Lost focus ?

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Stephen Whiteside
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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Stephen Whiteside » Fri Aug 31, 2012 12:32 pm

I'm not so sure, Marty. Part of the problem - perhaps quite a big part - has to do with what David is saying about competitions and publication. You can't blame the poets for that.

I suspect there's a natural evolution to all of this, too. We all know each other pretty well by now, so there is a certain predictability about it all...which isn't to say that I don't have a great deal of affection and admiration for all who do use the forum. New blood would freshen things up a bit but again, as David says, there is not an inexhaustible supply or poems or poets.

My guess is that any attempts to manipulate the forum, or try to stipulate how it be used, will probably make things worse rather than better. I would advise you to just go with the flow, and not worry about it.
Stephen Whiteside, Australian Poet and Writer
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Terry
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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Terry » Fri Aug 31, 2012 12:35 pm

G/day Marty,
You raise some very good points there mate.

Terry

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Bob Pacey
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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Bob Pacey » Fri Aug 31, 2012 12:49 pm

Funny Marty I was Just thinking that yesterday as well but more in the vein of that we do not seem to have as much banter as before since the forum went open.

We have some very good discussions about poetry and I do not know if this achieves much but i know that my poetry seems to have improved by other forum members imput.

I agree that the number of poems submitted since posting on this and perhaps other sites has been seen as published so people tend to sit on poems that they think are of merit instead of posting. an example is Heathers recent win.

I do tend to agree with Stephen as well about the fact that any changes could make things worse ( but that is my Two Bobs worth )


The real Bob
The purpose in life is to have fun.
After you grasp that everything else seems insignificant !!!

Heather

Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Heather » Fri Aug 31, 2012 2:20 pm

There's a few things going on I think. One is people sitting on poems for competitions. Bob's right, the poem I recently posted is two years old. I would have loved to have posted that earlier. I'm sitting on a couple of others.

Second, I think newcomers are very keen and tend to write a lot more initially - then it tends to drop off, especially as we try to improve our writing and possibly put more time and thought into it. I don't write nearly as much as I used to - because I'm busy but also because I put more thought into what I write now. At one point I was writing a poem a week, then a fortnight and now one a month or less.

The chit chat is important for us to keep in touch. We are spread from one end of the country to another but we feel we know each other because of the forum. It's good to keep in touch. I've met a great number of forum users now (and have stayed with about five and camped with others) and have felt I knew each and every one before I actually met them. I've also found that when we forum users are at events together there is a great deal of support given to each other whether it be reciting or writing. Behind the scenes some of us keep in touch and give feed back on poems and other things. We have formed an important social network.

I love the poetry discussion section and would like to see more examples of poetry - some of the old masters for example and maybe some poems broken up for new people to see how it works. I may be wrong but I think the old site had some lawson and other poetry.

Last, but not least, I don't talk as much as I used to ! :)

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Peely
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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Peely » Fri Aug 31, 2012 3:48 pm

Part of the reason why I personally haven't posted much of late is to do with the fact that I have been in the middle of a pretty dry spell writing wise. I haven't completed any new poems for a good six months. It has prompted me to have a look at some of my works in progress again. The positive side of that is that I have looked at two of the poems that are sitting in my works in progress file today and have added more to both of them, so hopefully the dry spell will be over soon :)
John Peel - The Man from Gilmore Creek

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Robyn
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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Robyn » Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:06 pm

I pretty much agree with Heather. I believe the restrictions of poetry competitions prevent people posting more often, but I find the poetry discussions great. And the writing workshops are excellent for writers finding their feet.
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Bob Pacey
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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Bob Pacey » Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:28 pm

Most of the comments have some merit but " But But But !


"I don't talk as much as I used to" !


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah I know Heather but I'm too far away for you to punch me !


Robere
The purpose in life is to have fun.
After you grasp that everything else seems insignificant !!!

Heather

Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Heather » Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:31 pm

Thought you were a bit slow but Bobbo! :)

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Maureen K Clifford
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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by Maureen K Clifford » Fri Aug 31, 2012 8:41 pm

Gee we've got a lot of problems surfacing here - Two Bobs -that's a worry. Heathers lips are zipped! OMG Peely is having a dry spell - know a good red that will fix that John :lol: :lol: Marty is shaking trees looking for nuts - no doubt he will score quite a few Queensland nuts :? We have people sitting on poems - I hate to point out the obvious but they won't hatch you know :lol: :lol:

OK so it's not perfect but it is by far the best site that I am involved with. The friendships here are real, people really do care and support each other, and when they get together and that is happening more and more these days - they have a beaut time.

What do you want for your $30 a year???????? Come on!!!!! Enough now.

Admittedly on occasions it gets a bit mundane and seems like no one is contributing - that's when I go into overdrive so you have no one to blame but yourselves for that. Maybe???????? a little more discipline with our writing is required. Even though it may not be good why not get into the habit of writing at least one poem a week - better yet - try one a day - just a verse will do it - stick it into your work in progress file. I get annoyed that some of my best ones come when I am in the shower with no pen and paper handy and by the time I am out and dried off I have forgotten them. The voice recorder purchased to solve this of course is sitting on the computer shelf - never give it a thought.

I think we get writers block because we don't write - I have lawn mowers block as we speak :lol: :lol: Don't we get told that if we don't use it we lose it. Becomes worse with age let me tell you.

So don't let alter our site - it is SOOOOO good - just lets all try to give a little more of ourselves to making it interesting and lively and thus coerce people into thinking that we are lively and exciting people and make them want to be part of the in-crowd. Lets post our poetry freely and with gay abandon - let us tell poetry comp organizers that their rules and regulations regarding poetry put on a forum like this making it ineligible for entry is an unrealistic expectation.

Let us man the trenches, raise the flag, flock to the poetry hustings - let us not be downtrodden, but stand strong and proud as Bush Poets - a force to be reckoned with :shock: ;)

Have to go and have a coffee now all this grandstanding is exhausting

Cheers

Maureen
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http://scribblybarkpoetry.blogspot.com.au/


I may not always succeed in making a difference, but I will go to my grave knowing I at least tried.

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Re: Lost focus ?

Post by william williams » Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:43 pm

From what I see what's written about the subject I would get the clear impression that a lot of you are chasing the prize money aspect of the competitions.
Yeh no you're not, you will say to yourself, so why worry about the prize money. there are many Poets that do this who are good and scoop the pool quite often.
They don't show their work cause they are too busy chasing prize money, where as the likes of us lot we are proud of our writings be they good or bad we hope to learn from others who are willing to help

Most people complain about the system so what it is there until a better system comes up. Maybe this idea may help if all comps were made that prize winners were to be excluded for entering that comp for 5 years then other, maybe up and coming writers would get a go the following years.

Bill Williams

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