PoetryAssignment.com

I can’t write poetry, but I want to play! How can I participate?

What do you mean, can’t write poetry?

There is more to poetry than counting syllables and making things rhyme.  Still, we understand that it can be intimidating to dive right in to a new art form if you’ve never tried it before.  Fear not!  There are a few things you can try to ease yourself in:

Try a drabble.   Drabbles are typically a prose style, but have been approved for submission on PoetryAssignment.  Why?  In part for you, the new poet.  The important thing is to get you used to coming up with short literature, on the spot, without getting bogged down in editing.  Don’t worry about rhyme schemes or poetic meter; just say your piece in 100 words, tag your entry, and submit.

Try free-verse.  There are some high and mighty muckity-mucks who pooh-pooh free-verse as a lesser species, but you won’t find them among your PoetryAssignment editors.  Sometimes the shape a poem takes on the page is poetic in itself.  Sometimes irregularity is the art.  Sometimes it’s the humor, the imagery, the… well, you get the point.  We’re not here to grade your paper for adherance to a template.  We’re here to enjoy, create, and encourage the creation of literary art.  Give us your art, whether it’d please Winston Churchill or not!

Try a haiku. Maybe you like structure.  Maybe you don’t have a lot of time.  Maybe you’re a person of few words.  If you are any of those, haiku may be the way to go.  Short, sweet, and as silly or serious as you like, a haiku is 17 syllables of story, packaged in a neat, sushi-sized bite.

Audience participation.  Step away from the toaster - you don’t need props for this show.  If you’re feeling skittish about sharing your work just yet, you can still be a member of the PoetryAssignment community by reading and providing feedback on submitted poems.

Can I post a poem for a word/concept/event that hasn’t been assigned?

We’re really glad you’re so enthusiastic, but at the moment, the answer is no.

New assignments are published every weekday, so be sure to check back here, use the forums, and follow @PoetryBot on Twitter for updates.  Search the PoetryAssignment archives for past assignments if none of the new words inspire you.  Currently, assignments don’t have deadlines.  That might change, but for now, take advantage and dig a little deeper!

I have this poem I wrote back in high school / college / prison, can I post it here?

While we all applaud your continued commitment to the poetic arts, PoetryAssignment.com request only the freshest, newest, most contemporary works.  All poems should be new, previously unpublished (and unwritten) submissions.  We want to see what you can do with the word right now.   One of the most fun things about PoetryAssignment.com is that the words just keep on coming and so should the poetry.

While there may be a future place for older poems, for today, we only want shiny new poems (with the shrink wrap still on, if possible!).

Why wasn’t my poem approved and published?

Once in a while, it may be necessary for PoetryAssignment editors to disapprove a submission.  If this happens, it is likely because the content falls under “stuff not protected by the First Ammendment.”  In other words, hate speech and spam, which some folks may enjoy reading, but they won’t be reading it here.

If you feel your poem has been disapproved unfairly or are worried that it has somehow just fallen through the cracks, feel free to contact us.  For now, the best way to do this is via the Forums, in comments, or on Twitter.

I submitted a poem, but I can’t find it on the site. What’s up with that?

There are a few of reasons you may not be able to find your poem, especially if you just submitted it:

1. It has not yet been approved by an editor.  All PoetryAssignment editors check for new pending poems when they login, so approval should happen quickly, just not instantaneously.  Refresh the page in a little while.  If you don’t see your poem within 24 hours, see below.

2. You’re not looking in the right place.  Did you click on “Poems” in the top bar?  If not, do that now, then come back here if you still don’t see your poem.

3. Did you tag your poem with the assignment name in the “Tags” field? Believe it or not, your editors are only human (though we don’t like to admit it) and can’t always recall every assignment we’ve ever done. Especially if the assignment you’re submitting to is an older one, it may require a little research before we figure it out and get your pending poem approved. To avoid this delay, be sure to tag your poem or include a link to the assignment in the body of your post!

4. Did you spellcheck your submission? If your poem is full of obvious typographic errors that have to be corrected, this will also delay approval. If you want quick approval, and if you value the sanity of your editors, take a second to check your work.

5. There is the possibility that your submission was not approved by the editors.

How do I link to the assignment and get my poem to post in the right place?

See, you’re not the only one!  Welcome to beta testing!  We’re working hard to streamline this process, but until then, here are some simple steps you can take to avoid frustration when you want to post a new poem.

From the homepage:

1. Click on the link to the assignment you wish to write about.

2. Copy the address of the page that brings you to.  For example, you should be able to just highlight the clickable text that says “Assignment: [Whatever]” and use CTRL+C to copy.

3. Click “post” in the instructions that appear below the assignment heading on the page.

4. You should then find yourself on the “Add New Post” page, where you can paste the link you just copied wherever you like within the body of your post.

5. Write your poem.

6. Under categories, check the box that is appropriate for the style of poem you’ve chosen.  If you don’t select a box, the editor who approves your post will do so for you.

7. Once you have completed your post and submitted it for review, it will appear in the “New Poems” list and on the Poems page once an editor has approved it.

Update:

8. In the “Tags” field, add the assignment as a tag (Just the word, not “Assignment:”). This may seem like a tedious little detail, but as volume of incoming poetry submissions increases, tagging your poem is essential to getting your poem approved in a timely manner!

What do I do if I have writer’s block, or require inspiration?

That is the question of questions, my friend!  Here are some methods that your friendly neighborhood PoetryAssignment Editors and Authors have employed with some success:

Have a word war:  Team up with a buddy or two and challenge each other.  Set a time limit and see who can write the most before time is up.  There is no leaving.  There are no bathroom breaks.  There are no phone calls.  There is no mercy.

Unplug:  Relocate yourself to someplace with no wireless Internet access (that includes unprotected connections called “linksys”).  Studies have shown that if you sit there long enough with no AIM, no Twitter, and no Facebook, your will to procrastinate will dwindle until you become so bored that writing will in fact begin to seem preferable to staring off into space.

Join a writing group:  Nobody wants to be the only person sitting at the table in the coffee shop who isn’t getting anything done.  This is sort of like a word war, but with less pressure – more like a word coup.

Do your chores:  If you can clean out your car, fold laundry, or vacuum your house without your mind wandering, then, well, you’ve probably got something to write about right there.

Keep pen and paper with you at all times:  You never know when inspiration will strike, and odds are, it’s tacky enough to do it when you’re unprepared.  Some of us are known to pull over to a gas station on a road trip to scribble frantically, excuse ourselves from dinners to jot down enough to make us remember until we get home, or take play-by-play notes as we go for a scenic walk.

Use the Internet:  If the thought of going analog makes you break out in a cold sweat, at least use the Internet to your advantage.  Look up pictures of things that inspire you.  Use a visual idea mapping site like myWebspiration, or have a word war against yourself at Write or Die (a favorite, especially among NaNoWriMo participants).  Check out blogs by people like Neil Gaiman, who offer relentless advice and inspiration to writers and provide tales of the ups and downs of their own writing careers.

Read:  Sometimes, just seeing someone else’s successful efforts can get you in the mode to create your own.

Take a break:  It’s okay.  Not every day is a good day.  Forgive yourself if you just can’t do it one day.

Have a suggestion we haven’t mentioned here?  Let us know!

What kind of poem is that supposed to be?

Currently, assignments do not adhere to one form or another, so here are some you may see others post or wish to use yourself:

Haiku

Haiku is a traditional Japanese poetry form in three lines, following the pattern: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables.  Traditionally, poetry in this form tends to refer to the seasons, but modern haiku refer to every subject imaginable.  Sometimes, several haiku may be grouped together to complete an arc of related content.

Sonnets

A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem, often in iambic pentameter, usually following one of two forms, Shakespearian or Petrarchan (Italian).

A Shakespearian sonnet follows the pattern: Quatrain (4 lines), Quatrain (4 lines), Quatrain (4 lines), Couplet (2 lines). Often, the couplet serves as a kind of thesis statement for the poem, bringing it to a close.

A Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet follows the pattern: Octave (8 lines), Sestet (6 lines).  The octave typically presents a problem, which is resolved in the sestet.

Free Verse

This is exactly what it sounds like.  There are no set rules for structure or meter, only that it be poetic.  We’ll leave that criterion up to you!

Drabbles

While technically a prose style, drabbles have been deemed acceptable for posting on PoetryAssignment.  The only iron-clad rule for being allowed to call something a drabble is that it must tell a story or scene in exactly 100 words.  The number of the counting shall be 100.  101 is right out! Neither shalt thou count to 99, unless thou then proceedest to 100.

How do I contribute to PoetryAssignment.com?

Stay tuned for the exciting answer to this question!  Coming soon!

I’m having trouble signing up or logging in. What gives?

If you can’t log in, try a few things before you freak out:

1. Check your spam folder. Your confirmation email with your temporary password may be in there, just waiting for you to find it.

2. Usernames and passwords are case-sensitive. Did you capitalize everything where it should be? Double-check and try again.

3. The site may be experiencing a high volume. Wait a minute, refresh the page, lather, rinse, repeat.

Why is the site different every time I come here?

PoetryAssignment.com has come a long way in a very short period of time!  You’ve probably noticed everything from the new background and the new WordPress upgrade, to lots of fun, clickable things! Look around and you’ll see that now, when you tag a poem with the assigned word, it magically appears with the others on the assignment’s page!  You might also notice a steady increase in accessibility and user-friendliness.

Beta testing, for the win!  Use those forums, poets!  Tell the mad-web-scientist what you want to see, what you like, what you dislike about the site, and be prepared to see some of your ideas come to life!

How do I contact PoetryAssignment editors?

At present, the best way to share feedback, ask questions, or extend a concern is via the PoetryAssignment Forums.

Additionally, your editors are on Twitter.  Send a tweet to @melissaoyler, @jeffreyoyler, @muttmutt, or @BaronessHeather and one or all of us will do our darnedest to take care of you.

Update 12/20/08:  PoetryAssignment is now on Facebook!

What is this Twitter thing you keep talking about?

Twitter is a social networking startup that poses the question, “What are you doing?”  Twitter has its own FAQ and Wiki that are easily accessible from the site.  Simply put, it gives you 140 characters to post a message, or “tweet” anything you want people to know.

As it applies to PoetryAssignment, Twitter is near and dear to all our hearts, because that’s how some of the founding members met, how the first several assignments were distributed, and how the group began to grow.

To use Twitter as a member of PoetryAssignment, include “#poetryassignment” in the body of your tweet, and your tweet will be logged here, where anyone who clicks on the hashtag or saves the stream’s site can see up-to-date who is posting about PoetryAssignment.

Update:  PoetryAssignment now has its own TwitterBot!

How do I receive PoetryAssignment.com updates on Twitter?

PoetryAssignment.com posts updates to Twitter under the name PoetryBot.

What is PoetryAssignment.com, and why should I care?

PoetryAssignment.com is where the clever words go.  They arrive, and we give them to you, one at a time.

If you’ve ever found yourself missing the structure of the writing classes you took or wishing for a way to get feedback on your work, you have come to the right place.  PoetryAssignment was born out of encouragement and creativity, and we seek to foster those ideals within every individual who enters here.