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Yes, I finally found my way to Laura Shovan's new website and to her February Writing Workout...and I'm excited that the prompts for daily writing are all about found objects.  Better yet, we don't even have to find our own objects...photos are provided!

So I'm jumping in to follow along as well as I'm able, starting with the Day 6 found object(s) below.

 









Image: Cam Fortin



Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!

Here's what this image makes me think of: 



*   A kelp forest
*   A mermaid's hair
 *  A forest after a forest fire

So, what does this picture make you think of? Write a quick 15 Words or Less poem and share it in a comment below. I'm looking forward to seeing your poems!

I posted a bit ago about the photopoetry book I'm working on for an educational publisher. I got it turned in early last week, and yesterday I got the revision notes.

Now, there are several kinds of revision notes I get from educational publishers. The first kind is the best kind. It's where the editor says I nailed it, she loves it, and she has nothing further for me to do (or maybe just a few small wording changes). That kind usually only happens when I'm writing an entry for an existing series so I have something to match.

The second best kind is when I have plenty of work to do on the manuscript, but the notes all make sense and feel very doable. That's the kind of revision note I got on the photopoetry book. Some adjustment in voice, a bit of rearranging, and a few changes in material--but nothing overwhelming or earth-shattering. That's the kind I often get when I'm writing for a new series, as I am here.

And it's the kind of note I got yesterday. So now I can move forward with this revision, confident I'm giving the editor what she wants. Yay!

As for the third kind, the "you totally missed the boat with this attempt" kind? We're just not gonna go there.

Photo: Archives of Ontario

Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poetry! If you've never played or want a reminder on the rules, please check out the guidelines!

At my Young Authors Conferences this week, the kids are writing poems of fear and hope. The fear poems, we write directly on the envelope, because fear is easy to find--it's right there, in your face. The hope poems we write on brightly colored index cards and put inside the envelopes, because you have to keep hope inside and it can be there influencing you, even when it's not as easy to see. So, envelopes have been on my mind.

This envelope makes me think of Dear John letters, my nephew serving overseas, and the way my stomach still rollercoasters whenever I get an envelope from a publisher. What does it make you think of?

Take one of your answers and write a quick 15 Words or Less poem. It doesn't have to describe this picture. Just get your brain moving and have fun with it! 

Feel free to offer each other encouragement and feedback (see the guidelines link above), and I'll be back, probably tomorrow, to see what you've sent in the Comments! I'm sure your poems will be First Class. Arrrgg. Sorry.

   

 
Photo: David Turner

Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poetry Day! If you've never played or want a refresher on the guidelines, please check out the guidelines!

This high-wire image makes me think of carnival toys, dolls made out of those old-fashioned clothespins (not sure why) and the China pavilion at Epcot. What does it make you think of?

Take one of your answers and write a superfast 15 Words or Less poem. It doesn't have to describe this picture. Just get your brain revving and see what comes out! For an extra challenge during National Poetry Month, try writing your poem either FOR a child or FROM a child's point of view. But if it doesn't come out as a children's poem, that's OK. Share whatever you come up with:>)

Feel free to offer each other encouragement and feedback (see the guidelines link above)--that is so much appreciated by everyone.

 

   

 
Photo: JeHu68 from Rotterdam, Netherlands

Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poetry Day! If you've never played or want a refresher on the guidelines, please check out the guidelines!

This red dragonfly makes me think of tatted lace, a fancy pen, and the buzzing sound you hear when you sit quietly by a lake or pond in the summer. What does it make you think of?

Take one of your answers and write a superfast 15 Words or Less poem. It doesn't have to describe this picture. Just get your brain revving and see what comes out!

Feel free to offer each other encouragement and feedback (see the guidelines link above)--that is so much appreciated by everyone.

And Wednesday is the last day to vote for Stampede in the Minnesota Readers' Choice. Will you click on the aqua banner at the top of the post to vote? Thanks so much!

 

   

 
Photo: Sanchezn

Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poetry Day! I posted updated guidelines last week, so if you're new or wondering about the rules, check those out!

This picture makes me think of snow, an iceberg, and the letter V. What does it make you think of? Take one of your answers and write a quick 15 Words or Less poem to share. Can't wait to read them!

  

 

I wanted a picture of a kid outside in the rain (I loved being outside during afternoon storms as a kid in Florida), but came across this first.

This image makes me think of people who see the ocean for the first time as an adult, an alien spaceship beaming someone up or down (something about the way this child is right in that beam of light), and the texture of the sand and water--they look almost like poured latex to me in this photo. 

What does it make YOU think of?

Take one of your answers to that question and write a quick 15 words or less poem and leave it in the comments below. Have fun! Click here for guidelines if you've never played before. Just use the image to get your brain moving--your poem doesn't have to actually relate to this picture!