron spirit - 'Lapping up his dripping iron.' Which echoes a similar metaphor in the first verse, while providing such a powerful comparison with the iron in blood.
Just like the last poetry challenge I've made this as open ended as I could while still providing a prompt.
Write in free verse, or in form, or maybe perform a spoken word rap style expressive poem. Let yourself be free to unleash the creative muse unfettered by any conventions unless you want to follow them.
My only ask, if you do take part in the prompt, is to follow the main idea of stepping outside your comfort zone.
I wish I had the energy to write more about methods you could employ to push you outside that comfortable writing style we all develop, but I just don't have it in me right now.
This challenge will run for eight days until next Thursday when I shall hopefully provide another poetic prompt on time.
I hope you guys have fun writing outside your comfort zone, and I look forward to reading all of your poems.
Thanks for reading.
As some of you already know, I'm ill and suspect it to be the dreaded covid-19. However I'm displaying comparatively mild symptoms so please don't worry about me. This will however mean that I might publish less content, prompts and newsletters from this community account until I feel 100% again.
I would like to invite any lovers of poetry and short stories to visit the new hive community I started with @stormlight24 called The Ink Well.
Also, with the advent of https://hive.vote/ it is now possible to follow The Ink Well curation trail on Hive blockchain. It works just the same as steemauto; simply navigate to the curation trail section and search for theinkwell (all one word with no @ symbol) and our trail will pop up as an option.
Similarly delegations are possible on Hive using the fantastic https://peakd.com/ Hive Blockchain front end. If you wish to delegate to @theinkwell that supports creative writing on Hive by voting all of our contributors, you can do this from the wallet section of https://peakd.com/
At the moment I'm not 100% sure who has delegated what amount to the @theinkwell community as the tools are still under development to check these stats accurately. But through talking to people and asking around I know who to thank, and also to mention that we have a mystery delegate of at least 500 hive power (maybe more) which is captivating my mystery writer's mind with a tickle stick of intrigue 😉
A big thank you to all our confirmed delegations from:
A big thank you to all our confirmed delegations from:
@felt.buzz @riverflows @trucklife-family and me @raj808.
Please let me know in comments if you're a mystery delegate, or reach out via discord where my name is the same as my hive username, and I'll add you to the list of thanks.
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OK Raj,
I can't write poetry. So even attempting this is stepping out of my comfort zone. However, I turned 73 today. Too late to be worried about embarrassment. I just finished a long science blog, which tested my research, analytic and writing skills.Time to exercise another part of my brain. I'll reach down and do my best. Just remember, I don't write poetry.
Resteeming for greater visibility
Edit
I just read the post to the end. Skimmed it before. I didn't know you were ill. Please keep us informed. I hope you have someone to help you.
I wish you happy birthday and all the best for the future! :)
Thank you very, very much 🌻 🌻🌞
Hi @jaki01
Just wanted to hello and thanks for checking out our writers community here at The Ink Well and gifting agmoore with some birthday hive voting 🙂
You're a good and kind soul.
I hope to still be
writing great fiction
like @agmoore...
when I'm 73!
Happy birthday to you agmoore 🍰
Happy birthday for yesterday is it now @agmoore?
I know you're a fiction only person, don't worry the prompts for fiction will return soon. As soon as I'm well and able because I love the results that come from them and the push they give me also to write short stories 🙂
Symptoms are not getting better or worse and I don't have full on coughing all day long with dry throat. Also, no effect on taste or smell. All of these things (lack of, or mildness, of key symptoms) make me think I've just got a bad bug or something. I'm sorry if I worried anyone, but I was worried myself for a little while.
Thank you, Raj! I hope the mild symptoms continue and then disappear. I'm reading Ginsburg (Howl) to get the music of poetry in my ears. That's not a very cheerful piece though :))
@agmoore,
Never too early, or late, to start writing poetry. To write poetically, you must first understand what "poetry" is ... and it's far more "scientific" than most would imagine .
Here's a crash course:
https://hive.blog/poetry/@quillfire/raving-refrain-poem-a-savagerean-sonnet-explanation-100-days-of-poetry-contest-day-5
In for a penny, in for a pound.
Quill
Hello @quillfire,
A little more than ten years ago I joined a writing group led by Maxwell Corydon Wheat. According to Max, everyone is a poet. I believe that. But I'm a little vain. I do know good poetry when I read it, and that I cannot write. But, for Raj and Ink Well, vanity will be suppressed. My words may not shine, but my team spirit will soar.
I appreciate your encouragement.
A belated Happy Birthday to you, @agmoore!
Thank you @jayna! I'm working on inspiration for the poem I can't write :))
Yes you can. I will try if you do!
Hi @jayna,
I did it!! Your turn :))
I hope you get to feeling better @raj808. Make sure you communicate with your health community to get tested if necessary.
I'll try to do the prompt.
Hi @moeknows
Hey, have a go
you never know
the poetry...
might flow 😉
p.s. feeling a little better than I was before, thanks.
That's great news.
I admit,I am having trouble finding inspiration for the challenge. I have a hard time finding stuff outside of my comfort zone. Not that I am particularly comfortable with any one type of poetry...if that makes sense.
Mwalim @raj808 I am so sorry to hear that you are unwell. Get bettter soon :) I have out in the real fighting for my headsoace but here I am. Will try the prompt.
Hi @tezmel getting out of the comfort zone can be hard at the best of times. I know I am a cruel taskmaster lol...
But, have a go
you never know
the poetry...
might flow 😉
p.s. my symptoms are not getting better or worse and I don't have full on coughing all day long with dry throat. Also, no effect on taste or smell. All of these things (lack of, or mildness, of key symptoms) make me think I've just got a bad bug or something. I'm sorry if I worried anyone, but I was worried myself for a little while.
Lol. The thing is, I have been suffering from doubt for a long time now and I feel like my relationship with words is diluting itself. Or probably it's just this writer's block that I can't shake off 😬
I will to might give it a try :)
I am glad to hear you are not all that bad but still take good care of yourself please. You just started teaching me and a few others how to pen poetry. You can't afford to back out ☻
@quillfire @girlwithoutwings
@girlbeforemirror,
When summoned by Marg, I have no choice but to respond.
Although, admittedly, I'm struggling to think of what might be "outside my comfort zone." I've written poems about "farts," "how to cook a pork roast" and the "return of guillotines to deal with the problem of Mimes."
My subconscious mind does not appear to be particularly inhibited by good sense.
Hmmm.
I'll try to think of something.
Quill
Ha ha, love it.
Hi @quillfire
It would be great to see an entry from you. Just have fun with it... but not comfortable fun 😉
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I have dabbled in poetry over the years, and even had a few poems published in my college's literary journal back in the day. I really must try it again. You are motivating me!
I hope I can still make an entry for this before the deadline. Great challenge for us prose makers.🙂
Hi Raj,
I've got my post all ready to go but get this message:
Missing Posting Authority agmoore
What do I do?
Hi @agmoore
I've read in discord rooms that they're updating things on hive and things might be glitchy over the next few days.
Try signing in now as I've got in no problem but now have to go and deal with a problem.
Ahhh the never ending tasks of admin lol
Looking forward to reading your poem so much. No one else responded to this prompt so it means a lot that you have 🙂
Hi Raj,
I went on Discord Hive and discovered I was using the Hive blog instead of PeakD. It'll take a while for me not to get lost.
I had a lot of fun doing this. I miss creative writing. So happy you made this community.
Hi Raj, I guess you've seen it by now, but I wrote the poetry and am linking to it here for anyone else who wants to join in. Great fun!
https://peakd.com/theinkwell/@agmoore/two-poems-written-for-the-ink-well-poetry-challenge
Just under the wire! https://peakd.com/hive-170798/@owasco/how-to-say-the-word-kiss
Raj I hope you get better soon. Thanks for the oppourtunity given. Here is my entry
https://peakd.com/hive-170798/@prechyrukky/epitome-of-nature