Greetings: New to CC

[shirleyprime]

Hello all. I am new to the site, hence starting a topic in this particular forum. My name is Shirley and I have been writing for many years. I have been published as a poet, and also as a guest writer at a popular personal finance website. I have experience in web writing and content writing as well as experience writing lyrics, essays, short stories, children's stories, devotions, and research papers. I've also begun to work on a novel manuscript.

I am anxious to begin freelance writing, but I humbly admit that I have much to learn. For this reason I am open to any suggestions, critical or resourceful, from both the editors of this site as well as my fellow authors. I am currently working through my first rejection from CC on another forum topic, and have already happily realized that regardless of potential income I have the opportunity to learn and grow as a writer here.

As I prepare and edit new articles and revise the rejected, I look forward to developing knowledge of and relationships with ConstantContent's editors and authors. Thank you all in advance for any suggestions, criticism or advice that you offer me.

Finally I hope to contribute as much to you, as you will to me.

[BarryDavidson]

Hey Shirley...

Where are you published at? I only ask because I am constantly searching for new things to read, as well as venues to submit my fiction and poetry to. It's annoying as hell to see that perfect contest only to find that it requires a $20+ reading fee. I've got work on Cynic Magazine and their Café de Soul, as well as a few other pieces elsewhere.

[shirleyprime]

Almost all my poetry is published in syndication books and I have nothing recent. I confess it has been a long time since I have penned any poetry. I wonder have you heard of the website AllPoetry.com? This used to be a great place to find stunning poets and publishing opportunities, although the last time I checked (almost two years ago) it had become overwhelmed with poor rhyme, dark, emo, violent-erotic, and suicidal "poets". In my opinion, this is not poetry. I have spent many months trying to find a replacement. I know many poets who published themselves through X-libris and similar companies/sites. (Also I have noticed an interesting trend. Most of the modern poets I know who have been published have done so (or lived) on the West Coast (of the States). I am assuming, though I haven't really investigated, that there is a larger market there for poetry.) I think it is difficult to find venues for poetry because we have so much to live up to in the centuries of poets who came before.

I may have digressed and not really answered your questions. I tend to bunny-trail. Do you write free verse or rhyme? Or both? (If I find any suitable outlets for poetry I will try to let you know.)

[Karbyn]

Welcome!

[BarryDavidson]

Years and years ago I too used to write the "I'm depressed" type of poetry from the early 90's (no bongo drums or berets though). About five years ago my wife badgered me into submitting some of my work to a writer's site she was a member of. I did, and one of those submissions won me my first contest and publishing contract. A short time later, someone gave me a bad review saying one of the lines in a poem was too "cliché-like". Well, that ticked me off.

Instead of getting mad, I decided I'd write a short story almost completely in clichés. (That story won me my second contest and publishing contract.) From that point on I wrote mostly humorous free verse until an agent asked me if I'd ever tried writing structured poetry. Being the way that I am, I looked up different styles of poetry on a Friday, and by Saturday night I'd written about ten pieces (every single one of them would make those 19th poets turn over in their graves). Not many people have ever seen a vilanelle about a traffic light, or a triolet about... well... I'll not say on an open forum, but it was fun writing them.

I've had a few other pieces published over the years, but I've slowed down a lot. I've got a humorous poetry chap book put together, but I haven't done much with it. I have an eye grabbing, perfect title for another book of poetry and a few pieces for it. That one I'll have to work with other authors to complete.

[shirleyprime]

I love to experiment with all types of poetry. I usually write free verse, and I write best in it, however I've had some success with forms too. I actually love to write sonnets. Although, rhyme is definitely a challenge. One thing I have found is that there will always be someone who doesn't like what you write. Some people are biased against all rhyme, some are biased against free verse. I can read and appreciate it all (with the exception I mentioned before.) (I hope I didn't offend you by what I said. It's not that I don't write sad, or maybe depressed poetry now and then, but I prefer it to be done with taste. If its not well written, and the content is poor- that is when I struggle.)

I envy what I think you're describing as a talent for writing with satire and humor. I am a fairly witty person in conversation, but I cannot seem to translate it to paper. I've attempted satirical writing more than once, and I don't have any successes to show for it.

[BarryDavidson]

As far as satire, a writer from The Onion helped me a few years back.

You see, I kept writing satire articles, but they weren't FULL. I'd simply state things, reference something like "top Whitehouse official", and they just never clicked. That's when he told me about "satire" in this day and age. For starters, if you want Bush or Obama saying something outlandish in a quote, add it. Don't be afriad to let go.

Today, in a press conference held at a local Seattle, Washingdon Dennys, President Barak Obama told the lunch crowd, "This has to change. But before we can change, we much first change the process of making change within the changing economy."

The president frowned as spectator, and waitress, Ima Dunce asked him, "Would you like your change Mr. President?"

The crazier it sounds, especially when dealing with satire, the more it almost sounds believable. Most great satire has over 50% truth.

With poetry I've found that if you can make fun of something, you can write something funny about it. My unpublished book of poetry deals with issues faced by every day people, just from a different angle.

Even the battle of the sexes can be humorous. What Women Hear is something I did after writing What Men Hear. I'd challenged women to read it and write a responding "article". No one did, so I wrote What Women Hear. In other words, just write it. I've got some real bombs (unfunny after being written down), but I keep them as a reminder.


What type of sonnet do you want to write?

Sonnets:
English (or Shakespearean) sonnet with three quatrains and a concluding couplet, with the scheme abab cdcd efef gg

Italian: a fourteen-line poem with two sections, an octave (eight-line stanza rhyming abbaabba), and a sestet (six-line-stanza rhyming cddc ee)

Petrachan: a fourteen-line poem with two sections, an octave (eight-line stanza rhyming abbaabba), and a sestet (six-line-stanza rhyming cdcdcd or cdecde).

****Quatrain: a four-line stanza
****Couplet: a pair of successive rhyming lines, usually of the same length
****Octave: an eight-line stanza or poem
****Sestet: a six-line stanza,

While not a rule, many are written in iambic pentameter.

[shirleyprime]

All the sonnets I have written (and not immediately shredded) are Shakespearean and I always write them in iambic pentameter. I know many poets who don't, but I always learned to write sonnets in iambic meter.

I guess that when looking for successful modern day satire, the Onion, is one of the first examples that come to mind. I don't read there often, but I know a lot of people who really enjoy reading the fake articles. If I wanted to try my hand again at satire and humor I would probably spend some time on the Onion to get a feel for things. Although I am happy with my current style and subject matter.

[Lyndsey]

Welcome Shirley,
You've an impressive background. More power to you.


Lyn

[shirleyprime]

Thank you so much, Lyndsey. However I feel my background is not that impressive. My personal experience is vast but unfortunately my professional "success" is very much lacking. I hope that will soon change, and I hope that ConstantContent is the catalyst for it to do so. Thank you for the welcome; it is nice to meet you.

S