I recently got my notification from the folks at CV2 that it is time once again to sign up for their annual Two-Day Poem Contest. Yep, that one. The one where I had to write a poem using (among other words) absquatulate, and copacetic. (You know it’s bad when ‘bombastic’ scarcely rates a mention.) If you’d like to see the poems that managed this feat – with vastly more grace, not to mention conviction and success than I did – you can read them here.
This year’s competition takes place over the weekend of April 14th and 15th. Sign up by April 6th, and on the stroke of midnight April 14th you will recieve the list of ten words which you must include in your poem. (For those of us in New Zealand, midnight CDT on the 14th corresponds to 5 pm that afternoon for us.)
In theory I should have my life back again by then. Or at least be free of tradesmen. (Sounds like I’m confessing to some sort of infestation, doesn’t it? Doctor, what’s the matter with me? Well I’m afraid you’ve got a bad case of Tradesmen. Have you been a bit lax in your personal hygiene lately?) And I’m not teaching in April, so that will also be one less thing to distract me. Plus I haven’t managed to write anything yet this year (I know, I know) other than funding proposals, and while they definitely could be classified as works of fiction, they aren’t by any stretch of the imagination “poetry”. So … I think I’m probably going to do it again. Who knows, maybe this year I’ll manage to be the Editor’s Mom’s Choice.
Anyone else fancy taking the plunge? Anybody? Anyone?
Bueller? Bueller?
A Dark Feathered Art 
Given you’re an experienced poet and you found this stressful–and I don’t know half of those words!–I don’t think I’m quite ready for this yet. Maybe in 10 years. 🙂
Part of the stress was down to me being a hopeless procrastinating hound! But hard as it was, the insanity of the challenge brought its own freedom – it was the atrium of impossible, so just getting something – anything! – written was a victory. And the best definition I ever heard of a born writer is “Someone who cannot look up just one word in a dictionary.” Sadly, that is me. So although I grumble mightily, researching the words was actually quite a lot of fun.
If you fancy a challenge – one that will definitely stretch you, but which you can accomodate to your own level – have you thought about trying NaPoWriMo? Again, not easy. But a good challange, with the advantage of being potentially quite collegial. Certainly you’ll get to meet lots of other poets.
Haha. I look up words all the time–probably something to do with being an editor and a perfectionist. 🙂
Thanks for the heads up about NaPoWriMo. I’ll definitely consider it. Could really launch me forward in my writing!
To clarify (in case it came off the wrong way), I mean ‘improve my poetry writing’, not gain more visibility. I’m under no illusions as to how long and hard you have to work to write respectable poetry and earn an audience. 🙂
Fret not – it came across (to me, anyway) as you intended. I didn’t assume you were thinking of Kanye West-level self promotion! 😉 But short of that, there would be nothing wrong with it anyway – becoming visible helps, because it puts you in touch with people who can suggest things that will help you improve. It is possible to do it alone, hiding under a violet in some mossy glen or forgotten in the corner os a cobwebby attic somewhere, but that’s definitely the longer route.
Thanks. That’s helpful.