Poetry Fishbowl Open!
Nov. 17th, 2020 12:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThe Poetry Fishbowl is now CLOSED. Thank you for your time and attention. Please keep an eye on this space as I am still writing.
Starting now, the bonus Poetry Fishbowl is open! This is the perk for the Poetry Fishbowl meeting the $250 goal four times. Today's theme is "Not Quite Kansas." I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.
This series It features two people flung into a world where theurgy is very real, demons are not necessarily all evil and angels are not necessarily all good, and danger lurks everywhere. What happens when they can't get home? It doesn't have a series page yet, so here are the poems:
"Cruel Intentions and Difficult Truths"
"The Ramifications of That State of Mind"
"The Spectrum of Your Being"
Summary: While searching for a reference book, Gideon and Raymond find something totally unexpected.
484 lines, Buy It Now = $242
"Embrace My Fate"
Summary: Gideon and Raymond ask Barb for help with surviving in his world.
446 lines, Buy It Now = $223
"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
Story Date: Friday, October 19, 2018
Summary: Gideon and Raymond attract the wrong kind of attention -- and aid from an unexpected angle.
355 lines, Buy It Now = $178
Currently eligible bingo card(s) for donors wishing to sponsor a square:
Sense-Ation Bingo Card 11-1-20
Hurt/Comfort Bingo Card 6-15-20
What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?
Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.
In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "Not Quite Kansas." I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things relating to that theme. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.
Cyberfunded Creativity
I'm practicing cyberfunded creativity. If you enjoy what I'm doing and want to see more of it, please feed the Bard. The following options are currently available:
1) Sponsor the Fishbowl -- Here is a PayPal button for donations. There is no specific requirement, but $1 is the minimum recommended size for PayPal transactions since they take a cut from every one. You can also donate via check or money order sent by postal mail. If you make a donation and tell me about it, I promise to use one of your prompts. Anonymous donations are perfectly welcome, just won't get that perk. General donations will be tallied, and at the end of the fishbowl I’ll post a list of eligible poems based on the total funding; then the audience can vote on which they want to see posted.
2) Swim, Fishie, Swim! -- A feature in conjunction with fishbowl sponsorship is this progress meter showing the amount donated.
3) Buy It Now! -- Gakked from various e-auction sites, this feature allows you to sponsor a specific poem. If you don't want to wait for some editor to buy and publish my poem so you can read it, well, now you don't have to. Sponsoring a poem means that I will immediately post it on my blog for everyone to see, with the name of the sponsor (or another dedicate) if you wish; plus you get a nonexclusive publication right, so you can post it on your own blog or elsewhere as long as you keep the credits intact. You'll need to tell me the title of the poem you want to sponsor. I'm basing the prices on length, and they're comparable to what I typically make selling poetry to magazines (semi-pro rates according to Duotrope's Digest).
0-10 lines: $5
11-25 lines: $10
26-40 lines: $15
41-60 lines: $20
Poems over 60 lines, or with very intricate structure, fall into custom pricing.
4) Commission a scrapbook page. I can render a chosen poem in hardcopy format, on colorful paper, using archival materials for background and any embellishments. This will be suitable for framing or for adding to a scrapbook. Commission details are here. See latest photos of sample scrapbooked poems: "Sample Scrapbooked Poems 1-24-11"
5) Spread the word. Echo or link to this post on your LiveJournal, other blog, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, or any other social network. Useful Twitter hashtags include #poetryfishbowl and #promptcall. Encourage people to come here and participate in the fishbowl. If you have room for it, including your own prompt will give your readers an idea of what the prompts should look like; ideally, update later to include the thumbnail of the poem I write, and a link to the poem if it gets published. If there is at least one new prompter or donor, I will post an extra freebie poem.
Additional Notes
1) I customarily post replies to prompt posts telling people which of their prompts I'm using, with a brief description of the resulting poem(s). If you want to know what's available, watch for those "thumbnails."
2) You don't have to pay me to see a poem based on a prompt that you gave me. I try to send copies of poems to people, mostly using the LJ message function. (Anonymous prompters will miss this perk unless you give me your eddress.) These are for-your-eyes-only, though, not for sharing.
3) Sponsors of the Poetry Fishbowl in general, or of specific poems, will gain access to an extra post in appreciation of their generosity. While you're on the Donors list, you can view all of the custom-locked posts in that category. Click the "donors" tag to read the archive of those. I've also posted a list of other donor perks there. I customarily leave donor names on the list for two months, so you'll get to see the perk-post from this month and next.
4) After the Poetry Fishbowl concludes, I will post a list of unsold poems and their prices, to make it easier for folks to see what they might want to sponsor.
Feed the Fish!
Now's your chance to participate in the creative process by posting ideas for me to write about. Today's theme is "Not Quite Kansas." I'll be soliciting ideas for demons, angels, theurges, human bystanders, fish out of water, summoning, banishing, studying, discovering problems, finding creative solutions, asking questions, learning what you can do, saving the world, not-quite-Kansas, University of Kansas, Gideon's house, Craftsman houses, lairs, workshops, angelology, demonology, sigils, mystical artifacts, tomes, spiritual tools and supplies, souls, friendship, teamwork, inspiration, the subconscious, unforseen circumstances, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular. But anything is welcome, really. If you manage to recommend a form that I don't recognize, I will probably pounce on it and ask you for its rules. I do have the first edition of Lewis Turco's The Book of Forms which covers most common and many obscure forms.
I'll post at least one of the fishbowl poems here so you-all can enjoy it. (Remember, you get an extra freebie poem if someone new posts a prompt or makes a donation.) The rest of the poems will go into my archive for later use.
Starting now, the bonus Poetry Fishbowl is open! This is the perk for the Poetry Fishbowl meeting the $250 goal four times. Today's theme is "Not Quite Kansas." I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.
This series It features two people flung into a world where theurgy is very real, demons are not necessarily all evil and angels are not necessarily all good, and danger lurks everywhere. What happens when they can't get home? It doesn't have a series page yet, so here are the poems:
"Cruel Intentions and Difficult Truths"
"The Ramifications of That State of Mind"
"The Spectrum of Your Being"
Summary: While searching for a reference book, Gideon and Raymond find something totally unexpected.
484 lines, Buy It Now = $242
"Embrace My Fate"
Summary: Gideon and Raymond ask Barb for help with surviving in his world.
446 lines, Buy It Now = $223
"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
Story Date: Friday, October 19, 2018
Summary: Gideon and Raymond attract the wrong kind of attention -- and aid from an unexpected angle.
355 lines, Buy It Now = $178
Currently eligible bingo card(s) for donors wishing to sponsor a square:
Sense-Ation Bingo Card 11-1-20
Hurt/Comfort Bingo Card 6-15-20
What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?
Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.
In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "Not Quite Kansas." I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things relating to that theme. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.
Cyberfunded Creativity
I'm practicing cyberfunded creativity. If you enjoy what I'm doing and want to see more of it, please feed the Bard. The following options are currently available:
1) Sponsor the Fishbowl -- Here is a PayPal button for donations. There is no specific requirement, but $1 is the minimum recommended size for PayPal transactions since they take a cut from every one. You can also donate via check or money order sent by postal mail. If you make a donation and tell me about it, I promise to use one of your prompts. Anonymous donations are perfectly welcome, just won't get that perk. General donations will be tallied, and at the end of the fishbowl I’ll post a list of eligible poems based on the total funding; then the audience can vote on which they want to see posted.
2) Swim, Fishie, Swim! -- A feature in conjunction with fishbowl sponsorship is this progress meter showing the amount donated.
3) Buy It Now! -- Gakked from various e-auction sites, this feature allows you to sponsor a specific poem. If you don't want to wait for some editor to buy and publish my poem so you can read it, well, now you don't have to. Sponsoring a poem means that I will immediately post it on my blog for everyone to see, with the name of the sponsor (or another dedicate) if you wish; plus you get a nonexclusive publication right, so you can post it on your own blog or elsewhere as long as you keep the credits intact. You'll need to tell me the title of the poem you want to sponsor. I'm basing the prices on length, and they're comparable to what I typically make selling poetry to magazines (semi-pro rates according to Duotrope's Digest).
0-10 lines: $5
11-25 lines: $10
26-40 lines: $15
41-60 lines: $20
Poems over 60 lines, or with very intricate structure, fall into custom pricing.
4) Commission a scrapbook page. I can render a chosen poem in hardcopy format, on colorful paper, using archival materials for background and any embellishments. This will be suitable for framing or for adding to a scrapbook. Commission details are here. See latest photos of sample scrapbooked poems: "Sample Scrapbooked Poems 1-24-11"
5) Spread the word. Echo or link to this post on your LiveJournal, other blog, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, or any other social network. Useful Twitter hashtags include #poetryfishbowl and #promptcall. Encourage people to come here and participate in the fishbowl. If you have room for it, including your own prompt will give your readers an idea of what the prompts should look like; ideally, update later to include the thumbnail of the poem I write, and a link to the poem if it gets published. If there is at least one new prompter or donor, I will post an extra freebie poem.
Additional Notes
1) I customarily post replies to prompt posts telling people which of their prompts I'm using, with a brief description of the resulting poem(s). If you want to know what's available, watch for those "thumbnails."
2) You don't have to pay me to see a poem based on a prompt that you gave me. I try to send copies of poems to people, mostly using the LJ message function. (Anonymous prompters will miss this perk unless you give me your eddress.) These are for-your-eyes-only, though, not for sharing.
3) Sponsors of the Poetry Fishbowl in general, or of specific poems, will gain access to an extra post in appreciation of their generosity. While you're on the Donors list, you can view all of the custom-locked posts in that category. Click the "donors" tag to read the archive of those. I've also posted a list of other donor perks there. I customarily leave donor names on the list for two months, so you'll get to see the perk-post from this month and next.
4) After the Poetry Fishbowl concludes, I will post a list of unsold poems and their prices, to make it easier for folks to see what they might want to sponsor.
Feed the Fish!
Now's your chance to participate in the creative process by posting ideas for me to write about. Today's theme is "Not Quite Kansas." I'll be soliciting ideas for demons, angels, theurges, human bystanders, fish out of water, summoning, banishing, studying, discovering problems, finding creative solutions, asking questions, learning what you can do, saving the world, not-quite-Kansas, University of Kansas, Gideon's house, Craftsman houses, lairs, workshops, angelology, demonology, sigils, mystical artifacts, tomes, spiritual tools and supplies, souls, friendship, teamwork, inspiration, the subconscious, unforseen circumstances, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular. But anything is welcome, really. If you manage to recommend a form that I don't recognize, I will probably pounce on it and ask you for its rules. I do have the first edition of Lewis Turco's The Book of Forms which covers most common and many obscure forms.
I'll post at least one of the fishbowl poems here so you-all can enjoy it. (Remember, you get an extra freebie poem if someone new posts a prompt or makes a donation.) The rest of the poems will go into my archive for later use.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-11-17 08:27 pm (UTC)Are there churches or other places of worship in this new world? I'm not sure how that would work
Poem
Date: 2020-11-20 11:14 pm (UTC)412 lines, Buy It Now = $206
Poem
Date: 2020-11-24 03:31 am (UTC)586 lines, Buy It Now = $293
Thoughts
Date: 2020-11-17 09:18 pm (UTC)If that doesn't work out, KU has a renowned and perennially successful college basketball program. What does that look like? Who makes the team? How do the rules change?
What does Fraternity Row look like in this timeline? What will Gideon and Raymond find out when they start sniffing around there?
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-11-18 11:46 am (UTC)241 lines, Buy It Now = $121
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-11-19 04:01 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-11-19 04:26 am (UTC)Believe it or not, I didn't randomly pan those frats. About two dozen of them got frozen. The only greek houses NOT misbehaving were evidently the black ones, Latino one, Asian one, and one multicultural sorority. Of the entire campus.
And of course, there was time in college when I had to clean up after a frat summoning attempt. 0_o
So I figured, what else would they be doing in a world full of demons and angels? Of course they're being evil little shits.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-11-19 05:21 am (UTC)Oh I absolutely believe it wasn't random, living as close as you do to a major college town. And fraternities seem to have gotten into the pattern of attracting jerks for some time now, and not having adult supervision. (Brock Turner is just one appalling recent example.) Did you use UIUC or KU as your template?
Stands to reason, at least by me, that the houses that were trying to do it right were all marked cultures in one form or other. There's a lot to gain in establishing one's identity and personhood by hitting as many positive marks for the Greek system as one can.
Yeah, having demons and angels around definitely amplifies the amount of trouble evil little shits can cause.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-11-19 06:00 am (UTC)Eastern is smaller than U of I, but they both have Greek houses. Of the two, though, it's U of I that's the rape capital of America. No coincidence that it's the campus with the most Greek houses. What did they do about that? Cut down the bushes. 0_o
>> And fraternities seem to have gotten into the pattern of attracting jerks for some time now, and not having adult supervision. (Brock Turner is just one appalling recent example.) <<
People conveniently forget that almost all college students, with the exception of a few freshmen, are in fact legal adults. They just don't have much life experience yet. Having an older pair of houseparents would be prudent, though.
>> Did you use UIUC or KU as your template? <<
University of Kansas, since that's the setting for this series. I wasn't expecting the numbers to be that bad, but it sure was convenient for this storyline.
>> Stands to reason, at least by me, that the houses that were trying to do it right were all marked cultures in one form or other. There's a lot to gain in establishing one's identity and personhood by hitting as many positive marks for the Greek system as one can.<<
Yes, exactly.
Really, the Greek system is just an example of what happens when like-minded people get together. Some of them do really great things. But others egg each other on to commit atrocities. The schools permit it because many of these groups -- like the sport teams, also a serious problem -- are wealthy, connected, and powerful. We wouldn't have these problems if people simply banned groups that can't behave.
T-America does a lot better. Part of that is because schools more often eject troublesome groups. Another part is because they don't have just Greek houses to choose from. Many other organizations have a house, and a lot of those are multicultural, cross-cultural, and/or all-gender. So there's likely to a Sankofa House, Peace House, French House, Spanish House, Esperanto House, World Citizen House, Art House, Equestrian House, and so on. Students can stick with the same one or switch from one semester or year to another.
>> Yeah, having demons and angels around definitely amplifies the amount of trouble evil little shits can cause.<<
Sadly so.
I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-17 09:34 pm (UTC)So... how is Raymond coping with apparently not existing in this world? How is he filling his time?
Has he ventured outside Gideon's house? Does he try to fill his time with getting the lay of the land? Does Gideob's house unnerve Raymond?
~Angel
Re: I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-18 06:05 am (UTC)312 lines, Buy It Now = $156
Re: I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-18 10:46 pm (UTC)Loved it and there is so much to ask about!
Re: I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-18 11:15 pm (UTC)If you think poor Raymond is uncomfortable, wait until you see their hapless doppels dumped into a world nearly devoid of magic. O_O
Re: I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-18 11:35 pm (UTC)I'm likening it to our world pre-internet and then post-internet and yeah, it'll be a serious adjustment for the doppels.
~Angel
Re: I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-18 11:54 pm (UTC)It's easier to add than to subtract. Raymond and Gideon will be feeling like they've lost access to knowledge, but doppel-Gideon will feel like he's gone blind. :/
>> I'm likening it to our world pre-internet and then post-internet and yeah, it'll be a serious adjustment for the doppels.<<
That's a very good analogy. Really, the two worlds have taken different roads in terms of developing technology, one more mystical and one more mechanical.
On the other hoof, the danger levels are different too: Gideon and Raymond have moved into a much more dangerous world with little knowledge or protection. Their doppels have moved into a world that has next to nothing in the way of mystical dangers.
Re: I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-19 12:15 am (UTC)Yeah. I suppose for this analogy it'd be like a coping mechanism not working anymore.
Both pairs are fish out of water for differing reasons. But it is easier and simpler to gain book knowledge than physical knowledge. Plus it's relatively less time-consuming, if you're a fast reader and there's no translations needed.
I wonder if that means that there's just dead-air - as in no magic -around doppel-Gideon and doppel-Raymond. Or could they eventually learn their new world's nature-based magic?
Re: I read both posted poems
Date: 2020-11-19 07:13 am (UTC)Pretty much.
>> Both pairs are fish out of water for differing reasons. <<
That is true.
>>But it is easier and simpler to gain book knowledge than physical knowledge. Plus it's relatively less time-consuming, if you're a fast reader and there's no translations needed.<<
Learning whole new senses is hard though. Gabriel is lucky that he has Barb to help with that now.
>> I wonder if that means that there's just dead-air - as in no magic -around doppel-Gideon and doppel-Raymond. Or could they eventually learn their new world's nature-based magic? <<
It will feel like dead air to them. That world has almost no magic. What it is does have is more science, which they could learn.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-11-17 10:01 pm (UTC)Poem
Date: 2020-11-18 11:46 am (UTC)241 lines, Buy It Now = $121
(no subject)
Date: 2020-11-17 11:42 pm (UTC)Poem
Date: 2020-11-18 11:46 am (UTC)241 lines, Buy It Now = $121
(no subject)
Date: 2020-11-18 02:34 am (UTC)Poem
Date: 2020-11-18 11:46 am (UTC)241 lines, Buy It Now = $121
(no subject)
Date: 2020-11-18 02:44 am (UTC)How does it affect religious practice generally?
Who might Our Heroes find to give them advice, and how do they determine if they can trust it?
Done for the night!
Date: 2020-11-18 12:57 pm (UTC)