What next: Contest? Collaboration?

[Ambrosia]

<snip>

If so, or if not, you can always host and/or donate to another contest, maybe even your own. I'll even help you get started. It looks like one of my prizes was not chosen. It, or its rough cost equivalent, will be rolled over into the next contest.

I hope we continue to have fun with these contests in the future. I'm crossing my fingers we won't have to wait too long!

I, for one, think we shouldn't wait too long. Is February too soon?

And since (for personal reasons) I am in no mood to write anything at the moment, I would be glad to have something to do to keep me occupied. I offer to host the next contest, if someone will be kind enough to supply the information on how to proceed with it.

Poets, let me know what you think.

[CDSinex]

Great! I'll offer a book as a prize for your contest, Patty.

The other day I was wondering how hard it could be to track and tally votes, so I wrote an Excel spreadsheet. If you have access to Excel, and would like to try it, I'll send it to you. It's pretty neat (even if I do say so myself. :D )

[kdnxdr]

Hello? Is there a mod in the house?

Maybe we could break this conversation out into it's own thead?

A February contest is a great idea. Thank you for offering to host, Ambrosia. You're a braver soul than I.

We've had some really great February contests in the past, often taking a different slant on the traditional February themes.

I honestly didn't give a great effort the last go around, not that I would have any better boing in doing so. I just felt a little guilty that I did it half hearted.

I know how it is when it seems your life's issues seems to sap the inspiration right out of you. Writing seems like going to the gym sometimes. ;)

[ajc]

I'm in for a February contest.

[thehairymob]

I will keep my ears open to the theme before I see if I can come up with something suitable. I am interested though as I enjoyed Blarg's contest very much. :)

[kborsden]

I'm in for a February contest.

[Steppe]

February is winter, winter and then winter. Some places it snows and blows, some it rains and in some places you can't tell the difference between seasons until you've lived there all your life. Hard to get away from weather for poems in February.

[mccardey]

February is winter, winter and then winter. .

Not here, it ain't ... :tongue


ETA: But I won't be entering - just voting. And by February I'll be very happy to be reading poems about Winter. :)

[poetinahat]

I'd like to do a cooperative/collective project again, along the lines of Absolute Poetry, Blue Rock, and The Gunfighter Hollis Brown. But there's no reason we can't do both.

Patty, your offer is very generous. Let me know if you'd like to talk about it (not that you need to talk to me, but I'm here).

[Magdalen]

I'd like to do a cooperative/collective project again, along the lines of Absolute Poetry, Blue Rock, and The Gunfighter Hollis Brown. But there's no reason we can't do both.

Jolly-good idea there, mate! I recall a collective Christmas story once in OP, I think, and character/theme-driven collaboratives are great fun when everyone gives a little bit. I'd be up for something like that, over the long-range or until December, whichever comes first!

[Fallen]

I'd love a february one....

How about a photo-themed comp...? Even a photo-knockout themed one?

Poets are split into so many groups of two, each group given a pic (each photo themed differently), and best poem moves on to the next stage (you get quarter finals, semi-finals etc)...

But a lot to work out on the organization side, and it would cover a longer period (but a good way to test poets).

[Ambrosia]

Rob, I will be in contact with you later today or tomorrow. Thank you very much.

Rob, Kid suggested we split off this discussion to a new thread. What do you think? If so, whisk away. :)

[HarryHoskins]

I'm in for a February comp. I also agree the threads should be split, as I think Blarg should be posting the full results of the Zipcode comp today and things could get a little confuzzled. :)

[Ambrosia]

I believe we have enough interest in a February contest to pull it off. So I am going to go ahead and host it.

Blarg offered to roll his prize that wasn't chosen forward to the next contest, so that is one prize. (I will confirm with Blarg his intent is still the same.) David (CDSinex) offered a book for another prize. So we need one more prize.

I want to talk to Rob and I will get back with everyone about the contest. Thanks, guys! :)

[kdnxdr]

And, if any modtypes are out there that want to lead us in a collaborative, all the more better!!

[kdnxdr]

Don't know if all the newer folks know it but the previous collectives are, in fact, for sale, and they turned out smashing. Poetinahat could direct you how to purchase if interested.

[DL Hegel]

Hello? Is there a mod in the house?

Maybe we could break this conversation out into it's own thead?

A February contest is a great idea. Thank you for offering to host, Ambrosia. You're a braver soul than I.

We've had some really great February contests in the past, often taking a different slant on the traditional February themes.
I honestly didn't give a great effort the last go around, not that I would have any better boing in doing so. I just felt a little guilty that I did it half hearted.

I know how it is when it seems your life's issues seems to sap the inspiration right out of you. Writing seems like going to the gym sometimes. ;)



I was acually posting some of these in the horror section as inspiration. (http://f00.inventorspot.com/images/destiny.jpg)

[Blarg]

February holds Valentine's Day deep within it's bosom ... there's a good theme or two in that, if it appeals.

[Ambrosia]

And, if any modtypes are out there that want to lead us in a collaborative, all the more better!!
I don't see why we couldn't do both.


But, then again, I am optimistic like that. :tongue

[kdnxdr]

If anyone hasn't seen the Hollis Brown collection, you should check out the artwork/cover, it's fantastic, and the collection rocks, as well!

[Ambrosia]

I was acually posting some of these in the horror section as inspiration. (http://f00.inventorspot.com/images/destiny.jpg)

Nice. :D

[poetinahat]

And, if any modtypes are out there that want to lead us in a collaborative, all the more better!!

I don't see why we couldn't do both.


But, then again, I am optimistic like that. :tongue
I'm going on two weeks' leave after today, so I'd love to start looking into it in a fortnight. I'll start a thread about it, and you can post there or PM me if you're keen.

[dobiwon]

Don't know if all the newer folks know it but the previous collectives are, in fact, for sale, and they turned out smashing. Poetinahat could direct you how to purchase if interested.
The links to the Absolute Poetry and Hollis Brown books are in my signature below (you can ignore the link to my own book --or not--:) )

[poetinahat]

Okay, so here's a thought. We've done collaborations around the town of Blue Rock, and around the antihero Hollis Brown.

This time, the focus could be a family - define the members, give them names, a location and a very general context - for example, two parents and a child or two, in a fishing village, maybe.

That leaves us to explore the past, present and future, and their household, community, history and descendants - anything.

We found before that people build poems on the other poems too, and things take off.

Who'd be interested?

[kborsden]

I'm interested, Rob -- very much so, but I don't think the focus should be the immediate family as I think/feel that could run dry very quickly and/or even become prone to continuity issues when several voices enter the equation. Perhaps, in keeping with your theme, a family tree or line of descendants from one family would be better suited to a collaborative project as this way there is no danger of any particular character becoming strangely-developed or confused... also, with past characters they do offer new paths of inspiration when creating new ones.

[poetinahat]

Good point, Kie... I think, though, the secret to the success of Blue Rock and Hollis Brown was keeping the prescription to a minimum. They weren't linear narratives, but people added bits they felt like - they made up their own characters, buildings, etc., then riffed on each other. Maybe the family premise is problematic?

Then again, a linear project could be interesting too: I'm reminded of a collaborative novel called Yeats is Dead - each chapter was written by a different Irish writer (Frank McCourt and Roddy Doyle were among them).

[kborsden]

It still doesn't need to be linear... although it could be laid out as such when done. All I'm saying is that descendants rather than immediates offers a wider scope to play with and a more varied style to both writing and theme. Could also be that I'm over-hedging what you actual intended with your last post.

[poetinahat]

Ah, that could be excellent too: make it about the Borsden Descendents or summat. Start with a template of the founding family and go. It's not what I had thought of, precisely, but part of it. Might be better to keep the scope a little more focused... great idea.

[kborsden]

Not necessarily 'Borsden' ;)

[Ambrosia]

I "might" be interested. But I need to understand the process a bit better, what is entailed, what is expected of participants, etc.

Still listening and trying to get a grasp of it.

[kborsden]

Basically we have a central theme and every/any poet willing to participate writes their poem which may be directly related to the theme, an off-shoot of it, or derived from a poem already written for the colab. We don't all write a stanza of the same poem or anything like that... it's an anthology or collection of poems based around a core idea; not like a prompt but a basic, central premise.

In the way that I suggested it, a family line, we can all write an independent poem about whoever in whatever timeline and wherever in the world for what ever concept or actual poetic concept--related to the other poems only by the notion that the subject, narrator or main character (whether in 3rd or 1st person) is a member of that family tree.

[Ambrosia]

Is there a specific form that is required or is it whatever form the poet chooses?

[kborsden]

Totally free for each individual poet to choose, per poem if you choose to do more than one.

[Blarg]

Is there any overall narrative, however spare, advanced? Or is it various pieces that may or may not hang together?

[poetinahat]

You might like to have a look at how Blue Rock was set up (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35194), and the poems we wrote (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35212). You'll see that, over time, people started involving each other's characters in their own poems.

I was thinking that we'd organise this project similarly.

[kborsden]

It is, or should be, a primarily organic process--blue rock was, and has all it's charm from that.

[Ambrosia]

You might like to have a look at how Blue Rock was set up (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35194), and the poems we wrote (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35212). You'll see that, over time, people started involving each other' characters in their own poems.

I was thinking that we'd organise this project similarly.
Thanks for the links, Rob.

[poetinahat]

I'm reminded of a collaborative novel called Yeats is Dead - each chapter was written by a different Irish writer (Frank McCourt and Roddy Doyle were among them).
...and through that, I find Finbar's Hotel (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0156006332/$%7B0%7D) - which looks fantastic, and which I'll have to read. That might be a cool direction to go as well.

[kborsden]

That's a good idea--location, location, location.

[dobiwon]

I could get into another project like this. I've been a little lax in my poetry-writing lately and this sounds like a good jump-start.

I like the idea of being able to write about any leaf on the family tree. How about starting with a location of the current family (city, country, continent, or wherever) and then if people see fit, they could bring in ancestors from all over the world who might have contributed their genes to the current family. It would allow all kinds of geographical and cultural flavors to be expressed.

[kborsden]

I agree with Don agreeing with me... :)

[kdnxdr]

Yeah! I'm back. Had to go away for a little bit but I want to be in the project! I hope others catch the vision. The other projects that we did were a blast to watch as they came into existence. Maybe if we dedicate a "spot" to start the project, others will get "it" and hop in? Also, if we're still thinking about the goal of the project how about we make a list of ideas first and voite on it as we did once before?

So far, we have two good ones.

How about descendents on a quest? That way we have character development and storyline? I think the central storyline of Blue Rock was just a natural development and everyone in the town played off of it and everyone else. It was so cool how the storyline developed itself.

I missed AWpoetry forums so bad!

[poetinahat]

Here's a fascinating visual collaboration - a frame-by-frame rework (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGdbAcVnT4Y) of the video for Johnny Cash's Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down.

[kborsden]

That's amazing. As a Cash fan, I can appreciate the dedication---also nabbed myself the Chrome theme :) I'm happy...

They're still looking for contributions (http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/) too.