gurdymonkey: (Talk To The Fan)
[personal profile] gurdymonkey
I've been hearing about this fuss about NaNoWriMo and finally decided to look it up.

The following lines stick in my mind like acid coated skewers: 

"Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft...."

"....the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output."

"You will be writing a lot of crap."

Now I'm having flashbacks to the semester I was required to read one of Trollope's abominable quota-written novels, Barchester Towers. 

Acid coated skewers of schlock notwithstanding, I know how to force myself to write intensely.

Can you think of anything more antithetical to the concept of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days than the discipline of coming up with one 31-syllable poetic gem a day?

Here's the concept - because I suspect some of my readers will want to jump on the old ox cart too: 

Write one tanka (waka)* a day.
*Resources on tanka: 
http://www.ahapoetry.com/TANKA.HTM
http://www.americantanka.com/
http://www.wodefordhall.com/heianpoetryjam.htm

Since I got this idea and posted this very late on November 1, one may opt to do a double entry to bring your total to thirty for the month, or you may skip November 1 with no penalty. This is the only date you get to double dip or skip on. The spirit of this poetic form being the impermanence of this dewdrop life, no other make-ups are permitted. If you miss a day, you miss a day and as in real life, you can never get it back.   (You're on the honor system here....)

No limits on subject matter other than any you chose to impose upon yourself. Hopefully, some moment in your day will inspire you to write about it.

If you write more than one tanka a day, fine. However, you may not carry over tanka to other days except for the November 1 grace tanka.  You have to write a poem on each day.

(If you are inspired to "answer" someone else's poem, great. Personally, if I do so, I am not going to count it toward my daily assignment. The idea is to come up with something myself each day. What you do is up to you.)

Adherence to the 5-7-5-7-7 line/syllable count is required, otherwise it's not a tanka.

It's poetry, not stereo instructions. It should say something and it should make sense.

No rewrites.

A thousand raindrops
Dance madly against the roof,
Teasing and taunting.
Within there is no dancing,
Only one with memories.  (11/1/08).

Date: 2008-11-03 05:43 am (UTC)
ext_51796: (write_japan)
From: [identity profile] reynardine.livejournal.com
Sorry for the late reply, but I'll happily take up this challenge! It'll be fun!

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