I thought free-verse poetry was a pretty open concept. My submission was rejected as a love poem, and an edited version has now been rejected as an erotic poem. I would have to heavily expand and rewrite in order to submit it in a prose category, as was suggested. That ruins the picture and voice that I had when I wrote it. Why do people try to be authors?
Best advice is don't tell a story, describe emotions and thoughts.
Prose is better for actual plot, verse is better for conveying how something makes you feel.
I find taking a single moment in time and putting down the bare bones of the situation before showing how that makes me feel. The swirling emotions after an argument, the joyful burn of being blissfully happy together.
If a piece doesn't work without serious rewrites leave it as it is and make a new piece. It's saved me a whole lot of hassle being able to walk away.
Quote by Twisted_SkaldIt seems a shame to write about falling in love with someone and having it denied over one person’s opinion. I’ve seen lots of pieces about the emotions of falling in love with strangers across a room, online, on the train, etc. I can’t believe that a stranger reaching out to you and teaching you to open up via chat doesn’t have a category that fits.Best advice is don't tell a story, describe emotions and thoughts.
Prose is better for actual plot, verse is better for conveying how something makes you feel.
I find taking a single moment in time and putting down the bare bones of the situation before showing how that makes me feel. The swirling emotions after an argument, the joyful burn of being blissfully happy together.
If a piece doesn't work without serious rewrites leave it as it is and make a new piece. It's saved me a whole lot of hassle being able to walk away.
A poem is a piece of writing that can't be quoted from except out of context.
Modern publishable poetry uses concrete rather than abstract words.
It's a little known fact that poems on the Forward Prize long list use the word 'tractor' far more often than poems on Lush.
I'd suggest finding someone who writes poetry and sending your work to them. Yes they may be brutal but you need that kind of feedback if you're going to improve your skills.
I had a poem rejected for not being right, I hadn't added enough of a sense of loss or pining for something that once was. So I could rework it, send it to blue or put it back in the drawer.
I reworked it and added about 60 extra words and that was enough to make it work much better.
Separate your ego from the work and look at what you're trying to convey. Sometimes we don't pick the right words or don't include enough of them to carry the reader along.
Poetry is much harder than it looks and it feels much more personal, well at least to this rookie poet it is.
Writing can be hard work, frustrating, painful, Emotionally exhausting and very difficult to explain to someone who doesn't do it why you do it.
Don't give up, Keep writing and be prepared to admit, even if only to yourself, that a piece isn't working out and needs to be put back in the drawer. Sometimes the bones of that work can be recycled and sometimes it's enough to know you reached for the stars and touched a light bulb instead. Such is life and such is art.
Quote by Twisted_Skald
Don't give up, Keep writing and be prepared to admit, even if only to yourself, that a piece isn't working out and needs to be put back in the drawer. Sometimes the bones of that work can be recycled and sometimes it's enough to know you reached for the stars and touched a light bulb instead. Such is life and such is art.
I have about thirty or so stories and poems that sounded like the next best thing when I started writing them. As soon as I lose my way I leave them and start another one. It doesn’t matter though as I am an absolute genius.
Sorry I have to go now, my nurse has just realised I'm out of bed again. “Yes nurse, I took my medication.”
Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
Quote by dlcalguyAnd yet my 300-word piece about a passionate one-day online affair is judged neither a love poem nor an erotic poem. I doubt that I will ever submit anything again. When you’re told twice you’re not good enough, it’s time to leave.Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
Quote by Lurker411Quote by dlcalguyAnd yet my 300-word piece about a passionate one-day online affair is judged neither a love poem nor an erotic poem. I doubt that I will ever submit anything again. When you’re told twice you’re not good enough, it’s time to leave.Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
Quote by dlcalguyNobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
Your 'I Like To Help' badge is on its way. 👍
As has been suggested I think it's a good idea to seek advice from experts though, as with all things, caution must be exercised.
The other week I had a meeting with my editor. Lovely old cove, writes dead clever poems. Anyway, he said he really admired my stanzas but had I considered going free.
I was down to the last hook on my bra before I realised he meant free verse.
Quote by dlcalguywe do have the right to decide what is publishable and what is not on this site. not always a popular choice, but we do try to maintain a certain standard here.Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Quote by Lurker411no one ever told you that you weren't good enough. that's not how we work here. they wouldn't be on my team if they treated our authors like that. period.Quote by dlcalguyAnd yet my 300-word piece about a passionate one-day online affair is judged neither a love poem nor an erotic poem. I doubt that I will ever submit anything again. When you’re told twice you’re not good enough, it’s time to leave.Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
i looked your piece over and agree with the mods who returned it. it's not a poem, it's the skeleton of a story, one that i think could be very interesting if you took the time to flesh it out. as is, it feels incomplete. personally, i would suggest that you take their advice and turn it into something wonderful instead of just giving up.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Quote by spriteFrom the top of the Erotic Poems page:Quote by dlcalguywe do have the right to decide what is publishable and what is not on this site. not always a popular choice, but we do try to maintain a certain standard here.Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
"Poems with a primary focus on sensuality and passion are better suited to our 'Love Poems' category, anything else is welcome here."
Apparently not absolutely anything. One man's John Donne is another man's William McGonagall. Judging from some of what DOES make the cut, nobody has a clue which is which on any given day.
Here's one that won't pass muster:
The submission process is scary
Just post it with a hail-Mary
The approval we seek
From the ruling clique
Is sometimes quite arbitrary.
Quote by dlcalguyWe have made a point in the past of not accepting limericks or haikus.Quote by spriteFrom the top of the Erotic Poems page:Quote by dlcalguywe do have the right to decide what is publishable and what is not on this site. not always a popular choice, but we do try to maintain a certain standard here.Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
"Poems with a primary focus on sensuality and passion are better suited to our 'Love Poems' category, anything else is welcome here."
Apparently not absolutely anything. One man's John Donne is another man's William McGonagall. Judging from some of what DOES make the cut, nobody has a clue which is which on any given day.
Here's one that won't pass muster:
The submission process is scary
Just post it with a hail-Mary
The approval we seek
From the ruling clique
Is sometimes quite arbitrary.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
The verifier isn't your enemy, they're not out to crush you or make you feel like crud. They're genuinely interested in nurturing new talent to achieve their potential. I've had work rejected and it wasn't a pleasant experience but instead of letting it make me quit I reached out to the verifier and asked questions.
Yes some things are a matter of opinion but I found having serious critique helped me improve enormously. If you're finding it hard to find a way through, then send it to me and I will do my best to help you to tweak it a little.
I'm proud to support and to be a new writer on Lush, I'm willing to help if you're willing to let me.
Quote by dlcalguyExcellent limerick. Yes, I saw an “erotic poem” posted that was all about having to remain closeted, and it was political. It wasn’t romantic or sexual in any way. Yet my poem about meeting and falling love online didn’t make the cut in either poetry category. It is completely random and unknowable if anything submitted will ever be published.Quote by spriteFrom the top of the Erotic Poems page:Quote by dlcalguywe do have the right to decide what is publishable and what is not on this site. not always a popular choice, but we do try to maintain a certain standard here.Nobody has the authority to say what is and what isn't poetry. To do so is the height of presumptuousness.
"Poems with a primary focus on sensuality and passion are better suited to our 'Love Poems' category, anything else is welcome here."
Apparently not absolutely anything. One man's John Donne is another man's William McGonagall. Judging from some of what DOES make the cut, nobody has a clue which is which on any given day.
Here's one that won't pass muster:
The submission process is scary
Just post it with a hail-Mary
The approval we seek
From the ruling clique
Is sometimes quite arbitrary.
Quote by Twisted_SkaldI have yet to have an interaction with an administrator that I would describe as “nurturing new talent.” Why haven’t ANY of the 3 verifiers responded to my messages for clarification and assistance? Why did I have to seek out answers on the forum? I have yet to get a response to my 2 emails asking why my poem was rejected in BOTH categories. It was just: this isn’t a poem, rewrite it in prose, make it longer, and resubmit as a story. I was trying to understand what qualifies as a poem. They should remove the description on the Erotic Poems page that states EVERYTHING ELSE is published there if it isn’t true.The verifier isn't your enemy, they're not out to crush you or make you feel like crud. They're genuinely interested in nurturing new talent to achieve their potential. I've had work rejected and it wasn't a pleasant experience but instead of letting it make me quit I reached out to the verifier and asked questions.
Yes some things are a matter of opinion but I found having serious critique helped me improve enormously. If you're finding it hard to find a way through, then send it to me and I will do my best to help you to tweak it a little.
I'm proud to support and to be a new writer on Lush, I'm willing to help if you're willing to let me.
If the person that rejected my first piece had responded, we could have avoided 2+ weeks of very hostile forum and email discussion about underage characters. All kinds of threats and vitriol could have been saved. I finally got an answer from a random person in the forum that made sense yesterday, 3 weeks after my piece was rejected. Most people just told me to shut up or leave the site since I couldn’t follow the rules. It never occurred to me that characters can’t even know sex EXISTS until they turn 16.
I think I wouldn't make any rash decisions right now as everyone is trying to adjust to new site. I heard the publishing queue is very long. There are still bugs to sort out. Communication is spotty. Many mods and regular readers/authors seem to be spending an enormous amount of time trying to answer questions in forums. I think we can all help get back to normal by waiting a bit to sort out these types of issues. Maybe ask for help to get it published up in Writers forum?
And remember writing is subjective. Mods have guidelines, but poetry (with free verse and all) is really hard to establish a set of rules for writing. We have to rely on mods' best judgment. I have been rejected to. I have fixed and resubmitted some and others just scrapped. It happens to us all. Post a need for poetry help in Writers forum or Poetry forum.
Quote by Lurker411you are aware that, for the past 3 weeks, the moderation team has been extremely busy and things have not been running as we're used to, nor smoothly? We're still figuring this out too, and some of our tools, such as mod notes, etc, are not working as we're used to. We ask for patience until things are operating as they did before the change. Thanks.. as for the age limit, when you signed up for the site, you agreed to the TOS which clearly stated that no person under the age of 16 shall be represented in sexual situations of any kind. that's a hard and fast rule here and not up for discussion.Quote by Twisted_SkaldI have yet to have an interaction with an administrator that I would describe as “nurturing new talent.” Why haven’t ANY of the 3 verifiers responded to my messages for clarification and assistance? Why did I have to seek out answers on the forum? I have yet to get a response to my 2 emails asking why my poem was rejected in BOTH categories. It was just: this isn’t a poem, rewrite it in prose, make it longer, and resubmit as a story. I was trying to understand what qualifies as a poem. They should remove the description on the Erotic Poems page that states EVERYTHING ELSE is published there if it isn’t true.The verifier isn't your enemy, they're not out to crush you or make you feel like crud. They're genuinely interested in nurturing new talent to achieve their potential. I've had work rejected and it wasn't a pleasant experience but instead of letting it make me quit I reached out to the verifier and asked questions.
Yes some things are a matter of opinion but I found having serious critique helped me improve enormously. If you're finding it hard to find a way through, then send it to me and I will do my best to help you to tweak it a little.
I'm proud to support and to be a new writer on Lush, I'm willing to help if you're willing to let me.
If the person that rejected my first piece had responded, we could have avoided 2+ weeks of very hostile forum and email discussion about underage characters. All kinds of threats and vitriol could have been saved. I finally got an answer from a random person in the forum that made sense yesterday, 3 weeks after my piece was rejected. Most people just told me to shut up or leave the site since I couldn’t follow the rules. It never occurred to me that characters can’t even know sex EXISTS until they turn 16.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
This has been addressed by PM.
Please don't post stories or poems in the forum, except in poet's corner thanks.
Quote by JenThis has been addressed by PM.
Please don't post stories or poems in the forum, except in poet's corner thanks.
Ooh, is there a poet's corner? That sounds right up my back passage, as my friends in the north would say.
Quote by JenFYI, This thread in IN Poet's Corner.This has been addressed by PM.
Please don't post stories or poems in the forum, except in poet's corner thanks.
I have received no PM to explain why my post from yesterday was deleted.
I meant the OP's query.
Link is above if you want to add your poem to it.
Quote by JenYou deleted my poem. It is gone.I meant the OP's query.
Link is above if you want to add your poem to it.
Poetry is the illumination of a ringing bell.
Post-avant-retro-demelodicized-electro-yodel-core is my jam.
Someone told me that poetry has to have a regular rhythm to its lines. I wonder if anyone told Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot (Nobel Prize), and Sylvia Plath (Pulitzer Prize).
Quote by Lurker411"someone"? and your point is...?Someone told me that poetry has to have a regular rhythm to its lines. I wonder if anyone told Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot (Nobel Prize), and Sylvia Plath (Pulitzer Prize).
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Quote by spriteWhy does everything have to have a point? It was someone on here, but why did you feel the need to respond? As I’ve been told so many times in the last 2 weeks: if you don’t agree with it, move on.Quote by Lurker411"someone"? and your point is...?Someone told me that poetry has to have a regular rhythm to its lines. I wonder if anyone told Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot (Nobel Prize), and Sylvia Plath (Pulitzer Prize).
