I’ve decided that this year I will put the poems out as I am working on them – I’ve not done that for a while and it will be interesting to see what feedback I get on them. Also as I am struggling to write at the moment, putting the poems up for people to see gives me more motivation to actually sit down and get writing!
Pinterest appears to be working for me – I ended up writing five poems yesterday. However I did notice that I was mainly writing from my own photos I had put on the board so I may go and sort myself out a little folder of photographs.
I also had some interesting ideas for visual poems but not sure if I will get time to do those before the end of the month.
This year I am finding it hard to find inspiration and to actually get writing.
I have an To Inspire The Muse board on Pinterest which I am going to have a look at and I am going to by myself a National Geographic and a history mag and see if there is anything in them to get me writing.
Mainly though I think I just need some time alone to sit and think and write! That isn’t happening at the moment as the kids have been ill and there is course work due in and things with the house keep going wrong.
January is the Month of Poetry and as always I plan to take part. I normally make my own theme or aim up for the month but in truth I’ve been struggling to write any poetry recently so feel I just need to get back into the flow of things.
I am off course doing my Science Communication course at the moment so am very busy but the aim stays the same – I plan to spent 30 hours working solidly on poetry through out January.
It’s a poetical new year and I am formulating plans, plans and more plans. This year the Monster Blogs on average are five years old so I am planning on lots of stuff to do with that.
Resolution wise – I would like to take part in the poetry writing challenges once more and set myself goals for the other months.
Jan = MoP (month of poetry)
Feb = WoPoWriMo (World Poetry Writing Month)
March = release The Little Book of Easter Poetry
Apr = NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month)
May = finish Ballads of the Scientifica
June = EdMo (editing month) – I have note book upon note book that needs typing up and editing
July = FiPoMo (finish projects month)
Aug = GaDeMo (Game Design Month – there is a National Game Design Month but it is in Nov when I have NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo) – my aim is to move the monster writing game forward.
Oct = Audio book for The Little Book of Spoogy Poetry and general promotion for all three versions
Nov = Work on a poetry advent calendar rhyming poem stories
Dec = Official The Little Book of Festive Poetry launch party for the physical, audio, and ebook
Apart from that I shall be trying to get to readings and events to perform – here we go!
Christmas is a time of meeting and greeting and visiting and food but for me it is also a time you can hide in the little nest of home and just be. For us that means watching films, playing games, reading and writing!
Sometimes we invite other writers over to write with us and put snacks out to help things along 🙂
I also like to write within the seasonal theme and being surrounded by christmas decorations and festive food and music is just perfect. Often I will finish off a project from a previous year!
Story telling tends to happen alot in the holiday as well and though these are verbal non-written stories often highly daft they are also foundations for stories I can quickly jot down 🙂
So all in all Christmas is a time of writing for me!
The dark radiant, Night is sick, Within possibilities, Trembles with fear, Of the undefined.
Last year I had a great time at the first Poetry Slam to be held in Cirencester. It was organised by the fab Marcus Moore and Sara-Jane Arbury and was lots of fun. Of course I did not score very high but that is not why I go to them – this was my third Slam and I think I have drastically improved from my first one.
I performed Mummy’s Socks from The Little Book of Festive Poetry and even sold a copy! Which means I have enough money to another book for the school library!
Here is a picture of me mid sock swing.
I had a great time catching up with old friends plus it was my first time out in not completely flat shoes since Mary’s pregnancy. So it was win win and yes I had to use the walking stick to get back to the car but that was due a) it being cold, b) having stood around chatting to people and c) having parked far away from the venue as our sat nav doesn’t understand Cirencester!
Once again I got to perform with Breda Reed Brown who is The Gloucestershire Poet Laureate, Joy-Amy, Cloe who I normally see telling stories rather than reading verse! and The Luchador Poet. Plus the lovely Tommie who I met at the qualifier for the Cheltenham Literature Festival Slam.
This time I also had Alaric with me which was lovely as we got to have a meal together as well 🙂 Just a shame he has a cold at the moment so wasn’t feeling to hot on the night! (hence no video!).
However there is a video of me performing the poems at The Brewery in Cheltenham the year before!
And you can go and listen to nice recordings of the poems and my christmas story at my Bandcamp.
Lets hope this Christmas season is as awesome!
Sunday was the village Christmas Craft Fayre in Cranham and I shared a stall with Jeany.
She’s been making candles out of old candle ends – this is the second time she has sold the candles like this – the first time she used the profits to by colours and some more moulds (she was initially given a kit). She took £20, paid £6 for her part of the table, spent £5 on presents and the remaining she wants to by some smells to add. (I don’t think the Daddy Minion who helped her is getting any money for his efforts but the candle he liked didn’t sell…)
I on the other hand sold books.
I sold 6! And mainly to people I didn’t actually know 🙂 I had both the hand made Little Books of Festive Poetry and the properly printed Little Books of Spoogy Poetry. I was surprised that people did actually seem to want both 🙂
There were lovely felt horses and sheep which you can buy here! And lovely chainsaw sculptures 🙂 Jean told me I wasn’t allowed to buy one 🙁 We don’t have enough money apparently.
The excitement of it all was too much for Alaric and Mary who snoozed gently in the corner behind the stall.
Breathing life…
breathing fire –
I want to sleep upon this pyre,
In this time and in this place –
I love the whole of the human race