Writing Haiku

 In middle school I wrote my first haiku, a Japanese poem with a tight structure. In a traditional haiku, 17 syllables are divided into three lines - line one: 5, line two: 7, line three: 5. That's it. So I was surprised to learn years later that I have not been writing true haiku poems.

Saturday morning

striking out at the ballpark

wishing for a hit

Sure I have three lines and 5 – 7 – 5 syllable structure. Beyond counting syllables, the content of this poem was not a factored in. 
Big mistake. 

Haiku poems are inspired by elements of nature and include a kigo, which means "season word" to show the time of year. The Japanese word kiru, which means "cutting," expresses the notion that haiku should always contain two juxtaposed ideas. Two images that seem unconnected in line one and two, then the third line connect with a surprise ending.

Birds glide under rays -
boys cheer on the lined grass field

as balls fly skyward

Show, Don’t Tell

Show the reader something true about a moment in time. Don't tell the reader how you feel as the writer about an observation. The images in the poem should invoke emotions in the reader through subtle imagery, not cliches.

• What did you notice about the subject? What colors, textures, and contrasts did you observe?

• How did the subject sound? What was the tenor and volume of the event that took place?

• Did it have a smell, or a taste? How can you accurately describe the way it felt?

Here is an example by Basho Matsuo, the first great poet of haiku in the 1600s:

An old silent pond...

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.

Your turn. Write a haiku using this picture. Have fun!

Big Bang Theory of Writing Well

Last week I visited The Museum of Fine Art in Houston, Texas. They had a special exhibition titled Picasso Black and White. Throughout Picasso's career from 1904 to 1970, he created paintings and sculptures in black and white. I knew what to expect. And there were no major surprises.

In another section of the museum, I was surprised.

I walked into a rectangular room with Chinese pottery and ancient writings. I thought the black and tan mural that wallpapered the walls was to set the mood. Then a soft spoken Chinese security lady urged, "You missed the video. You must watch how all this was created."

CAI GUO-QIANG GUNPOWDER PAINTINGS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26yS2ppwB7k

"What motivates me to make art is that I’m worse at doing everything else. 

For me, making art is fun, and it allows me to have a dialogue with my inner self and with society in general." 

- Cai Guo-Qiang

Watching Chinese-born artist Cai Guo-Qiang create murals using gunpowder was amazing. I have a greater appreciation of his work after learning his process.

The same is true in writing. As I accumulate more knowledge and experience about the craft of writing, I have a greater appreciation for others works. And one day I will earn the right to wallpaper my home with book covers instead of rejections.

Prepare to Pitch

I am preparing for this weekends Wild, Wild Midwest SCBWI Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As I practice my pitch and pack my bags, I wonder if there is something I'm missing.

10 Things to Bring to a Writers' Conference

by Rachelle Gardner 

1. Concise and fascinating answers to questions like, “So, what do you write?” and “Tell me about yourself.”

2. Organized thoughts about the book(s) you’re pitching, so you can easily give a 1 or 2 minute pitch when asked.

3. One-sheets for each book you’re pitching—plenty of copies in case agents or editors want to keep them.

4. Business cards.

5. A printout of the first chapter of your novel (or a book proposal for non-fiction). You just need a few of copies since you will show them in meetings but probably won’t leave them with agents or editors.

6. A camera if that floats your boat.

7. A tote bag or brief case (not too big) to carry around your stuff, or simply a folder to hold your papers and keep you organized.

8. A professional-looking, business-casual wardrobe with comfortable shoes. A nicer outfit for the banquet Saturday night.

9. Personal goals for the conference… and an open mind so that you don’t miss opportunities and connections that come your way unexpectedly.

10. A big smile, since it’s the best way to forge connections with others and keep yourself relaxed.

For more Writers' Conference Tips:

Writers’ Conference Etiquette 
by Scott Hoffman

http://foliolit.com/resources/writers-conference-etiquette 

Get Thee to a Writers Conference
by James Scott Bell

http://stevelaube.com/get-thee-to-a-writers-conference

The Art of Editing

Fourteen Steps for Revising Poetry

By Allen Ginsberg

 

1. Conception
2. Composition
3. Review it through several people's eyes
4. Review it with eye to idiomatic speech
5. Review it with eye to the condensation of syntax (blue pencil and transpose)
6. Check out all articles and prepositions: are they necessary and functional?
7. Review it for abstraction and substitute particular facts for reference (for example: 'walking down the avenues' to 'walking down 2^nd Avenue')
8. Date the composition
9. Take a phrase from it and make up a title that's unique or curious or interesting sounding but realistic
10. Put quotations around speeches or referential slang "so to speak" phrases
11. Review it for weak spots you really don't like, but just left there for inertial reasons.
12. Check for active versus inactive verbs (for example: "after the subway ride" instead of "after we rode the subway")
13. Chop it up in lines according to breath phrasing / ideas or units of thought within one breath, if any
14. Retype

From Ginsberg's Deliberate Prose: Selected Essays 1952-1995.