Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Speculative poetry

This is topic Speculative poetry in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :

I was curious as to how may of you write it. Is Mikemunsil (forgive spelling errors) is still around. I noticed he was publishing alot at one point.

I guess the reason I ask is because I have always written poetry, but the standard stuff that ends up in bound journals, unread. I was cosidering giving it a try, but I don't know how good I would be at it.

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

Gave poetry a try, long ago now. I wrote what I wanted to and sent it in blind, without seeing the magazines---something that, gradually, seemed like bad practice.

I plugged away at it for a few years---even got a few published here and there, never for money---but the impulse died away and, what with a few changes in my life, I gave it up. I think I learned a lot about how writing sounds, and the choice of the right words, by trying to make things rhyme.

However, I do occasionally turn out something-or-other, and occasionally make some progress. For instance, I don't think I mastered the handling of parody until I turned out a few poems in my celebrated-by-me Internet Fan Fiction period.

Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :

I've seen Mike pop up now and again. Have you checked out libertyhallwriters.org? That's his site, and it has a whole forum devoted to poetry of, presumably, the speculative sort.

Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :

I'll check that out. Thanks Anne.

Posted by Igwiz (Member # 6867) on :

If you happen to come across a workshop that's focused on Spec Poetry, I'd like to know about it, because I write poetry. In fact, I've sold more poems than short stories. However, everything I've sold is literary. There are a LOT of literary poetry workshops, but I haven't joined any yet.

Liberty Hall does have a poetry forum. No offense to LH, but it's nearly empty most of the time, and there are very few comments on the items posted there when there are.

If you are interested in speculative poetry, and want to see what's actually getting purchased these days, there are some excellent sources to look at for models. Those are Abyss and Apex, Strange Horizons, Aberrant Dreams, and Dreams and Nightmares.

I would also point you towards the Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA): http://www.sfpoetry.com/

Here's Abyss and Apex's archives: http://www.abyssandapex.com/archives.html

Here's Strange Horizon's archives: http://www.strangehorizons.com/poetry.shtml

As you go through these, you'll notice some regularly occurring names. These include Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, and Kristine Ong Muslim (KOM). I would recommend that you google those names as well.

However, this is a pretty small writing community. KOM is probably the best known, as she has had more than 500 poems published. Marcie Tentochoff is an Aurora Award winning poet, and is the poetry editor at Aberrant Dreams. Dave KM is the editor/publisher of Dreams and Nightmares.

The Notebored is also a good resource. It's run by "Deanna" who I think is a member here, and who is active on LH. NB did have bi-weekly poetry challenges, like LH has fiction challenges, but R.L. Copple (of Haruah: Breath of Heaven) has gotten busy in the last few months and those have sort of puttered out. I would be more than happy to compete again on the Notebored, but it needs some more involvement, as there were usually only about 3 of us that would write every 2 weeks.

I would be happy to figure something out to get more people into it, but I would rather do it at the Notebored or LH, since they are log-in sites, and we can post poems on the boards, do polls/voting, and other stuff more efficiently there.

Just let me know if you're interested. E-mail me or pm me at LH/NB if you decide to join.

Best of luck,

Igwiz

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

I'm here.

I do publish poetry, but it's not speculative; at least not yet. I wouldn't mind giving that a try, though.

What can I do to help you? Let me know.

And the best spec-poetry I've read in a while was by Beth Wodzinski, editor and owner of Shimmer Magazine (well worth buying!), who on a dare, wrote and published a sci-fi sestina.

Never woulda thunk it!

[This message has been edited by mikemunsil (edited July 19, 2008).]

Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :

I suppose I was just looking for some good links to examples and Your take on the markets. I know there is no real way to post poetry here due to publishing issues and was curious how and if you workshop. I will check out the links you guys have provide. That'll be a good start.

Thanks all.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

Then check out The Notebored. I will sponsor you there.

http://www.notebored.com/board/index.php

Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :

Cool. Looks like what I am looking for. So is it an invitation code that I need?

Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :

I have tried writing speculative poetry, but found it incredibly hard to get it published--perhaps because mine wasn't good enough. I got good feedback on it, but it was always along the lines of 'tempting...but not tempting enough'.

I can send you a few things I have done if you want...

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

Should'a said I rarely wrote "speculative" poetry, if by that you mean something with a science fiction or fantasy bent. I tried my had at a few, some pretty long---but found that less satisfying in poetry than things a little more, er, mundane...

Two poems of this ilk stand out in my mind. I tried my hand at a long poem in the "ancient mariner" meter---and adlibbed the plot as I went along to fit the rhymes I came up with. 'Bout the oddest thing I ever wrote. No luck with it, though.

Another try involved an actual plot. I got into it, got halfway through---and realized I copped the entire plot, and probably the title, from a Leigh Bracket story. I liked it well enough, enough to finish it---but the plot lift was enough to keep it in my files...

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

go here and register so they can send you an invitation code

http://www.notebored.com/board/profile.php?mode=register

Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :

Sure Adam, that would be cool.

Thanks for the link, Mike. I appreciate it.

Posted by Wordmerchant (Member # 7778) on :

Of the thousand+ poems I have written, only one truly falls into something that might be considered a "speculative ballad" type of work. Oddly enough, it is one of my enduring personal favorites.