NaPoWriMo 2015 - What is it, what do I do and why would I want to?

[Donner]

PFFA's 11th Version of NaPo - National Poetry Writing Month!!!!

How exciting is that??! For those who don't know:

National Poetry Writing Month -- occurs through the month of APRIL.

So what does one do?

• Open your NaPo thread before or on April 1. Your first poem MUST be posted on April 1. No sneaker-inners, latecomers.
• Write a poem a day through April 30.
• Post your daily poem in your own thread in this forum.
• Index each of your pieces in the first post of your thread for the convenience of others. (How to Index.)
• Read others' threads and occasionally comment. Those need not be lengthy - Embrace the fluff! (This is about fun so regular crits are not required or expected - besides, who has the time or energy!)
• Share the agony.
• HAVE FUN.
• Enjoy.

Remember:

All participants must post their first poem on April 1; no one -- repeat -- NO ONE will be permitted to participate if he/she/it hasn't posted his/her/its first poem on April 1.

It counts if you post by 11:59:59 PM on April 1, but 1 second later? That's April 2 and you're out of time and luck. (As in the past, after April 1 one can miss a few days here and there and make up a few days later, but no showing up and starting NaPo 6, 8, or 10 days after NaPo begins.) So, don't cut it that close.

NaPo is about writing a poem a day. Remember - it doesn't have to be a perfect, finished poem. These are one day drafts and may be silly, flawed, a little cracked or lines written in desperation as the clock ticks! Sometimes, you'll find a poem that takes your breath away or inspires you. NaPo brings out the best and worst in all of us. Fluff is lovely, encouragement is terrific, smileys rule, and happy thought-agonies abound. (Just remember come May, what might have been rapturously received in April might very well be creamed in the forums.)

OK, rules, exhortations, warnings and picky little nits aside, everything is just the same as in the past.

A couple more things:

• If you'd like to read through past years' NaPoWriMo efforts, you'll find them here.
  
• If you wonder if there are any tips/hints for getting through the month, you'll find some of the NaPo veterans' answers here.
  
• When NaPo is over, consider donating a penny per NaPo poem written to the site. It's become a NaPo tradition and it's a practical way to thank Béla for making all this madness possible. (I'll keep track with my handy dandy spread sheet and let everyone know the total when we're done.)
  
• Here's a link to the Official NaPoWriMo Website.
  
• If you post images, please use a size that doesn't swallow up the entire internet's bandwidth. There's nothing scarier - or more irritating - than opening a thread and finding a life-sized Jaws staring you in the face. Thank you.

Now, just do it! And have fun! It's supposed to be fun!

[Donner]

[anita.a]

Can I please join in today as I was busy celebrating my birthday yesterday? Please.Please.

[Donner]

The forum has been open since March 26. Sorry, Anita, but no. All participants must post their first poem on April 1; no one -- repeat -- NO ONE will be permitted to participate if he/she/it hasn't posted his/her/its first poem on April 1.

Plan better next year. That doesn't mean you can't do NaPo on your own, though, and you're free to join in the fluffing. That's open to everyone.

Donner

[Donner]

Some encouragement for those of you who started NaPo, but only posted a few poems: Circumstances and life DO happen, so don't feel like you can't pick up from where you left off. You don't even have to make up the poems you missed, although you can if you like. The whole purpose of NaPo is to write something each day be it a draft, a couple of lines, or a skeleton of a poem.

And some of you may be moving or taking vacation (like me! me! I will be in Cabo for a week starting Saturday!) or catch the flu (horrors!) and may not be able to get to a computer some days. Which is ok, too. Simply write your daily poem/s as you have time and post it/them to your thread when you can get to a computer/phone/tablet. You can make up fluff later, too.

Cheerleader Donner

[prokopton]

It is the end of the second week, inspiration ebbs.
It is time for the perennial
Kitty Ditty Challenge!

This is it:
Write a poem about a cat, that has a cat in it, or even mentions a cat!
(and I mean a feline, no human anatomical metaphors please.)
It must be a limerick or longer,
No Catku allowed.

Make submissions here - just the links (if moderators permit. They have in the past.)

cheers,
Geffo

[Donner]

Moderators permit.

I have three cats and two kitty ditties so far:

It's Adopt a Cat Day at PetCo
Two Cats

(Oh, and I mentioned the names of my daughter's two cats in another poem.)

More to come, no doubt about it.

Donner

[JFN]

Kitty Ditty - A Passing Conversation. Now I need to write about the chickens to abuse that annual NaPo inspiration.

[Mike M]

Here's a cat to add to to the pile: Motivation

[BrianIsSmilingAtYou]

In the Land of Gaton

BrianIs AtYou

[PClem]

The Border Collie's Lament: An anti-cat poem

Speaking of chickens, 7 or 8 of my first ten poems mention chickens. Was trying to fit chickens into as many poems as possible, as well as another recurring word. Finally got weary of chickens.

[BrianIsSmilingAtYou]

This next one is a combined chickie-kitty-ditty:

Come Again!

BrianIs AtYou

[Donner]

...in NaPo when the ideas are starting to run out and you're about to hit the dreaded NaPo wall, so here's just the thing to help you limp across the finish line - NaPoWriThiMin, or Write 30 Poems in 30 Minutes. What's NaPoWriThiMin, you ask? As the name suggests, it's a challenge you give yourself to set aside a 30 minute period and write 30 complete poems. Then, you post a link to your attempt here. (Only NaPo participants, please, but feel free to play along at home.)

Poems can be any length - and most likely will be very short. You don't need titles, but each should be numbered. You can't write them in six 5-minute shifts or anything like that; it must be a single 30-minute block.

Don't let the thought of 30 poems in 30 minutes intimidate you! It's fun! And NaPoWriThiMin will often trigger enough poems for the rest of April, so it's worth a shot!

(Continue to post your Kitty Ditty and Chicken Challenge poems, too!)

[vmh]

"Chicken!" Poem

Vicky

[Julie]

If anyone wants a recording made of one of their NaPo poems, PM me or email me the link. I've done a lot of poetry recordings, and many poets think it's enormous fun to hear what it sounds like when someone else records their work.