What are you writing about now?

[Server Room Gremlin]

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.

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.

Somehow, I think I knew this without 'knowing' it. As in, I found it hard to describe why it often takes me a lot of time and effort to write a story in prose that I'm satisfied with. But I did know that how I wrote something was important, not just what I was writing. It helps to create the picture of the scene and the action in the reader's mind. Actions that are speedy/quick should take a short time to read, and moments where you want the reader to slow down, breathe, and think about what you're saying should take longer to read.

I've described the way I write like this before:

My word choices for each sentence were very careful, as I was also trying to match a certain rhythm of syllables in my mind, which is not constant, but varies with the action or picture I'm trying to convey.

Mind you, I don't always have a pattern in my head I'm trying to follow. It varies based on the particular piece of writing: some stories want to have more of that poetic flow, and others do not. It takes more time and effort to write like this, and sometimes I want to have an easier time of writing. 😂

I also find it quite neat when I can use words which have more than one meaning, each of which is significant or relevant in some way to what I'm writing about, and can give additional shades of meaning. :3

 

[david_wendelken]

Brain's not working to write the 3 essential chapters tonight, so I'm doing a bit of editing. I had a bad writing habit for a long time so there's a good bit of material to fix. This particular bad habit to write things like "Joe started to climb" when I mean "Joe climbed". Ditto for "began to". Now I reserve the qualifier for when they start but get interrupted and don't finish.

So, I'm editing those phrases out.

 

[david_wendelken]

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.

Honestly, point folks to where that info is already available and focus on your own, unique and new writing.

Unless that summary is what you want to write about more than anything else.

 

[Ent]

Unless that summary is what you want to write about more than anything else.

hhmmm... a good thing to ponder, Sir David Wendelken.
I guess because helping others flows like sap through Ent's xylem.

Not all can afford the resources perhaps, nor have access to them - and perhaps not all have the time at hand to dig through the materials to toss the chaff from the wheat.
Since I'm there digging anyway, a bit more time piecing a summary together may be helpful and appreciated by some. So, I offer.

Of course, a bit of it is very selfish, for these reasons:
1. Putting twig to keyboard to summarize helps Ent's retention of the material.
2. Putting twig to keyboard perpares something with potential use in other future applications.
3. Also prepares a base document for expansion, should the decision be made to do so. (For publication in a journal, or other vehicle, for example.)
4. May also serve some who want to pass it along to others, for their assistance.

But fundamentally, Ent concludes it all boils down to the same reason he edits others' works at no cost. There's an innate desire in Ent somehow, to help others "look as good as they can" in what they do. (This assumes they find the nature of Ent's help actually helpful, of course.)

the one author Ent has assisted the most, has now gone on to have his work accepted by a publishing house, is publishing numerous (edited) articles in numerous journals, and has been invited to speak on several podcasts, and at conventions. Ent is really pleased to see his work moving forward, and he being successful.

And two other authors are very enamoured of Ent's editing ability, as well as his work in the "How To Think" and "mankind no longer knows how to think" realm, as well as in his upcoming book.
Of course, Ent is really looking for a successor to carry that work to its conclusion, given Ent's age - and as one of those writers is "in the profession" dealing with thinking, and thinks somewhat along the same lines, there's a potential strong candidate for it. At least for Book 1. (But there's much underlying development yet to do - and a different successor will be needed for the 2nd and 3rd books, as the one in view for the first does not have the depth in a certain arena, to carry the other two off. )

Anyway, offers like the one made above just happen with Ent. Seems to be as much a part of the walk toward his end, as is breathing, or digging the roots in to extract nourishment from the soils of life. (Such as poetic form - its value and its history - when the time presents it.)

In sum, it seems the summary, if helpful, is what I'd like to do more than anything else in the moment at hand.
Seems an appropriate "redeeming of time."

(Ask a simple quesion - or in this case, make a simple statement - sorry, Ent always ponders and never shuts up about his thoughts on a matter.)

 

[david_wendelken]

Sounds like it's what you want to write more than anything else at the moment. Have a wonderful time writing it!

 

[Ent]

it's what you want to write more than anything else at the moment.

Indeed. But far be it from Ent to say it so hastily.
"Anything worth saying is worth taking a long time to say."
(Entish habits die hard.)

 

[Ent]

I'll put a basic 'poetic history' together for the interested, and have it here 'soon.'

Still on it's way. 13 pages of notes carved out worthy of consideration for inclusion. Now for the structuring molds, pruning shears, and refining fires.
13 pages is just too long for a 'brief' introduction.

 

[david_wendelken]

As you may recall, I have 3 chapters to write and 6 to condense into a paragraph-long reference. Added 1230 words to the unstarted chapter and added a paragraph in another chapter to close out one of the 6 chapters.

Progress!

 

[Ent]

on it's way.

Has arrived. (.pdf attached - just 2 pages.)
A really serious shortening the pages, condensing it into two.

AI is very helpful for these kinds of things. I've done some ediiting to structure a bit, and add dates.
Also the two charts on page 2 are AI generated.

There's a ton I've not included. If anyone has questions, or would like a little more information - whether with regard to particular terms, more representative historicak poets' names, or even recommendations of books or websites devoted to covering some of the material or time periods more thoroughly let me know.

 

[WatcherWraith]

Thank you! I will look at this when I can!

 

[david_wendelken]

I'm down to just 2 chapters to write to get book 1 to first draft status! Woot!

 

[Ent]

There's a ton I've not included.

Just for giggles, I'll add this little 'extra'.

You'll note "blank verse" was introduced in the mid-1500s (the 16th Century.)
At point 10 in the writing, we see a term "Modern Blank Verse" - this appears to have applied during the transition period between blank and free verse, so may perhaps in some way be a molding or transitioning period.
In the 1920s, free verse is gaining dominance, with rhyme and meter dropping away further, no longer the norm.

I will do a little research on the issue of 'modern blank verse' to see what I can find - it's a transition of intrigue to me.

As noted somewhere before, Ent's works remain very much the older, metric-rhymed variety as seen in point 1 on the historical chart. Now you understand why Ent says "this new blank and free verse stuff" is tougher for him. They've only been the fad for around the last 500 years. 🤣

 

[Ent]

Here's the general timeline of the transition of Blank Verse --> Modern Blank Verse --> Free Verse.
Keep in mind though the types became dominant, none of the former types - even back to the beginning - is entirely gone. We're speaking 'frequency of use' not really 'intermination and extermination.'

Though it may be rare to see anything written on the order of the old Epic Poetry for example, it is not out of the question. And of course there are still some who write in the metric / rhyming methods and schemes of every kind through past history. It's all a matter of what "the fad of the day" is.

If anyone should wish, I could lay a few primary names alongside the noteworthy poets in the fields, in a chart.

 

[Ent]

Just knowing the names, of course, doesn't help us understand the subtle shifts and differences between the art contained within the various poetic forms - why and what the changes were, so we can grapple with incorporating the skill-sets into our tool kits. This is where the real meat of the artistry lies.
But at least those who are interested now have a 'foundation' of what was and is. None yet know what will be, of course. But there's much to learn should we want to dig into the meat of the matter. Just the nature of the change from blank verse to modern blank verse brings us a significant understanding in the "music" or "sound" of language, and its coupling together so the sound alone brings structure, cadence, and sense, to what we read.

Words are far more than just words. They are a complete 'musical expression' as well as 'knowledge expression.' A feast of expression whose effort is to deliver a fullness into the universe perhaps even @Klaatu has only scratched the surface of as yet, in all his travels.

 

[david_wendelken]

A few new lines from one of the two remaining chapters to write for book 1:

The candlelight flutters in this pocket-sized room. A desk, a chair, a candle, paper and pen, a locket — and me. With these, I must spin a web of love to kill a man.

 

[david_wendelken]

Just found a plot hole about the size of Patton's Third Army racing thru France in 1944...

Hmmm...

 

[david_wendelken]

Just found a plot hole about the size of Patton's Third Army racing thru France in 1944...

Hmmm...

Ok, I figured out the fix. Simple, once it came to me. Whew!!!

 

[WatcherWraith]

Ok, I figured out the fix. Simple, once it came to me. Whew!!!

Remarkable! Praise the Lord, for that was a mercy!

 

[david_wendelken]

Halfway throught the last chapter to write in Volume 1. So close to first draft status!

 

[david_wendelken]

Halfway throught the last chapter to write in Volume 1. So close to first draft status!

So, I got on a writing spurt last night and popped out a bunch of words (most of which I'm pleased with). But so many that the chapter got too long, so I split it into two chapters. Now I have a chapter to write instead of half a chapter! Progress!

Didn't Tolkien make a comment about his tale growing in the telling of it?