What are you writing about now?

[david_wendelken]

Vol 1, A Tale of Two Tales. 134,693 words. 49 chapters done, 3 started, ~5 additional to go.

All the various parties have met and the pieces are all in place to weave the rest of the series. Woot!

Figure drawing class is going well. And no, I'm not a whiz at it. But I'm learning, and that's what matters.

 

[bombadilsboots]

Started a tradition with my wife where we write our daughter a letter of sorts every year for her birthday, this is the very first letter. (She just turned 1) .. I’m assuming there’s some writers in here, so any feedback or tips on writing would be greatly appreciated as am I trying to improve my writing and become better overall at it.

 

[WatcherWraith]

You've already caught the missing words, and filled the letter with adorable bits of personal notes(favorite foods, fiddle, etc).
Were you trying to make it rhyme only in some places? I did struggle a bit, reading the font, but I suppose you have that figured out.
One word I could not understand was in the line "although our dwelling be..." it looked like "silly", but that didn't follow the "s's" of your other sentences.

That was all I had. :]
Your letter is precious, thank you for sharing!

 

[bombadilsboots]

You've already caught the missing words, and filled the letter with adorable bits of personal notes(favorite foods, fiddle, etc).
Were you trying to make it rhyme only in some places? I did struggle a bit, reading the font, but I suppose you have that figured out.
One word I could not understand was in the line "although our dwelling be..." it looked like "silly", but that didn't follow the "s's" of your other sentences.

That was all I had. :]
Your letter is precious, thank you for sharing!

I was trying to use a rhyming format, starting with lines ending with the "own" sound, and from there using two lines ending with another sound, and after going back to the "own" sound and back to two more lines ending in a different sound and repeat. I hope that made sense to you I'm not the best at explaining things haha

The line went, "Although our dwelling be little."

Thank you!

 

[david_wendelken]

Your letter is delightful! I expect it will become a cherished family heirloom!

 

[david_wendelken]

According to the plan:

Vol 1, A Tale of Two Tales. 136,860 words. 50 chapters done, 4 started, ~5 additional to go.​

Everybody knows everyone they need to. All the pieces are in place. Just need to fill in the blanks.

And that got me to thinking.

Two of the four already-started chapters are absolutely essential and both contain significant amounts of writing. They are written with the wrong point of view (POV), and one needs to be greatly expanded. I'm working on them next. They are "Love Conquers All" and "A Love Re-Found".

One already started chapter, "Aranwen, Princess of Morthond", can be split into two parts. The detailed part that has already been written can be pulled out into a stand-alone novella. It is a rousing tale that has almost nothing to do with the stories in this novel (save some character overlap and a smidge more). A couple of paragraphs can be added to "A Love Re-Found", one of the essential chapters already mentioned.

The 4th already-started chapter, "British Weather for the Win", is a funny monograph by the chief archivist of the Bodleian Library of Oxford University, who discovered a fascinating property of the original manuscript due to getting caught in the rain with it. If it pops out quickly, I'll keep it. But it's not essential, just some fun flavouring.

I think three of the unstarted ones ("Hiding with the Avari", "The Lord of Gifts", and Duty Rekindled") can be condensed into one to two paragraphs in another already written chapter. The details in those planned chapters don't really matter to the story; just the very broadest of strokes do.

The fourth unstarted chapter, "The War of Wrath", has to be written. I think I can condense the fifth unstarted chapter, "Crisis of Conscience", into a paragraph or two in "The War of Wrath". Why? Because nobody cares all that much about a bad guy's crisis of conscience when he continues doing the bad things afterwards.

So, three major chapters and some bits and bobs will get the first draft done.

Here's the new plan:

Vol 1, A Tale of Two Tales. 136,860 words. 50 chapters done, 2 started, 1 optional started, 1 additional unstarted chapter to go.​

Woot!

 

[WatcherWraith]

Your work is marvellously detailed. Great work, and I wish you the best! It's a pleasure watching your progress :]

 

[Ent]

Started a tradition with my wife

A great tradition this is..!!

I’m assuming there’s some writers

You assume well. There are many very good writers here, able to give you plenty of tips and helps along the way..! Wise of you to seek the comraderie and encouragement of the like-minded. Earlier in this thread there are many good tips and suggestions several have made..

am I trying to improve my writing and become better overall at it.

The work of a lifetime..!

 

[Ent]

OF THE NOW AND THE THEN:

For all of you, our writers here,
who hold word-smithing near and dear,
I let you know as time is short
the Ent for now returns to sport
of poetry - to grasp it clear.

Its many forms, its ways and means;
the helps to know a reader gleans
its depths, intents, and other ways
its words be sure a reader sways
and from it new direction leans.

The day will come when back to book
the Ent returns again to look
into the ways thinking should go
hoping to help: mankind to show
new ways of life he yet must brook.

For man remains in deprived lot,
his mind and heart, they have been brought
into a cage cleverly made
by those man's souls would gladly trade
for selfish gain. In greed they've wrought.

Yet man can't see the plight he's in.
His cage is built by such a din
of clever deceit brought to bear
through every means, both mean and fair
he does not know he's trapped within.

Yes, Ent will spend remaining days
revealing; working, many ways
to show mankind he can be free
from all the building done to see
he is conformed: freedom betrays.

For man holds power deep within;
it can be loosed so he can win
what has been lost through system's plan
to trap and form compliant man
to rightly fit in machine's bin.

As some can see what has been lost,
and grasp the truth of the great cost,
'tis these we seek and hope to reach,
to help them chains of bondage breach,
so others' shackles can be tossed.

These then go on - challenge the plan.
An army for tyranny's ban.
A thinking people who now know
there is a way for man to grow;
He is not doomed to also-ran.

So many species are extinct.
Mankind need not be to them linked.
But he needs help. The system's strong.
At current pace he has not long.
Our goal therefore should be distinct.

What will we do now with our time?
For now we spend it here in rhyme.
But with our words we ever show
mankind his bondage so he grow
and from his current state he climb.

"Don't let it end this way, Captain."
..... Chancellor Gorkon - Star Trek VI: The Undiscoveered country.

 

[Ent]

Having finished the above poem - another quick standard style toss-off, 5-line stanzas, 8-beat lines, aabba rhyming format, here's another wee 'help' from the Ent, for anyone interested - particularly in poetic work, but also in improving writing overall.

Two books recommended: (There are hundreds of course, and many purely "poetry" books to bring alingside a study for educational purposes.

- A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide To Understanding and Writing Poetry - (Mary Oliver).
- Poetry 101: From Shakespeare and Rupi Kaur to Iambic Pentameter and Blank Verse, Everything You Need To Know About Poetry - (Susan Dalzell)

(Available on Kindle: Poetry 101 $3.99, A Poetry Handbook $8.49. Both pretty affordable.)

These two books build a foundation of understanding history and form, as well as music and voice, and provide practice exercises with commentary. They SEEM to be a good foundation for writing.

Of particular interest is the work in the 'sound/music/voice' of the words working together - what 'reads and flows well' and what can set it ajar a bit - not only for poetic work, but for any writing done. There are things seeming to just "sound better" when coupled using different word form or syntax etc. - and there's a reason for this. I think help is available in the pages of the above, for those wanting a 'why' underneath the 'what' of their work.

I'll shut up now.

 

[Ent]

Were you trying to make it rhyme only in some places?

Guess I won't shut up yet, sorry.

You probably know this, but @bombadilsboots' work above is an example of what would be termed "free verse" - poetry not follwoing a traditional form, meter, or rhyme scheme.

Writing in Free Verse is an art form well beyond the Ent at this time. Much work to do before it comes into view. (Particularly, much 'mental work' breaking age-old patterns of thinking about what constitutes 'prose' and 'poetry.' Ent detects a certain shortcoming in his mental apparatus with regard to this environment.)

 

[bombadilsboots]

A great tradition this is..!!



You assume well. There are many very good writers here, able to give you plenty of tips and helps along the way..! Wise of you to seek the comraderie and encouragement of the like-minded. Earlier in this thread there are many good tips and suggestions several have made..


The work of a lifetime..!

Thank you, Sir Ent.

 

[WatcherWraith]

Having finished the above poem - another quick standard style toss-off, 5-line stanzas, 8-beat lines, aabba rhyming format, here's another wee 'help' from the Ent, for anyone interested - particularly in poetic work, but also in improving writing overall.

Two books recommended: (There are hundreds of course, and many purely "poetry" books to bring alingside a study for educational purposes.

- A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide To Understanding and Writing Poetry - (Mary Oliver).
- Poetry 101: From Shakespeare and Rupi Kaur to Iambic Pentameter and Blank Verse, Everything You Need To Know About Poetry - (Susan Dalzell)

(Available on Kindle: Poetry 101 $3.99, A Poetry Handbook $8.49. Both pretty affordable.)

These two books build a foundation of understanding history and form, as well as music and voice, and provide practice exercises with commentary. They SEEM to be a good foundation for writing.

Of particular interest is the work in the 'sound/music/voice' of the words working together - what 'reads and flows well' and what can set it ajar a bit - not only for poetic work, but for any writing done. There are things seeming to just "sound better" when coupled using different word form or syntax etc. - and there's a reason for this. I think help is available in the pages of the above, for those wanting a 'why' underneath the 'what' of their work.

I'll shut up now.

Thank you for these book recommendations! I shall save them and see if I may find them on Audible or somewhere :]
I do want to read more poetry. So far one of my favorite poets is Lord Alfred Tennyson, though Mr. Yeats follows quite close behind. But I want more poetry, for it is so very expressive if done right, and speaks even more clearly and vibrantly than many stories can through its patterns and hidden meanings. No doubt, when I get familiar enough with old Scottish dialects, Mr. Burns will also be one of my favorite poets. I've already wished to read his work, but I am not yet skilled enough to interpret his lines ':]

Again, thank you.

Edit: now I think further on it, I suppose I should say Tolkien is probably my top favorite poet, given how many poems he wrote in his works, and how many he translated(some poetry skill is surely needed there!).

 

[WatcherWraith]

Guess I won't shut up yet, sorry.

You probably know this, but @bombadilsboots' work above is an example of what would be termed "free verse" - poetry not follwoing a traditional form, meter, or rhyme scheme.

Writing in Free Verse is an art form well beyond the Ent at this time. Much work to do before it comes into view. (Particularly, much 'mental work' breaking age-old patterns of thinking about what constitutes 'prose' and 'poetry.' Ent detects a certain shortcoming in his mental apparatus with regard to this environment.)

I did not know this, actually!
I know of free verse, but I did not recognize it there. Thank you for identifying that for me.

 

[Ent]

I did not know this, actually!

Well, glad I could add.
Yes, there's 'blank verse' and there's 'free verse.'
Both of a more modern style, the difference being Blank Verse follows metrics - in fact generally iambic pentameter - but without rhyme.
Free verse, as noted, follows no traditional pattern whether meter or rhyme. (Does not mean it doesn't contain rhyme - it just contains no pattern for it.)

 

[Ent]

Question for the Writers:
Would it be helpful to anyone if I put together a wee bit of a 'history of poetry' including timelines, overlaps, etc. as it progressed from its early forms, through what is called 'traditional,' and into the later forms?

Could also marry it with a few of the names of poets 'leading the way' or 'predominant' in the changes and adoptions?

There are, of course, books on all this, but well... sometimes briefer summaries can be of assistance. Thought I'd ask.

 

[bombadilsboots]

Question for the Writers:
Would it be helpful to anyone if I put together a wee bit of a 'history of poetry' including timelines, overlaps, etc. as it progressed from its early forms, through what is called 'traditional,' and into the later forms?

Could also marry it with a few of the names of poets 'leading the way' or 'predominant' in the changes and adoptions?

There are, of course, books on all this, but well... sometimes briefer summaries can be of assistance. Thought I'd

 

[bombadilsboots]

It would be quite a stretch to call myself a writer, but yes, I would enjoy that very much.

 

[WatcherWraith]

Question for the Writers:
Would it be helpful to anyone if I put together a wee bit of a 'history of poetry' including timelines, overlaps, etc. as it progressed from its early forms, through what is called 'traditional,' and into the later forms?

Could also marry it with a few of the names of poets 'leading the way' or 'predominant' in the changes and adoptions?

There are, of course, books on all this, but well... sometimes briefer summaries can be of assistance. Thought I'd ask.

Most excellent idea! If you have the time for it, I would greatly appreciate such an endeavor. The evolvement of any writing art is of interest to me, and I would love to see what tales you can tell of poetry.

 

[Ent]

Writing is difficult, yet anyone setting pencil or pen to paper - finger or twig to keyboard - is a writer.
Poetic form is more difficult than prose, for a number of reasons - yet learning about the poetic both informs and aids, every other form of writing we do.

Poetry involves and requires we consider and apply our ear to the sound, rhythm, and flow of words constantly. Tolkien was a perfect bridge between poetic form and prose. He literally lived in both meter and sound. It shaped his work in every way, and is one of the reasons we love to read it.

Our writing has an 'immediate cadence' - how it rises and falls within a single sentence - its consonants and vowels creating either a smoothness or a friction. A hard consonant misplaced can ruin the flow and jar the reader. It also carries a contextual rhythm - a 'fit' into the larger paragraph, section, or even chapter. If our writing conflicts in the wrong places and wrong ways, we can confuse - even lose - our audience. The music of the language in the larger sense can create forward pacing, momentum, or reflection. It can also kill.

There are 3 contexts to consider: immediate context, near context, and far context. (I'm sure you've all heard of these. They play in writing in many ways.)

Our writing has both an 'architecture' and a music. We lose a massive part of our impact, if we are not aware of and productive in both.

Poetic form trains our ears in ways prose alone rarely does. Awareness of poetic 'meter' helps us see and maintain rhythm. Familiarity with rhyme both the inherent resonance of words, and closure through them. And stanza arrangement help us with proportion and balance as we work. (Oversized paragraphs in the midst of our shorter presentations, or possibly vice versa, etc.)

Learning and integrating the various forms of writing helps us consistently achieve more powerful writing with greater impact.

I've come to where I personally see a significant reason to expand my exposure to, understanding of, and ability to deliver, in poetic form - and integrate it for the benefit of all my work.

I'll put a basic 'poetic history' together for the interested, and have it here 'soon.' It will likely be in the form of an attachment. (Possibly even more than one. I've a vision of some 'charts' showing forms overlapping and impacting one another in history, too.)

So there. "More at 11."