Just One of Those Weeks: Chapter Challenge Update, Writing Poetry, etc.
This week my chapter buddy, EJ and I again exchanged chapters. I’m so excited about how well both of our works in progress are going. I sent EJ my chapter 14. I’ve already written chapter 15 and hope to start on chapter 16 this weekend. I’m getting close to the end, I think — another couple of chapters and I can go back and start working on the second draft, or working on my next book, or both.
As you may know, I’m a regular follower of Robert Lee Brewer’s PoeticAsides blog Every Wednesday Robert posts a poetry writing prompt and a bunch of us post poems in the comments in response. This week’s prompt was “cold.” You can check out my contributions (there’s more than one) by following this link and searching for my name http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/CommentView,guid,d44e04fb-dcfc-4362-9437-9cc50d20ed03.aspx#commentstart
A bunch of us also twitter on poetry on Tuesdays, and a kindly fellow shared his Excel spreadsheet for tracking poetry submissions. I copied the three (yikes! that’s all???) outstanding submissions into the new tracker. I also entered the names of a few of my many poems that I should really get around to submitting. Thanks, Cameron.
Here is the third poem I posted, the one that is NOT in response to the prompt:
Just One of Those Weeks
Perhaps iit’s a crime
to poem in rhyme
instead of free verse.
If so, it’s my curse.
When words chime and jingle
I shiver and tingle
I’m determined to write them.
I hope you’ll recite them.
Meet Author Helena Harper
Helena Harper grew up in England, the daughter of a British father and a German mother. From an early age she loved to read and write, particularly fantasy stories, and later she enjoyed studying foreign languages.
Helena is a private tutor and translator. She continues write children’s stories, and illustrations for her first children’s picture book are now being done.
For new readers, what can they expect when they read your books? I hope they will find something to make them smile or cry or think. I hope they will be able to take something positive from what they’ve read.
What would you like your readers to know about you and your writing? My poetry books have been drawn from my professional and personal life, but my children’s stories are pure fantasy. The latter give me a wonderful chance to escape so-called ‘reality’.
What writer most inspires you – why? As far as fiction is concerned, I very much admire Jane Austen’s style of writing, it’s so clever, subtle and amusing, and she’s a wonderful storyteller. But there are non-fiction authors whom I also find inspirational, such as Neale Donald Walsch and Michael Talbot.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What was the first story or article you remember writing? I’ve always loved writing. Even before I went to school and could write, I sat at a desk and wrote line after squiggly line on blank sheets of paper. The first story I remember writing was a story about pots and pans and other kitchen appliances who were having a competition to see who could be the cleanest. I really enjoyed writing that story.
You have a degree in modern languages and are a qualified teacher. Has this helped your writing? And if so, in what way? Yes, definitely. My language studies have helped me appreciate the sound, rhythm and meaning of words and my teaching has taught me a great deal about what makes people tick.
What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? I fit my writing round my other commitments and write whenever I have the opportunity to write, which could be any time of the day or night.
What is your most precious memory? My most precious memory? That’s really difficult – I have so many. Any of the memories I have of my father, perhaps, who is no longer alive. He was a truly remarkable person.
What is your most embarrassing memory? When I was at primary school, holding onto a door handle to prevent my friends from coming into the classroom (this was a game we were playing during the lunch break), only to find out that it wasn’t any of my friends who were wanting to come into the classroom, but a teacher!
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing with your life? Well, I still teach languages and give private tuition. If I weren’t doing that? Hard to say – something where I could be creative and that would be stimulating and challenging.
Is there anything else you’d like to add? Yes – if you want to write, just give it a go! You have to be willing to step into the unknown, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know and you may end up regretting that. All you need is an idea. It doesn’t have to be fully developed, just sit down and start writing something and it will develop as you go along. You never know, it may be the best thing you ever do!
Contact details/more info.
Email: webmaster@helenaharper.com
My author’s website: http://www.helenaharper.com
My authorsden website: http://www.authorsden.com/helenaharper
My blog: http://helenaharpersblog.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/helenaharper
Helena’s Books
‘It’s a Teacher’s Life…! A Collection of Poems Set in a Girls’ Private School’
No doubt you remember your life at school as a pupil – the long lessons, stringent rules and chaotic classrooms – but what was it like from the teacher’s perspective? Did they savour the experience of setting and marking our homework? Did they get a kick out of writing our reports? And, most intriguingly, what did they get up to in the staffroom?
If you’ve never been there yourself, you need to follow Helena Harper into this alternative world of coffee addiction, frantic marking, lesson-planning and inspections. She answers all of your questions and more, and her insightful, evocative and often sardonic descriptions leave you more appreciative of the trials and tribulations (and the occasional pleasures) of being the dragon in front of the whiteboard.
Available in paperback from all major online retailers. Can be ordered through any bookstore. Stocked by Haslemere Bookshop and Weybridge Books in the UK.
http://www.amazon.ca/Teachers-Collection-Poems-Private-School/dp/1847481825/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239391752&sr=8-2
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Its-a-Teachers-Life-a-Collection-of-Poems-Set-in-a-Girls-Private-School/Helena-Harper/e/9781847481825/?itm=1
Family and More is a poignant poetic memoir, in which the author examines the lives of family members and other people, who have touched her own life and taught her some valuable lessons. As the daughter of a German mother and English father, who were on opposite sides during the Second World War, Helena Harper’s poetic themes are informed by notions of national and emotional boundaries, the horrors of war, self-discovery, love, and the infinite power of the human spirit.
Available at present as an ebook from:
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/Familyandmore.html
Due to be published as a paperback by Pen Press Publishers in the first half of 2010.
I’m a guest on Karen’s Blog
Check out my particle on the cento, a poetic form you may not be familiar with. Also check out the excerpt from my book, “The Angry Little Boy,” to be published by 4rv publishing in early 2012.
My guest post on centos
Finally — My New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s Writers Resolutions
1. Read poetry. This was one of my resolutions last year — and I did well with it. I haven’t read as much over the holidays — time to get reading again.
Trite but true — one of the best ways to improve one’s own poetry is to read lots of other people’s.
2. Write poetry. Write or revise something every day. This is not a problem. What is a problem is remembering to vacuum the house and empty the dishwasher..
3. Finish the draft of my second MG novel. I stopped working on this one when I broke my wrist — but now that my wrist is out of its cast I have no excuse.
3. Submit the math poetry collection to more places — I have some more publishers to check out.
4. Submit more poetry. I did start organizing my poetry — pretty overwhelming. I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of poems. Even though I keep them online in Google documents, the sheer number of poems I want to work on — and want to reorganize — has my head spinning.
Happy New Year
My cast is off, so no more excuses for not working on my new MG novel. I’ve accumulated lots of emails from D who kindly copied me on the email she sends to her band students, and I need to go over them for plot points. Have more ideas on how to continue story. Also, of course, need to read over what I’ve got so far. Lots to do there.
Also have to finish going over the publishers I want to send my collection of math poems to. I’ve sent to two so far. Have about six more I want to check out for suitability. After that need to go over list of publishers again to see if I can find any more. No excuses now that I’ve set up my new printer, with some help from my boys — C. had to help me find the USB port on my computer, and M. had to tell me to reboot to get the print queue activated. It’s the little things that get you every time.
More Math Poems
Check out the new issue of Cyclamens and Swords which has five of my math poems.
http://www.cyclamensandswords.com/main/page_ticklish_3.html
November PAD challenge
I’m participating in the November PAD challenge http://www.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/
Though I’m not posting to the blog, as I don’t want my poems to be previously published, I’m sharing my poems with some friends, and I am planning on putting together a chapbook to submit. I’ve now got my theme solidified and am not just keeping up, but keeping to my theme. Hot diggety!!
Do consider participating — it’s loads of fun.
Check out August Apollo’s Lyre
.. great issue, including five of my poems
Meet Crystalee Calderwood
Crystalee, You wrote Angeline Jellybean in rhyme. Did you plan it that way?
CC: No, I started writing and that was what came out. In fact, I didn’t realize at first that it was a picture book, but when I did, I went with it. I had never written a picture book before.
What do you think about rhyming picture books?
CC: Rhyming picture books, when well done, are extremely good for helping children
develop language and memorization skills. The pitfall, of course, is that they are very hard to write well. The classic example of a flawless rhymer is Dr. Seuss, but there are many modern picture books with great rhyme schemes.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is probably one of the best out there. Ask a three-year-old to tell you the story, and they can probably do it. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has really become an update on the “ABC Song.” It uses rhyme to teach the ABC’s and kids have so much fun with it that they don’t even realize how much they are learning.
Do you think that being a poet helped you when it came to writing Angeline Jellybhean?
CC: I find that 99% of the time I try to write a poem that rhymes, it comes out trite or too sing-songy. but my background in poetry did help me hear the rhythm in my head and sort of know when something didn’t fit right. But really, I have very little experience with rhyming, so that aspect took a lot of work.
I hear that you have also written a YA Povel-any plans on getting that published? Can you tell us about it?
CC: Definitely! Yes, I would love to get it published. It wasn’t until I sat down with some of my mentors recently that I realized how far I need to go with it to get it ready for publication. It needs stronger secondary characters, some plot holes filled in, and a subplot or two. I have my work cut out for me!
For readers who don’t know what a povel is, it is also known as a novel in verse or a novel in poetry.
Povels are novels told as a series of poems. In my case, the poems alternated between the voices and points of view of two characters. Yes, it is as challenging as it sounds. Writing a YA novel is much more exhausting than writing a picture book. It took me almost a year to write my 100 page novel. Angeline came out of me in maybe an hour? Of course, neither book was perfect from the beginning. With the novel, I had to be much more organized. I had to keep track of two character’
lives, hobbies, families, struggles, boyfriends, etc. I also had multiple copies of 100 poems lying around my apartment.
I had to set up a schedule for my novel. I wrote religiously every Thursday night from 6:30-9.
Think about it: a picture book of less than 500 words and a novel of 100 pages. The novel has obviously taken up a much larger chunk of my life.
Lastly, where can readers buy your book?
Amazon http://www.amazon.com
Barnes and Noble http://wwww.barnesandnoble.com
4RV publishing http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com/Store-Books.html
Two math poems accepted
Two of my math poems have been accepted for Umbrella Journal’s upcoming fall issue, for the special school subjects section. Yippee!
