C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 184

Poetry Challenge: Introducing the Tanka

Well, we’re moving on from cinquains, but there are a few more 5-line verse forms to explore.

The tanka is a five-line Japanese poem, that helped inspire the cinquain. It has five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, five in the third, and then seven in each of the fourth and fifth.

Dragon Up
Overhead it fliesCatching thermals, finding windIts scales a-glitterIt searches the earth belowSeeking, not finding, keep low.
And here is a second attempt:
Modern Lurker
Under the stone bridgeWhile traffic roars overheadWaiting in shadowMurder gleams within troll's eyesWithin troll's heart evil lies.


Why don’t you give it a try? Try writing at least one tanka for each day of the week. They don’t take a lot of time, but they can be a bit tricky. Here’s one way you might want to approach them:Decide on a topic;Think of words, phrases, feelings and ideas that relate to your topic and work out the order you want to express those things in;Work out how to express each idea in the right number of syllables for the line it’s on;Write your tanka;Check there are the right number of syllables on each line; andCentre the poem on your page. Or you can just write them as you go, letting inspiration take you where it will, but remember to check your syllables and centre.

Progress Report: Week 5, May 2014

With one day to go to the end of the month, I realised I wasn’t going to make the word tally, so I turned to a chore I’d been putting off, which was transcribing older work into digital format so that I wouldn’t lose it as the paper decomposed—after twenty years, paper starts to do that. The result is that I made more progress than I expected, but in an area I had been putting off. Does it really count? I guess it does, in its own way. It’s one of those writery things that have to be kept up with. As to new words. None, since I hit the study-for-exams phase, which won’t be over for another three weeks. Today, was the only day I had to ease off. Tomorrow, it’s back to the grind to ensure I pass.OverviewNew words produced: 3,770 (in bloggery and outlines)Old words revised: 14,154 (1 essay; hand-written records transcribed)Works completed: 0Works revised: 0 Covers created: 0Works published: 0Works submitted: 6 (same competition)Competitions Entered: 1Publishing TasksCreated 1 blog posts for this blog;Created a new cover for 365 Days of Poetry New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Chapbook1K-L: about a cat;And these ideas were taken from my old records and transcribed into the computer:Chapbook22A—Black and Blue: about a pony and a bird;Chapbook23A—Shani Leaves the Castle;Chapbook24A—Snake Strike;Chapbook25A: about pirates;Chapbook26A;Chapbook27A;FantasyNovel2A—Grey Lightning: about Riders, kingdoms and betrayal;PictureBook15A-DPictureBook16APictureBook17A: about a mother duck;PictureBook18APictureBook19A-CPictureBook20A-CPictureBook21A: about a mysterious parcel;PictureBook22A: about a butterfly;PictureBook23A: about mice;PictureBook24A: about a flowershop;PictureBook25A: about a boy and a ball;PictureBook26A;PictureBook27A: an easy reader;PictureBook28A;Reader1A-E;RomanceNovel16A: science fiction or historical romance with Scottish feel.YANovel19A-DYANovel20A—Naney Visits: about a girl that visits Scotland and has an adventure or three.YANovel21A.YANovel22A; YANovel23A: about two children, urban paranormal, fantasy;

The Cinquain Challenge: Form 10—Cinq Cinquain

Just when I thought I’d discovered every variation of cinquain there was, I found another—the Cinq Cinquain. To the best of my knowledge, this form consists of five cinquain verses, making it similar to both the garland and crown forms.
For those of you who are new to this series, a cinquain is a five-line poem that has a set number of syllables (or word types) per line. Sometimes the title of a cinquain acts as a sixth line. Cinquains were invented by Adelaide Crapsey was an American poet who was inspired by the rules of Japanese poetry to create her own poetical form, the cinquain.
Here’s an example, originally written for a poetry collection to come out later this year:

The Hidden Face
Still cagedMy nightmare halfReigned in tight; no carnage todayDark soul prowling dissatisfiedRestless
PsychoMurderous rageHeld back, steadied, tight-leashedSoothed and calmed to quietitudeLonely
BaresarkOld genes passed downA legend not neededOur defences different nowBloodlines
FacetsSocially goodDisplayed on the outerOur dark sides hidden well awayOn hold
LimboDark-heart driftingDozing, waits in silenceRedundant where there are no threatsFrozen
Why don’t you give it a try? Try writing at least one cinq-cinquain for each day of the week. They don’t take a lot of time, but they can be a bit tricky. Here’s one way you might want to approach them:Decide on a topic;Think of words, phrases, feelings and ideas that relate to your topic and work out the order you want to express those things in;Work out how to express each idea in the right number of syllables for the line it’s on;Write your cinquain;Check there are the right number of syllables on each line; andCentre the poem on your page. Or you can just write them as you go, letting inspiration take you where it will, but remember to check your syllables and centre.

Progress Report: Week 4 May 2014

This week, my health continues to improve, my lessons continue, and assessment pressure is slowly building. I also had three or four days on the bus, which means I was able to create most of the short pieces you see listed below. I’m well behind on the monthly title, and I don’t know if I can catch it up. The week ahead has three assessments due. One is complete bar the tweaking, which can’t occur until Monday night, and two are in-class tests – so, now much writing scheduled. We’ll see. Ideally, I should have completed another 15,000 words by the end of the month, and it’s not looking great for that.
 
Overview New words produced: 7,596Old words revised: 0Works completed: 26 (or two collections of work)Works revised: 0Covers created: 0Works published: 0Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0
Tier 1 Tasks
Annual 13: Added 1,063 wordsAnnual 14: Added 5,633 words
Publishing Tasks
Created 1 blog post for this blog;
New Arrivals The following ideas arrived this week:
Poem372—Ode to Battle Lost: a poem about dragons and a battle lost;Poem373—The Days that Pass Us By: mixed language poem on title topic;Poem374—Dawn Confusion: about birds in the morning;Poem375—A Lonely Walk: about paths through life;Poem376—Morning Mist: about the title topic;Poem377—When Starshine Fell: about a meteorite;Poem378—Will-o-Wisps: A Cautionary Tale: about will-o-wisps;Poem379—Escaping the Fairy Throng: a piece of flash urban fiction about the fey;ShortStory290—Jelovic’s Dragons: a piece of flash science fiction about dragons;ShortStory291—Mid-Autumn Interlude: a piece of flash urban fantasy about trolls and elves;ShortStory292—Returning Home: a piece of flash science fiction about an unexpected return home;ShortStory293—Me and Allemagne: a piece of flash science fiction about an encounter in a forest;ShortStory294—Every Cloud: a piece of flash speculative fiction about storms and dragons;ShortStory295—First Night on the Beat in District 23: a piece of flash speculative urban fantasy fiction about an encounter on the beat.ShortStory296—A Rockfall and the Beast in the Dark: a piece of flash science fiction about an escape from a rockfall and a rescue;ShortStory297—A Hunter in the City: a piece of flash urban fiction about trolls;ShortStory298—Eliminating the Elite: a piece of flash science fiction about colonisation;ShortStory299—A Brush with the Pack: a piece of flash speculative fiction about an escape from werewolves;ShortStory300—Bus-Stop Friendship: a piece of flash speculative fiction about a chance meeting at a bus stop and an unlikely friendship;ShortStory301—Chuweyla’s Grace: a piece of flash urban noir fiction about pixies and revenge;ShortStory302—Chelovan: a piece of flash fantasy fiction about mercy… and dragons;ShortStory303—Misty-Bridge Encounter: a piece of flash urban fiction about… trolls;ShortStory305—Slavery’s End: a piece of flash science fiction about ending a piece of human slavery;ShortStory306—To the Stars I Will Return: a piece of flash science fiction about different lifestyles of the future;ShortStory307—Dinosaurs and Dragons: a piece of flash speculative fiction about dinosaurs, dragons and choices;ShortStory308—Immigration: a piece of flash science fiction about immigration in the future;

The Cinquain Challenge: Form 9—The Grammar Cinquain

This week, we’re looking at yet another form of cinquain—I have called it a Grammar Cinquain. This form varies from the two base Crapsey forms, using different word-types instead. The first line is made of a single noun, the second line has two adjectives, the third line has three ‘-ing’ words’, the fourth line has a phrase, and the fifth line has a synonym or alternative word for the noun in the first line.
For those of you who are new to this series, a cinquain is a five-line poem that has a set number of syllables (or word types) per line. Sometimes the title of a cinquain acts as a sixth line. Cinquains were invented by Adelaide Crapsey was an American poet who was inspired by the rules of Japanese poetry to create her own poetical form, the cinquain.
Here’s an example, originally written for a poetry collection to come out later this year:

Goblins

Inspired by those horrible green critters of many fantasy tales, this piece is my first grammar cinquain. It was written on May 5, 2014, for the April 29 entry of 365 Days of Poetry.

GoblinsGreen-skinned, stinkingWarring, acquiring, admiringFull of greedNightmares

Colonists

Inspired by the hope generated by the idea of colonising other worlds, this is my second attempt at writing a grammar cinquain. It was written on May 5, 2014, for the April 25 entry of 365 Days of Poetry.

ColonistsHopeful dreamersRisking, adventuring, livingChasing a futureStar-flung
Why don’t you give it a try? Try writing at least one grammar cinquain for each day of the week. They don’t take a lot of time, but they can be a bit tricky. Here’s one way you might want to approach them:Decide on a topic;Think of words, phrases, feelings and ideas that relate to your topic and work out the order you want to express those things in;Work out how to express each idea in the right number of syllables for the line it’s on;Write your cinquain;Check there are the right number of syllables on each line; andCentre the poem on your page. Or you can just write them as you go, letting inspiration take you where it will, but remember to check your syllables and centre

Progress Report: Week 3 May 2014

Went down with the flu—again, and only had one morning trip on the bus, which seems to be where most of my writing gets done during semester. I’ve completed less than half of the 7.000-word target for the week. On the up-side, I havepassed all the mini-tests and returned to the pre-reading for the final draft of an essay. Guess what I’ll spend Sunday on? After that, I might be able to write some more. Here's to fingers crossed, hey.OverviewNew words produced: 3,374Old words revised: 0Works completed: 13 (for inclusion in a longer work)Works revised: 0Covers created: 0Works published: 0Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0Tier 1 Tasks
Annual 13: Added 432 wordsAnnual 14: Added 2,942 words
Publishing Tasks
Created 1 blog posts for this blog;
New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:

Poem370—The Hidden Face: a cinq-cinquain about a person’s darker side;Poem371—The Halls of the Moon: a science fiction series of verses about mankind’s progression into space, inspired by Poem292—In Memory of Hummingbirds.ShortStory279—Nereia and the Ice Bears: a piece of flash fantasy fiction about ice bears and a child;ShortStory280—By the Light of a Thousand Ghosts: a piece of flash post-apocalyptic fiction that made me cry;ShortStory281—Rescue over Revenge: a piece of flash science fiction about a planetary rescue;ShortStory282—Complications in the Autumn Harvest: a piece of speculative flash fiction about a planetary eco-system;ShortStory283—The Hungry Storm: a piece of speculative flash fiction about the dangers of planetary settlement;ShortStory284—The Wizard and the Vale of Tears: a piece of speculative flash fiction involving wizards, mutagens and technology;ShortStory285—An Ode to the Not Forgotten: a piece of speculative flash fiction about loss;ShortStory286—Bugged: a piece of flash science fiction about the dangers of planetary settlement;ShortStory287—In the Morning Dark: a piece of flash urban fantasy fiction about trolls;ShortStory288—Bittersweet Memory: a piece of flash science fiction about mankind’s survival; ShortStory289—Jendavik: a piece of flash fantasy fiction about trolls.

New Cover: 365 Days of Flash Fiction - C.M. Simpson

I've got my October cover early - and I love it!


365 Days of Flash Fiction is scheduled for release on October 4, 2014, and pre-ordering from Smashwords in early September 2014.

The Cinquain Challenge: Form 8—The Didactic Cinquain

This week, we’re looking at an eighth kind of cinquain—the Didactic Cinquain. Unlike the other forms, this one doesn’t use a syllable count as a base. Instead, it relies on a word count for each line.
The first line of this cinquain is a noun—which also acts as the title, the second line consists of two adjectives describing the title, the third line consists of a three-word phrase further describing the title, the fourth line has four words describing feelings about the title, and the fifth line is a single word, usually a synonym, that references the title subject.
For those of you who are new to this series, a cinquain is a five-line poem that has a set number of syllables (or word types) per line. Sometimes the title of a cinquain acts as a sixth line. Cinquains were invented by Adelaide Crapsey was an American poet who was inspired by the rules of Japanese poetry to create her own poetical form, the cinquain.
Here’s an example, originally written for a poetry collection to come out later this year:

Trolls
TrollsBlack-heartedDestroyers of dreamsTerrify, traumatise, mortify, despisedCriminals

Starships
StarshpsReflective, sparklingSkybound hopes waitingLifted spirits, impatient optimistsDreamers
Why don’t you give it a try? Try writing at least one didactic cinquain for each day of the week. They don’t take a lot of time, but they can be a bit tricky. Here’s one way you might want to approach them:Decide on a topic;Think of words, phrases, feelings and ideas that relate to your topic and work out the order you want to express those things in;Work out how to express each idea in the right number of syllables for the line it’s on;Write your cinquain;Check there are the right number of syllables on each line; andCentre the poem on your page. Or you can just write them as you go, letting inspiration take you where it will, but remember to check your syllables and centre your poem at the end.Enjoy

Progress Report: Week 2 May 2014

A better week, this week, but I’m not as sick and I’ve had a couple of mornings on the bus, which seems to be where most of my writing gets done during semester.Overview
New words produced: 3,140Old words revised: 0Works completed: 19 (all for inclusion in longer works)Works revised: 0Covers created: 0Works published: 0Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0
Tier 1 Tasks
Annual 13: Added 470 wordsAnnual 14: Added 1,953 words
Publishing Tasks
Created 4 blog posts for this blog;
New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:
Poem360—Trolls: a didactic cinquain about trolls;Poem361—Starships: a didactic cinquain about space colonisation;Poem362—Dragons: a didactic cinquain about dragons;Poem363—Pixies: a didactic cinquain about pixies;Poem364—Dreams: a didactic cinquain about dreams;Poem365—Defiance: a didactic cinquain about being different and choosing your own road;Poem366—Goblins: a grammar cinquain about goblins;Poem367—Colonists: a grammar cinquain about space colonists;Poem368—Dragon Up: a tanka about a dragon’s overflight;Poem369—Modern Lurker: an urban paranormal tanka about trolls;ShortStory270—Prey Selection: a piece of flash fantasy fiction about witches and trolls;ShorStory271—Chancing the Storm: a piece of flash speculative fiction about family;ShortStory272—Simple Joys: a piece of flash speculative fiction about hope and joy;ShortStory273—Another Morning’s Commute: a piece of flash urban paranormal fiction about zombies;ShortStory274—Golden: a piece of flash urban paranormal fiction about the pixie dust world;ShortStory275—Morning Gauntlet: a piece of flash urban paranormal fiction about trolls;ShortStory276—Ten Minutes before Sunrise: a piece of flash urban paranormal fiction about pre-dawn dangers;ShortStory277—For Want of a Hat: a piece of flash urban paranormal fiction about the need for a hat;ShortStory278—Cloud Rider: a piece of flash fantasy fiction about witches

New Cover: C.M. Simpson: Short Stories and Poems from 2013 - Volume 2

The cover for the second volume of short stories and poems from 2013 is now complete. Here's what it looks like.


The Year Just Gone is scheduled for release on 28 June 2014.