Category: poetry

The Power of Poetry Workshops

Published on by virginiawattsLeave a comment

By Virginia Watts ( a member of the Old Scratch Press Collective)

Several years ago, I was in an online poetry workshop with a woman called Joan. Even seated far away from each other in the real world and only together in the great, cold world of the internet, I felt a connection to her. What was it exactly. Her beautiful, novel, highly creative, arresting, heart rendered poetry for sure, but it was more than that. I appreciated how much thought she put into her critique of the other poetry in the group. I could tell she had taken a great deal of time to read and reread, to think and rethink, as I do when I am involved in writing critique groups, and I have and am a part of quite a few of those. I take my role as a fellow writer offering critique very seriously. Here’s the thing. No one can critique their own writing. It’s impossible. What you need to be the best you can be as a writer are fellow writers who give it their all when reading your work. People who are willing to always comment honestly on the work you circulate. In other works, you need people like Joan.

            So, imagine how thrilled I was when Joan emailed me after the online workshop ended to see if I would be interested in joining a Sunday morning critique group of six other poets. I couldn’t say yes fast enough and that started years of the best morning of the week on my calendar. We are a group of diverse styles living in different east coast states. Currently four men and four woman because another has joined our group. Each Sunday, we take turns reading our draft poem and then the floor opens up to comments. Titles that don’t do enough work are called out. Areas that are confusing, messages that seem weak or not fully realized. How the poem looks on the page. Whole stanzas that sometimes just don’t need to be there. All things poetry and how to make it better. Every single Sunday I sign off and look at my poem as revised by the group and think. There is absolutely no way I could have written this poem in the final best form it can be without them.

            A few years ago, the group put together a cooperative collection of poems available on Amazon called Poems from the Circle of Seven. A Sampler to Savor. One of the members’ sons kindly assisted us with our cover art which turned out beautifully. It was special and moving to see ourselves all together on the page inside the cover of one unified book.  Special because something special happens every Sunday morning that I don’t think we can explain exactly. Call it chemistry. Call if magic. We have eight now, so I am sure at some point we’ll put together another collection.

            And of course, while our writing brings us together, something we all care about, love to do and literally need in our lives, now we have a group friendship too. I can speak for myself in saying that less than a year ago I had open heart surgery and seeing the faces and hearing the words of encouragement before and after as I recovered meant a great deal to me. One of our members has a seriously ill spouse and we all grieve this. One has been going through the process of retiring and moving. On the flipside we have shared countless laughs about the ups and downs of real life. We have also heard about great adventures. Recently one member went skydiving. That made for an unforgettable poem. So, to writers everywhere, if you have the chance and are lucky enough to enter a circle of fellow writers sprint there and take your seat. It will uplift you and bring the greatest joy to your writing process.

Would Love To Hear From You

Published on by diannePLeave a comment

It’s the “dog days of summer.” Where I live we’ve had only brief periods of respite from the extra hot days, and these sweaty days force me inside, where they, ostensibly, give me more time to write.
And so I am thinking about all of that. And I’m wondering, those of you who write, have you ever considered taking classes, or have you taken classes, in writing? It occurs to me that while my daughter can play a few songs on the piano through trial and error, she is much better when she is actively taking lessons. She doesn’t take lessons because she wishes to be the next piano great, or even play professionally. She takes lessons because she enjoys playing the piano, and would like to be able to play it better. I pay for the lessons gladly, without a thought about it.
Do we do that as writers, with writing?

When I went back to school to get my MA it was because I wanted to get better at writing. Yes, I had the hope of publishing, but mostly I just wanted to be better at writing my stories and poems. I signed on for my MFA primarily because the teachers in my MA program, who were not affiliated with the MFA schools, suggested that I had a spark, and could get it even sparkier with more training. And so I did it, the MFA, for me.

When we had our book marketing webinar a week or so ago speaker Jared Kuritz suggested that if someone wants to be a published author that author must go from hobbyist to professional, and that would involve a dedication of time, and some allocation of funds.

I am curious and would love to hear what you think about this. Have you ever done any “professional” training for writing? Something like lessons? Have you spent money on your development? Do you hope to move from hobbyist to pro? Or, perhaps, consider and reply to this by telling me about lessons that you have taken in something else, or paid for in order that a child or someone else in your life is able to take lessons. I would be very curious to hear what you think makes something a skill that you might need training in versus something you come fully equipped for, without training.

I’m laughing to myself now, sitting here, thinking about “the dog days of summer,” and how I once paid for dog training for my prior delightful pup, an out-of-control terrier who I’d adopted when he was still a puppy. I had named him Chad,

and he came after I lost the dog who preceded him, a very fancy little terrier named BeBe who walked beside me like a queen, and never needed a leash or a single command, from the moment I brought her home. Chad, on the other hand, chewed everything: my toes as I crossed the room, my ears as I sat on the sofa or lay in bed, my boyfriend’s brand new Nikes, huge holes in his blanket, and he pooped blue wool for a week after, half a wooden magazine rack while I was at work one day, scads of toilet paper rolls. He peed everywhere. There was a moment where I listened to him cry from behind the baby gate in the kitchen thinking, “One of us is not going to make it out of this relationship.” I found a dog trainer all right. I could not wait for her to get to my house! And I remember her like it was yesterday, though it was more likely 2001, when she arrived, and I let the beast loose on her, and she said to me, “Okay. I can see he has a lot of energy. Let’s start training you to be a better owner.” 
By the end of the session, several hours later, I admit, for I was a slow learner, I was fully trained, and Chad and I lived harmoniously from that moment on, for sixteen and a half years.

And just now, as I prepared to publish this post, I thought to myself, Maybe throw this post in Word and check the spelling, even though I know my writing does not need it! But I did, and I found four spelling errors, due to poor typing skills, which tells me that it seems that I am still, to this day, a stubborn and slow learner. 😉

So what about you? Do you train at writing at all? Are there other things you will use training for? Do you think of writing as something a person can improve at with training? I am curious to see if it is only me.

Hard Learned Lessons Regarding a Writer’s Glamorous Life

Published on by Nadja MarilLeave a comment

By R. David Fulcher

Collective member R. David Fulcher opines about Writing and “the Process”

Reprinted by permission from one of his blog posts available at Davidfulcher.com

When I was young, before I had written a word of fiction, I believed that all writers lived a glamorous life. Ernest Hemingway in particular seemed to embody this image – traveling on safari, sport fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, drinking whiskey as if he were a fish himself – doing almost everything except writing.

The writer Ernest Hemingway in his later years.

Now that I  am older and wiser, I know that Hemingway wrote for hours each day, making him one of the more disciplined writers of his time.  But the larger-than-life Hemingway was a more appealing character to imagine, and therefore the one my younger self gravitated towards.

So, I am writing this post to the new breed of writers out there to let them know some of the disciplines they will find useful in their writing lives, and leaving the catching of Marlins to Salt Water Sportsman Magazine.

Bait the hook and try to catch something big. It’s more difficult than you think.

What Writing is Really Like…Computer Programming

Computer Programming is all about language and syntax, and so is writing.  I know something of this as programming is my day job.  I have often spent hours debugging some code, only to find that a misplaced semi-colon or comma was the culprit.  Writers also will find themselves laboring over the usage and placement of punctuation, understanding that punctuation in the wrong place can change the entire meaning of a sentence.

What Writing is Really Like…Project Management

Project Managers track task and project status, in addition to schedule, budget and other project elements.  As your writing career grows, you will quickly find yourself in need of a spreadsheet, database or other tool to know what you’ve submitted where, when to send a query letter, relevant contact information for publishers and publications, etc.  You will also need to track readings, book fairs, online interviews, etc. on your Outlook or Google calendar.  These demands will intensify as your writing becomes a fulltime occupation, and as you began to spend more time collaborating with others.

What Writing is Really Like…Marketing Executive

While the big publishing houses have marketing resources of their own, new writers trying to make a name for themselves in small independent presses will find themselves on their own to promote their work.  You will be faced with questions like which social media channels reach the biggest (or more importantly, the most relevant) reading audiences, and does it make sense to subscribe to marketing service to promote your books.  Additional considerations involve creating your own author’s website and blog, all of which may require you to acquire new skill sets. Your ability to effectively promote your work becomes even more critical if your work is self-published.

What Writing is Really Like…Accountant

While writing is an art and not a science, sooner or later you will be focused with financial decisionsand issues related to your writing.  These may be simple decisions such as whether to enter a writing contest that charges a fee, or whether to hire an independent designer to design your author’s web site.  Other more complicated issues will involve reporting any book sale royalties on your income taxes or tracking the sales tax to be submitted from cash sales at a book fair.  And when you’re finally ready to take the leap and go fulltime, the big financial question:  how much will I have to make on my writing to make a living? 

What Writing is Really Like…Lawyer

Finally, you will be faced with legal issues during your writing career.  I’ll give you a real-life example.  Unbeknownst to me, a designer at one of the publishing companies used an image on my book cover that was copyrighted.  Several years later, I was contacted by the copyright holder demanding a correction, and I referred him to my publisher.  The publisher finally admitted the mistake, and at their expense, corrected the cover.  Other examples include understanding reprint rights for your previously published stories and interpreting contractual agreements with publishers when you begin to get your first professional sales of your stories and novels.

So, there you have it – instead of being glamorous, the above disciplines can be tedious, if not downright boring.  However, these skills will propel your writing career much further than your ability to bait a hook.

You can read more of David Fulcher’s posts and learn about his books here.

To learn more about the latest Old Scratch Press publications click here. The Song of North Mountain by prizewinning author Morgan Golladay is just one of several exciting new chapbooks! To learn more about Old Scratch Press and our poetry an short form collective follow us on WordPress at Oldscratchpress.comDav

Happy Book-a-versary to Ellis Elliott!

Published on by diannePLeave a comment

It’s just about one year since Ellis’ book, the first Old Scratch Press book, was released.

Here are a few poems for you to dip your toes into:

Gosh, this is such a lovely collection. And right now it is FREE for the month of July, 2024!

Get your free copy (eBook, or audiobook) HERE.

Congratulations Ellis on one year! And thanks for all your contributions to Old Scratch Press.

Follow Ellis

Golladay Grabs Second Place in the Nationals!

Published on by diannePLeave a comment

Big shoutout to Morgan Golladay! Her short story “Under the Rhododendrons,” featured in HALLOWEEN PARTY ’23 (Gravelight Press), snagged second place in the National Federation of Press Women’s national short story competition.

Morgan also just wrote, illustrated, and released her first poetry book, THE SONG OF NORTH MOUNTAIN, which is up for a National Book Award!

The good news just keeps rolling in for Morgan!

Want to know how she does what she does? Check out her blog, FB, and don’t miss this in-depth interview with her.

Way to go, Morgan! We’re so thrilled for your success!

Update from Alan Bern

Published on by diannePLeave a comment

Hello Friends,

If you’re in the Berkely (California) area please join us at Pegasus Books Downtown on Thursday, June 27th for an evening of music, text, and storytelling with me, Alan Bern, Berkeley-based storyteller, performer, author of IN THE PACE OF THE PATH. Bern’s reading will be accompanied by music from cellist Gael Alcock. Recently released by UnCollected Press, IN THE PACE OF THE PATH is a hybrid work of poetry, prose, and photos that charts my life in my hometown of Berkeley and my career at the Berkeley Public Library.

From 6:30-7pm, browse books and enjoy Bach’s Cello Suite #4 performed by Alcock, in memory of Larry Bensky, host of KPFA’s ‘Sunday Salon’ and ‘Piano’.” Reading and conversation with me will follow, at 7pm. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the reading.

Alan Bern’s IN THE PACE OF THE PATH walks the border between poetry and prose, between the surreal and the realism where surrealism spawns, between the past and future which is the pace of the moment by moment of a life. I have learned from Bern’s clarity in poetry and prose to walk the edges of my homeland and step out into the unknown, while carrying the life I have lived within me. This is such an important work to read now and reread as we move through our lives.

—Rusty Morrison, Co-Publisher of Omnidawn—

Enjoy a video by L. Scott Jones of Wrapped in Ruins, a gallery piece and the most recent performance of PACES: dance & poetry fit to the space, a collaboration with other artists of dancer/choreographer Lucinda Weaver and me:

I will also present an art piece near the end of:

FREE LIVE EVENT: INSTANT NOODLES LAUNCH AND LIVE AUTHOR READING.

DATE: June 20, 2024
TIME: 4:30 PM PT  | 7:30 PM ET
Join us in celebrating the release of the newest issue of INSTANT NOODLES, the online literary magazine that features original poetry, art, and short fiction. Meet the authors and listen in as they perform their work live. This online event is open to the public. Click below to register.

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlfumprTgsE93vS-zfSLwlM-Mf-Vvyy-KU#/registration

There is wonderful writing in this issue of Instant Noodles, and I hope you can attend!

Thanks so much for your interest in the work of the authors of Old Scratch Press!

—Alan

CONGRATULATIONS TO GABBY and THANK YOU!

Published on by diannePLeave a comment

Hi All~

Today we celebrated the launch of Gabby Gilliam’s book: NO OCEAN SPIT ME OUT with a reading on Zoom by Gabby and Robert and Alan.

I am going to guess that many of the guests were friends/family of the authors, and I am so grateful for their kindness as we navigated our first live event since 2020, in a different house, on different equipment, and on the opposite coast. I’m not going to say we were a well-oiled machine, but our hearts were in the right place. 😉

Within the coming week we will create a nice video of the event and post it here, as well as send it to the participants.

If you attended, or if you missed, please consider coming to future events. It meant so much to me to hear the authors read the books live that Dave and I often work on alone, in silence. I tend to read the books we publish a few times, but this is a whole different and rich experience.

So, if you were able to attend, I thank you for doing so, and being such a gracious guest.

If you were unable to attend, not to worry, as we will be posting the event here ASAP.

And don’t forget to visit the catalogue page and see what OSP books are available! The OSP authors keep 100% of their royalties, so help them earn a little coin at this writing game.

Also, next week, if you’re feeling game and supportive, join us again for the live reading of INSTANT NOODLES… VOLUME 4 (has it been 4 years???) ISSUE 1.

The writing for this issue, chosen by Gabby Gilliam, Anthony Doyle, Nadja Maril, and with visuals chosen by Robert Fleming and Alan Bern, is not to be missed!

Thank you for supporting indie authors.

Much love~

Dianne & David