I am writing a poem a day all April

Until I am not

When I first started sharing poetry online (Instagram), I found out about ‘National Poetry Writing Month’, or #NaPoWriMo as the catchy hashtag goes. I also think the Na = USA and maybe it should now be International? #InPoWriMo? Something to think about there for whoever is in charge of these things.

How it works

Around this time of year the algorithm shows me an overwhelming amount of prompts and inspiration. For a few years I followed the prompts of an account called ‘LetsEscapril’, but that account has bowed out of the action this year. Choosing one ‘lead’ prompt did help me find other writers using the same prompt, and seeing the variety of what people would write in response to the same prompt. Connections happened and it put the social into social media.

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

Every single day?

Some years I have managed a view weeks sometimes I have been sporadic. I think the first year I did it I gave up fairly quickly. In all cases I later archived them all. Some lines I wanted to re-use. Fears of copying / AI. But this fear is low. AI have bigger fish to fry, and frying they are. The internet is too full to even know/find/notice what may have already been copied. I will never pressure myself and if life does its thing and doesn't leave me time to write one day, I won’t. I might catch up. I might not. I may even (sshhh… whisper it) give up. I have given up a few things I started with good intentions this year already. Such as the artists way jounralling and re-programming program. I have a lot on in life outside writing and it isn’t the right time. I read the whole thing and highlighted my favourite parts and I will probably come back to parts of it when I can throw myself at it. But this challenge is do-able. It is bite size as it is only writing a few lines a day. But nothing depends on it. No one is making me do it. I want to do it but if I suddenly stop, I will not see this as a failure.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

What about all the poems I said I was submitting?

As I have mentioned before I have been submitting more poems this year.

Having entered the world of poetry without knowing what any of the rules were I spent ages sharing poems online, having a fantastic time connecting with all sorts of people doing so. Especially during lockdowns. I had a naive confidence, that I now miss a little bit. Blissfully ignorant of algorithms and how the world of ‘proper poetry’ sharing worked I would put up poetry videos and Canva produced slides without over thinking it. I did think ‘I like this poem, I hope someone else does too.’ That is all I think about a finished poem. I want to share it. I want it to find an audience. The submissions game is slooooow, and unless it is a reasonably big journal/prize my gut instinct is that no one beyond the other poets in the same edition will read it if I make the cut. And speaking honestly , I do love the connection of sharing a poem. Very few poetry journals are paying, plenty of competitions cost a small bit of money. But those small bits of money add up fairly quickly. So going via the traditionally respected routes having experienced the unfiltered joy of online connection is hard to keep going with at times. So far I have had two acceptances, one here, and one here. I have had over 20 rejections/ghostings and still have 14 out there in the submission ether. I still have hope for them. They will live one day I am sure. I have to be.

But I still need dopamine! I still need it NOW!

I think that is why I like NaPoWriMo more (so far) this year. I am writing with the aim of sharing on the same day as writing the poem. It tests the writing muscle. It tests a bravery of sharing muscle. It is re-training me not to fear the algorithm so much. I have whole section in my poetry collection called ‘Slave to the Algorithm’ which articulates how the algorithm gets into your thought process so insidiously and risks taking away the little slithers of connections, with always the promises of new / possibly more connections. I enjoy the challenge and risk of writing something each day. The risk of sharing something that may not be perfect, and you know you can’t submit it to a ‘proper’ poetry journal. Nine times out ten I see a typo or a better line within seconds of pressing post. My algorithm sometimes senses my nervousness of it and sends me tips of how to trend / go viral. But all the tips involve me doing something that makes no sense and I always find myself asking: ‘to what end?’

Specifically to the tune of this clip:

I also read with horror the sheer nastiness displayed towards the uber honest, brave and successful poet

Donna Ashworth

and realised the challenges that being popular can bring. It blew my mind how abominably she has been treated by gatekeeping journalists. Donna has provided comfort, community and joy to so many people and deserves to have her moments to enjoy that. All those readers know why they love her and I cannot imagine beginning to cope with either that level of success or behaviour for journalists. The honesty of her response posts were brave in a way I couldn’t imagine being. I wrote her a poem, she may never see it, but I was so moved I wanted to write something immediately.

Do you want some more poems?

As a special treat and instead of forcing you to instagram where you may not want to go, here are the other poems I have written so far this month:

1. Dedicated to April Fools day

2. A poet based in Manchester called Amy L King suggested writing about an experience of food in childhood

3. Hashtags

   

   4.A poem dedicated to the poems yet to be shared

   

   5. This one was based on a Poetry Society prompt to change the title of a well known song by one word - which I did, but it prompted a silly after of ‘I wanna be yours’ by John Cooper-Clarke

   

   Feel free to tell me if any of these poems inspire you to write something or if you decide to give NaPoWriMo a go (or if you already are!).

Thank you for reading. My poetry collection ‘Proving I Exist’ is available at https://books.by/lisa-ohare and all royalties go to Choose Love and Refuge.