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Upcoming Poetry Challenge for Beginner Poets

Forestwood

Writing poetry is something everyone can do, because you can’t really ever get it wrong.

Poetry is just your own thoughts down on paper, so how can that be wrong?

Poetry writing can be a great way to express deep-seated emotions in a constructive way, helping us to process their inner meanings and significance. Then again, your poetry might just be a little bit of fun. Rhyming poetry is an example of this.

Hosts Amanda and Ineke

Fellow blogger and writer from New Zealand, Ineke from scrapydo2.wordpress.com and myself, Amanda from Something to Ponder About , are jointly hosting an upcoming poetry challenge in English and in Afrikaans, in the WordPress community.

I invite you to join in.

 

Andrea Heiberg.jpg
Writer Andrea Heiberg

 

Why?

I have my reasons for running this challenge. The first poetry challenge I ever joined was hosted by Andrea Heiberg, a teacher friend in Denmark and her colleague in America and involved an Adult and Child poetry writing challenge which you can still find here.

There was around six groups participate, from all over the world. It was a lot of fun to see what each couple came up, with each week, as well as how they improved throughout the course of the challenge. It was definitely a learning experience for all.

Sadly, Andrea Heiberg passed away last year from Cancer and I know that she would have been absolutely thrilled to see me instigating a new Poetry challenge. So, first and foremost, this poetry challenge honours her as a writer. Secondly because it is fun to write and it builds a community. I hope it will inspire you to join in.

 

When will the Challenge start?

The Poetry challenge is open to everyone, from complete beginners to advanced writers, and will run from March to October in 2018.

You can write in any language, it certainly doesn’t have to be in English.

Ineke will post the challenge in Afrikaans on her blog, so if that language suits you better, visit her here. See instructions on joining below.

 

How the Poetry Challenge Works    

On the first week of each month, Ineke and I will publish a challenge post which asks you to write a poem based on the prompt supplied,  or your own idea. We will include links to helpful sites and tips for poetry writing. There will be a poetry prompt for each month that the challenge runs.

Remember, you do not have to use this prompt, at all. The prompt is only there if you feel you want a topic to work from, or you find it hard to come up with an initial idea.

 

A and I Poetry Challenge .jpg
Ineke and I have created the above logo for the Poetry Challenge and you are very welcome to paste this onto your blog post or sidebar, so that others can also find out about the challenge, if you so wish.

 Join the Challenge!

The challenge will commence in March and run for six months.

One post and one prompt per month.

Join in for one or all months, as you like.

Instructions :–

  • Sign up by leaving a comment here so we know you are interested in participating.
  • Ineke and I will post a poetry prompt and writing tips and links, around 1st day of each month. You might need to follow our blogs so that the posts show up in your WP reader.
  • Using the monthly Poetry prompt supplied, or your own idea, write a post with a poem, either fun or serious.,
  • So that we can see when you post for the poetry challenge, don’t forget to include a link or pingback to  scrapydo2.wordpress.com and Amanda’s blog, Something to Ponder About  and the tag A and I Poetry Challenge.
  • Include the Poetry Challenge badge in your post, if you so wish. (optional)
  • Leave a comment at Ineke’s blog, scrapydo2.wordpress.com and Amanda’s blog, Something to Ponder About, with a link to your blog post on the Poetry challenge post for that month. If you do this, others can find their way to your challenge post and join in the community too.

That is it!

Oh and have fun writing!!

N.B. Ineke and I will post link backs to the blogs who have joined in with the challenge in the poetry challenge post in the following month, so that you can all find each other’s blog posts and build a new poet’s community!!

Here is an initial link that you might find useful if you are looking for rhyming words.

If you have any questions, please just ask us.

I will post the first prompt this coming week.

Poetry – Something thoughtful to Ponder About

A and I Poetry Challenge

Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

46 thoughts on “Upcoming Poetry Challenge for Beginner Poets”

      2. Sometimes it doesn’t copy and paste the pics. It looks like it works, but it doesn’t show to external viewers? Not sure why. See how you go.

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  8. This sounds like a great idea, especially as it only requires a monthly submission. I’d like to try my hand at writing poetry, but not until a little later this year when I have the time. I’ve always enjoyed reading poetry, but have no idea whether I’ll be any good at writing it myself. It would be nice for me to find out.
    Well done to the two of you for putting the challenge together.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Millie! It really is a form of jotting down one’s thoughts – I am not too particular about the form and meter etc. I think that can come later. You are welcome to join anytime you like Millie. I know you would come up with something brilliant. I thought of you last week when I wrote and posted my first flash fiction/short story. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought. I hope you find poetry similarly enjoyable.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’ll pop over and read your piece of flash asap. I love writing it, but haven’t written fiction of any type on my blog for months. But, last year is over (thank goodness!) and I’m hoping this year will be OK… eventually. We have the house on the market now, so we’ll see how that goes. I doubt we’ll be moving too far because most of our children are in the Lincoln area. My book should be well finished by the end of May, then I can relax a bit. I’ve really missed you all on WP, and will go and say ‘hello’ to Ineke before I disappear again.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Last year wasn’t the best for a lot of people, and it sounds just as busy for you, Millie. I hope you don’t disappear completely from WordPress. But I understand selling a house is very time consuming. It looks like we will be a similar situation as yourselves before too long. Hope all goes well. Good luck with finishing your book.

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      3. This time last year, everything went pear-shaped for us, Amanda. I can’t begin to explain here, but various family illnesses were the most difficult to cope with. Things went from bad to worse and I hardly wrote a thing other than a few posts about places we visited. We had no holiday, just a few snatched days away here in England. Thank goodness it’s 2018. I hope last year was better for you.

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      4. Sorry to say things weren’t much better at this end, Millie. I was looking forward to a clean slate for 2018 but already there have been some big challenges to our health. But we are all still here so that is a blessing.

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      5. Let’s hope this year is a good one for us all, Amanda. 2017 seems to have been jinxed for so many people, and world affairs didn’t help. I’m still pushed for time with my book, but at least I hope not to spend so many hours in hospitals, worrying myself silly.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. This sounds nice! Is there a time limit, and can I take this challenge just once in a way when I have time to work on it?

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  14. Hi, I am kind of new to blogging and I could figure out how to post it correctly. Writing helps me a lot, to manage my lower feelings. I thought about sending my own poem, not related to the picture, but I looked at it once more and this is what it inspired me to write.
    A and I poetry challenge # 3 May: Hope in its eyes.

    Hope…

    Is that what I am perceiving?

    Yes, that’s hope in your eyes!

    Eyes looking towards the horizon,

    planning your next run to the immense meadow,

    run and don’t look back!

    Shinning and gorgeous creature…

    creature reflecting hope in its eyes,

    run, I am telling you…

    free of any danger you are.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Marie! That is a lovely contribution to the poetry challenge – very positive and uplifting!! Makes me think of animals running free. Have you posted this on your blog as well?

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      2. You just need to write a blog post with that wonderful poem on your blog including the words A and I Poetry Challenge. Select that phrase by highlighting it then clicking the ‘link’ icon on the task bar in the edit field and adding the url of My poetry challenge blog post by entering it in the field that pops up. You can also add the ‘tag’ A and I Poetry challenge too. Sing out if you have any drama with it.

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