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I’ve been learning a lot about writing haiku through my article series, Quicksilver, on The Haiku Foundation (THF) blog, troutswirl. This column has been amazing for me.  The advice I get from the readers is incredible.

Lorin Ford, award winning haiku author, recommended a great article for me, so that I can better understand the “rules” of haiku.  Seeing all the rules side by side, one can really see how they conflict and that I can really pick and choose which to use.

I’ve been learning to write about my personal experiences.  I enjoy looking around at the world through haiku eyes and am discovering new details that I had missed before.

I’m on vacation here in NC.  Yesterday we went for a swim in one of our favorite spots.  I wrote this haiku:

pine trees line an arm
of Lake Hiawatha
breast stroke echoes

I noticed that as I swam, I could hear the faint echoes of my breath.  It was such a wonderfully tranquil moment.

I wrote this one based on many experiences going to Honeymoon Island beach near my home:

a cry rends the air
the circling seagull snags
her last cookie

You should hear the cry of my three-year-old daughter when the seagull snags her cookie.  Then she runs after them and shouts, “THAT’S NOT OK!!”

Image by Chapendra via Flickr

Today is a great day to write!  It really doesn’t matter what you write.  The important thing is to get your ideas onto paper (or the screen).  You can write a poem, a short story, a blog article, part of a novel or anything that strikes your fancy.

Challenge yourself to write something every day (you don’t need to finish it, just move forward on the project).  You will gain confidence and will be that much closer to achieving your writing goals.  If you were to work 20 mins a day on a novel, you would eventually finish it and I bet it would happen a lot sooner than you think.

If you want to become a professional writer, it is important that you exercise your writing muscle.  No, not your fingertips, but your creative “muscle”.  Trust me, the more you write, the likelier it is that you’ll be hired.

True, you will need to share your work, somewhere along the line, to really reach this goal.  But at some point, you will want to.  You’ll find your voice and you’ll know it is the right time to declare to the world “I’m a writer!”

But, let’s just start with a simple task.  Write something now.  If you’re reading this and you want to be paid writer, click your word processing icon and write something.  Anything.  Just write!

Dean Blehert has always been one of my favorite poets. I adore his sense of humor and vision of the world. Recently we began chatting about haiku and he shared a few that he wrote with me:

Wind folds water
over water, frayed silk,
edges unthreading.

Long, unbreaking mounds
of snake water scaled
by broken sunlight.

End of the day,
left heel bickering
with the parking garage floor.

Her sneakers trail
untied laces. She ignores them.
So shall I.

And here’s another short poem (not a haiku) that I really enjoyed:

Open me, O pen.

I asked him to write a piece for my blog about how he became a poet. He graciously penned this for me!

WHY I BECAME A POET—A SPECULATION
by Dean Blehert

I used to have thoughts, and I’d want to tell others. I remember when I was 4, excitedly telling my mother a discovery: If you said “one two one two,” it took the same amount of time as saying “one two three four,”  and that was how you could tell that 2+2=4. I said it worked with other numbers, but you had to say “sen” instead of “seven.”

When I was 12, at camp, I  lay back beneath tall pines, looked at them spiraling upwards and found myself huge, filling the sky, just me and big whorls of cloud. Then I lifted that body’s head and looked at the other kids scurrying around a campfire and thought “They wouldn’t understand this” and lay back to rejoin the sky, just as another kid, behind me, threw a small-plastic-shovel-full of sand in my face, and I cried. A counselor tried to comfort me, and said the other kid shouldn’t have done that, but I said that’s no why I was crying. I was crying because as soon as I’d had that thought “they wouldn’t understand this” – and before the sand hit — I’d shrunk (no sexual pun intended, but it should have been), deserted by the sky. I decided I wanted other people to understand this.

I liked to take long walks, first, alone, later with a friend, thinking about things and looking at things. And always finding something I wanted to say to others. I remember when I was 15, I tried to figure out how self-awareness was good, while self-consciousness wasn’t so good. I was mulling this over as I walked, and it came to me: If I’m by myself and I fart, I’m aware of it—self-aware. If I’m with others and fart, I have this added layer of self-consciousness. What is this added layer? It’s trying to be the other people there and blame or mock myself, so as to show that I’m not the one who farted or am not to be identified now with the me then that farted. I thought this was brilliant. Maybe it was. Anyway, I wanted to tell the world.

So far, it sounds more like the genesis of a philosopher then a poet, but I did like words, puns, dictionaries. I remember walks where I found the sounds of words enchanting for their correspondences with the things I saw, the lightness of light, long chains of linked words, sounds, meanings.

But I wanted to write what I liked to read, and I liked to write novels. From about age 12 until age 17 or so, what I wanted to do was write novels or possibly humor. At about age 10, I sat down at a birthday-gift-typewriter and tried to write a Hardy Boys novel, got five pages in and gave up. Poems were easier for me—perhaps because I’m lazy (in some ways). I love stories, and occasionally tell them in my poems, but my impulse is to  blurt, say what I have to say, not withhold punch lines. Even now (when I’ve managed to write a few short stories – in college – and some quite long  coherent story poems), my impulse is to say everything immediately. If I find myself springing a fine line too soon, instead of holding it back for later, I simply decide to  out-do it. Sometimes I eat dessert before the meal. I think I’d need to be stronger on delayed gratification to write novels.

Or perhaps it’s because I am first a philosopher, whose best poems are usually highly compressed essays. In any case, I still read, mainly, novels, but write poetry. I do occasionally enjoy reading poems, and there are a few poets I love, but my first loves, my infatuations, were with novels, and my reading, still is mainly novels. By the time I decided poetry was what I wanted to write (age 16), I was reading and re-reading Tolstoy’s novels – and scorning anything lesser. That may be another reason I wrote poems – so as not to experience the frustration of not measuring up to Tolstoy (and later Kafka, Nabokov and other great loves). My reading now is more varied and includes a lot more genre (mysteries, for example), but still I read just enough poetry to keep up with friends, while inhaling novels, histories, etc. In the great comic strip, Pogo (which was also  a conversation), there’s a character who writes down lines from Shakespeare, then seeks out people to tell him what he’s written, because he can’t read. That’s not exactly my situation, but I love to write poetry, and I like my own poems, but I don’t care for most poetry. Or I admire it with little affection. (Again, there are exceptions.)

I became a writer because I had things I wanted to say. Also because expressing my “brilliant” ideas was one of the few things I could do and do fairly well and get some admiration for it (not much, but I was starved for it). I wasn’t athletic, had few other skills – a grasp of music, a pretty good voice, health, ability to learn a subject and usually ace tests in that subject, could handle math and science courses (but lousy in lab), but mainly I could talk and write. By the way, when I write, I talk. My poems emerge from and lapse back into conversation. In fact, my art form is closer to conversation than to what is expected of poetry.

Basically, I wrote  poetry because I could, because I thought poetry was one area where I could be admired without being neat or having hair that combed down right, maybe even attract a girl (because poets can get away with being slobs, and I considered myself a slob – later found out I wasn’t so bad, but didn’t know it until I DID attract a girl, and could see myself through her eyes; it took me years longer before I could see and accept myself by myself). And because I really did see and understand things that exhilarated me, and wanted to share them.

Now I write poetry because it’s what I do. It’s my way of saying hello to lots of people  over lots of time (present, future and even past). It’s my game. I look at all the other worthwhile things I might be doing…and I do some of them, turn them into fuel for the poetry. But what is more important that achieving a culture that’s fun and enriching? And what that entails is developing ourselves into people capable of playing richer, more interesting games (war is getting awfully boring). How do we achieve that? It helps to have better games in view – the mountain to travel toward. So I try to  create interesting games, communications that are alive enough to reach across distances in space and time and stir others to create even more interesting games.

It has been said that what we are trying to do is create effects. Some people, feeling this and feeling ineffectual, become obsessed with creating huge effects: Blow up the  planet, now THERE’S a big effect! (But no one left in a condition fit for admiring it.) It’s a big game followed by, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of years of  no  game at all, even assuming that we are immortal spiritual  beings capable of creating new games: I imagine even spiritual beings are numbed and below awareness of one another when overwhelmed by some “total” effect. I think a SMALL effect (getting someone a bit less afraid, a bit more capable of fun and creativity) is actually a bigger effect, since if my creations communicate, they inspire creativity in others who, in turn, inspire creativity in yet others, until, over time, we have a huge creative energy manifesting in a vital, powerful culture.

So I try to put the mountain there by communicating well. The quality of communication (which is what characterizes art) makes the difference between a meager game (destructive, heavy, clumsy communication – bullets or political speeches, exclusive, a few players pushing around lots of half-crippled pieces) and an expansive game, involving many players and game makers, lightness, flexibility, quickness, richness, or, as Shakespeare’s Cleopatra would say, “yarely now.” Or (as I  wax Shakespearean) “The readiness is all” (Hamlet) or “the ripeness is all” (Edward in King Lear). Well, I’ll end this now, before it gets overripe.

Dean Blehert (born in St. Paul, MN, in 1942), taught literature and creative writing for two years at Cornell University. He has had seven poetry books published, most recently Kill the Children and Other Disconnections (Argonne House Press, 2001) and Please, Lord, Make Me a Famous Poet or at Least Less Fat, a 400-page mock textbook full of parody and satire on the poetry scene, past and current. Please visit his website: http://www.blehert.com/ to learn more about him.

Image by incurable_hippie via Flickr

There are many ideas that probably hit you every day that you should jot down somewhere.  Perhaps someone says something that tickles you or you suddenly get a brilliant idea for a new story.  Write it down immediately!  It might just be the start of researching a future project.

I recently purchased a little black notebook, where I keep ideas for haiku. Ideas hit me without warning and if I don’t write them down, I might lose that little snippet.  Even if is just a line, the way something strikes me, I write it down.

One example recently was watching children play on an abandoned boat on the beach.  It turned into this haiku:

children giggle
inside an abandoned boat –
hermit crabs

If you have that kernel of an idea, go ahead and open a Word doc now and start putting research information about it into that file.  It will help you create a future project.

I did this with one story.  All I had was the basic concept: mushrooms take over the world.  Then I started researching a bit about mushrooms, here and there, bit by bit.  Then as time went on, I’d come up with other ideas and stick them in that file.

When I sat down to write the story it didn’t take long.  I had done all my research and was prepared.

You can read that story here.

If you have any old ideas that are sitting there, untapped in your mind right now, start a new file on your computer.  Write those ideas down (don’t worry about editing), just get them out of your mind and onto a page.  Download all those old ideas and see if you are inspired to write a new story today.

The Haiku Foundation, the leading conservator of American haiku, has created the largest anthology of English-language haiku ever assembled. Montage: The Book features over a thousand haiku written by a variety of established haiku experts.

This book is amazing – it is really the Who’s Who of English-language haiku.

I am learning about haiku and Montage is really helping me to understand this beautiful art form.  Reading these perfect poems helps me to learn how to structure mine and find my haiku voice.

Peggy Willis Lyles, a former Woodrow Wilson Fellow and an associate editor of The Heron’s Nest, commented in the forward of Montage, “Those new to haiku could derive an education; those already deeply involved should find validation of their commitment.”

For those who think that haiku is only poetry for the elite, Montage will help them appreciate how down-to-earth this ancient art form really is. This book is designed to take a reader through a full year of haiku, giving them 53 installments (one for each week and an extra for the New Year).

Jim Kacian, award winning poet and founder of The Haiku Foundation said, “What makes Montage: The Book so vital is its unique conception—a thematic treatment of an idea or issue as explored by three illustrious practitioners of the art of haiku—and then its perfect realization of that conception. In this way we feel the power and range of the genre itself, and, at the same time, the individual responses and voices that are possible within it.”

Haiku is an art form that spans hundreds of years. When asked to define a haiku, Kacian said, “Haiku is a brief poem, which records an experience of a moment of revelation into the nature of the world, in an effort to share it with others.”

Montage: The Book is only available through membership to The Haiku Foundation – http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/publications/montage-the-book/ However if you go to their site you will find an online version that is magnificent!

Leigh-Ann Lemire is a talented writer who writes in many genres. I asked her to share her story on how she became a writer, when she knew that she could really write.

Please visit her on the web at: http://art-of-ilia.com/literary/

A Funny Story That Became A Lifelong Quest
by Leigh-Ann Lemire

Some writer’s start out with the desire to be a writer or a poet, that wasn’t how I began! Mine is a rather funny story. My cousin, Donna, when she turned sixteen, got a wonderful birthday present. She was the oldest daughter in the family and her gift was a brand new bedroom to call her very own, she no longer had to share a room anymore with her two younger sisters.

At her birthday party, she brought me to her new room telling me that she had saved one wall for her family and friends to write on. Then she asked me to write anything that I wanted on her wall. She left me to it as she skipped out of her room to welcome newcomers to her party.

After contemplating for some time, I decided to draw a set of stairs. Beside the picture I wrote about climbing stairs and life. I signed it and went off to see what was happening at the party.

Shortly thereafter, my aunt came to find me to ask “Do you know what you just did?” Well, what would your response be when you were young and an older person came up to you asking that question? My eyes opened wide while I trembled in my shoes, I found my voice and mumbled “No.”

“You wrote a prose,” she excitedly said to me.

I stood still, looking at my aunt rather dumbfounded as I didn’t know the definition of “prose.” My aunt must have figured that out as she said, “it’s like a poem but it doesn’t rhyme.” I brightened right up when I knew what she was talking about. I was also relieved to find out that I did something right and that I wasn’t in trouble!

After that party, the word got out in my family, I wound up with my aunt and two uncles as mentors. I was instructed on poetry structure and given writing challenges. I successfully work my way through the tasks given and received bright smiles that lit up the faces of my mentors. It was fuel to not only continue writing but strive to get better.

Another thing that has helped me as a writer was to become an avid reader, this happened about the same time I became a writer. Perhaps I should say that I’m not only an avid reader but a fussy one, too. If the work doesn’t grab me in the first few chapters, I just don’t read it and the author gets crossed off of my list of favorites. Over the years, my list of favorite authors has influenced my style of writing.

From the earliest days of writing till the present, mentors and friends that also write have opened my eyes up to endless possibilities. For instance, I was speaking to a friend just a few days ago about Indian ruins that are not far out of the city where I live and she suggested that I write it in a story. Doing so would have never occurred to me.

Now, I challenge myself to write in different styles. A recent story I wrote as Science Fiction was something that I hadn’t tried before. I was inspired by a drive at night from Los Angeles to Phoenix, most of which is on a desert highway. Although the setting was seemingly ordinary, in my story I added in a Nether World idea with a new twist that gives a surprising and unexpected ending.

It is always a joy when someone reads my works and responds with compliments – especially when it is the first try in a new style. For my recent Science Fiction story, I have had nothing but rave reviews from surprised readers. That gives me the impetus to carry on creating more written works.

Leigh Ann Lemire aka ILIA is the author of the modern day fairy tales: “The Handiwork Clash”, “The Bouncing Boy”, “A Christmas Fairy Tale”, and “Ti Ana and The Giant”. Her poetry, along with other poets, has been published in the book “Bamboo Souls – Poetic Visions for a Better World”, in 2010 ILIA was one of the winners of the Turner-Maxwell Poetry Contest, her poem “A Thousand and One Singers” is published in “The Best Poems of the Year”  and she is the co-author of the “Cat Chat Book”.

Image by melolou via Flickr

I have been extremely fortunate to be allowed to work with the Haiku Foundation on an interesting project.  As you might know I have been exploring haiku.  It is a fascinating art form, one that I have admired for some time.

I would imagine that many other writers who are probably in a similar position – they want to learn about haiku, but don’t know how to proceed.  There is only so much that one can get from a book or an online article.

Last Friday, we debuted a new article series called: Quicksilver HG1.  The idea being that I’ll document my journey into learning haiku and invite others to comment.

The first article is called “New to Haiku” and can be seen here:

http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/2010/05/27/quicksilver-hg1-new-to-haiku

The comments are fascinating to read.  Amazingly insightful and helpful to me.  If you are interested in haiku, you’ll love reading the advice of some of the English Language Haiku experts.  Many have written in, giving me encouragement and successful actions that have served them well.

I invite you to add your voice and post a comment.  Share with me your ideas of haiku and feel free to critique my poems.  I’d love to hear your feedback!

Merry Rosenfield just published her first book, An Uncommon Life.  It is a wonderful account of her daughter’s life.  I asked Merry to share her  tips for aspiring writers and to discuss her book with us here.

On Writing a Memoir
by Merry Rosenfield

Recently I published my first book, a memoir of my daughter Cedar. I called it An Uncommon Life, because hers certainly was. Cedar was an extraordinary writer, visual artist, actress and dancer.

Because her life was so brief (she passed away in 2001 at the age of twenty) the body of work she left behind was all the more extraordinary. Two feature screen plays, starring roles in several independent films, watercolors and pastels, embroidery, pin and ink drawings, and one brief video of her dancing.

If you were lucky enough to know my daughter, you most likely have a funny story involving her. Despite being such a hard worker (she often wrote until the wee hours of the morning) she seldom took herself seriously, and we often played pranks on each other. I’m sure Laura Sherman, who was one of her best friends, knows exactly what I’m talking about!

To say that Cedar was a colorful character is an understatement. She was beautiful, funny and extremely talented.

But the idea of writing a book about her was a little daunting. Prior to this I had written very brief poetry, (haiku) comics about my life as a jewelry artist on the road and a few songs. But a book?

Luckily, I knew exactly where to turn for inspiration—a  little book that was written in 1938 by a writer named Brenda Ueland. The name of the book—If You Want to Write. In Ms. Ueland’s own words, “Everybody is talented, original and has something important to say…”

Brenda taught creative writing to the kitchen help, the truck drivers and the ditch diggers of the world. The printed samples of their writing are breathtakingly, beautifully honest.

I think every artist, no matter your preferred form of art, should read this book. Ueland doesn’t teach you how to write.  But she does show you how to find your own unique voice as a writer.

I believe all of us have a gift within us to communicate. Some of us just need the right nutcracker to get to the meat. For me, the nutcracker was If You Want to Write.

What, what, what?

What’s “Flash Fiction”?  What’s “WON”?

Flash Fiction is a very short story.  It can be any length you like (but probably shouldn’t be more than 1000 words).  If you can write a 200 word short, go for it!

WON stands for Write On, Networkers! (a group I started on Linkedin.com).  You must be a linkedin member (it is free to join) and then you must apply to join my group here.

OK, so now that we all are on the same page, I want you all to join in on my contest!  I am offering a small prize to the winner, especially created for them.

This is a great chance for you to try your wings as a writer!  WON is a very safe place to share your work.  The members there all agree that writers should write and continue to write, no matter what their current skill level is.

So, come over, join WON and write away!

Image by Darrren Hester via Flickr

Writing is fun.  I think many can agree with me on that.  The problem is that most people have a 9-5 job, family obligations and other hobbies (if not a second job).  So, who has the time to write?

Writing doesn’t have to be a time consuming process.  There is nothing wrong with simply writing 20 minutes each day.  You’d be surprised how much you can get done in that time period.

Start with a short story.  Give yourself a deadline of one week to write a 500 word story.  Make a point of only spending 20 minutes a day for one week and see if you can finish it.

You may surprise yourself and complete it in a few days.  If it takes two weeks, extend your deadline (shh, it will be our secret).

Once you’ve written a few of these, go for a longer story.  By this time you may be able to find more time in your day to write.

Make sure to share your stories with people.  Email friends and ask if they might like to read one.  Create a blog and post them there (and then invite folks to read it).  Offer to share your stories with other bloggers or writing groups.

If you’re more interested in non-fiction, you can apply the same concept.  Start with a short 500 word article on any subject and submit it to one of the many sites that welcome articles from new writers.  It is easiest to write about subjects that you already know about (otherwise research takes time).

Wherever your interest lies, the important thing is that you write and write.  Try to write every day and let me know how it goes!