May Activities 2011

[MissMeg]

Soraya, I reviewed your poem Always, which I greatly enjoyed. Out of curiosity, do you prefer writing poetry or prose?
-Meg

[lucca4]

I reviewed Excruciatingly Painful, another one of Soraya's poems, here.

For Soraya:

Do you ever write non-HP related poetry?

What are your favorite themes to write about?

Do you plan to write a poem in advance, or do the ideas just randomly spring up?

[babewithbrains]

Paige:

Is there a type of poetry you enjoy writing more than any other?

Not really, no. I am now a big fan of villanelles, which means that you might be seeing more of them soon. I wrote a villanelle for my mum on mother's day, and another one based on a movie quote from The Shawshank Redemption. But anyway, I can't write poetry that doesn't rhyme. I really want to try a sonnet, actually. There isn't one type of poetry I enjoy writing more than any other, although it definitely makes me smile reading other villanelles. (Thanks for that one, Paige -- it was really good!)

Meg:

Out of curiosity, do you prefer writing poetry or prose?

Hmm. I don't know. Writing poetry is usually less time-consuming than writing prose, I suppose, because I *usually* don't have to think too hard to think of rhymes. Also, like Always, I definitely wasn't thinking when I wrote that, LOL. At the same time, I think there's something special about writing prose. It's sometimes easier, sometimes harder. And prose is more interesting because it can tell a longer story. I'm definitely writing more prose than poetry, purely because of my hiatus from Poetry Anyone until July. Generally, though, I prefer writing prose. For oneshots, anyway, it doesn't require as much thinking, especially if it's been on my mind for a long time.

Ariana:

Do you ever write non-HP related poetry?

Yes! All the time. I think I might've mentioned above about writing a poem for my mum. It was based on the whole concept of paradise being below my mother's feet (that's an Islamic concept) and I thought of it just a few days before Mother's day. I have an entire folder in my USB that's devoted to poetry, both HP and otherwise. I started out in poetry by writing original poetry, not HP, actually. I find it easier to write original poetry and then somehow change it so it's HP-compatible. It makes it more natural that way.

What are your favorite themes to write about?

I think I like writing about metaphorical things. Or stuff to do with the heart and the soul and deep concepts like that. I'm yet to write something about love. Oooh, I also like writing poems that kind of tell a story.

Do you plan to write a poem in advance, or do the ideas just randomly spring up?

Usually, the ideas just randomly spring up, like with Excruciatingly Painful. But then, there are times that I look at a challenge (like the Magic in Music one) and immediately just plan a poem on the spot. Or like the mother's day one, I wanted to do something for my mum, so my subconscious just told me to write it, if that makes sense. I think the next poem will be one that is planned in advance. I'm guessing the next poem I write will be for PA next month, when exams are over.

To all:

Thanks very much for your reviews -- much appreciated!