Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, June 4
This is an advance announcement for the Tuesday, June 4, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. This time the theme will be "Like a Normal Person." I'll be soliciting ideas for freaks, radicals, activists, average folks, therapists, caregivers, first responders, clergy, outreach workers, good samaritans, volunteers, handyworkers, repairmen, teachers, parents, comares, superheroes, supervillains, other helpful people, bucking the system, taking care of yourself, being your true self, coming out of (any) closet, fighting to make things right, lending a hand, responding to emergencies, volunteering, making donations, supporting people in hard times, learning to trust others, offering crash space, helping someone move, planting trees, creating intimacy, making friends, getting to know each other, cooking together, discovering things, improvising, adapting, cooperating, bartering, sharing, fixing what's broke, changing the world, accomplishing the impossible, quiet rooms, genderspace, Pride marches, Triton Teen Centers, the Peace Store, charities, homeless shelters, clothing banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, sobering centers, community clinics, counseling offices, mentor circles, support groups, churches, sharehouses, intentional communities, other polyhomes, gay bars, feminist bookstores, social justice departments in schools, clubs, accommodations closets, inclusive workplaces, Thalassia, the Maldives, the Lacuna, community gardens, other helper hangouts, emergency aid, intentional neighboring, altruism, harm reduction, diversity, inclusivity, safety pin peace signs, other activist symbols, interfaith work, family dynamics, alternative family structures, sedoretu, troll romance, partnerships not based on sex/romance, emotional closeness, nonsexual intimacies, first contact, rescue, interspecies relationships, trial and error, trust issues, teamwork, found family, complementary strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular.
This theme is all about normalizing things that society often criticizes and tries to exclude. A few examples, which you can throw into your prompts if you wish:
"He should get therapy like a normal person."
"Just grab a fidget like a normal person."
"After the last round of body modification, we'll have normal anal sex like any other gay couple."
And here are more things people believe should be normalized. What is normal, anyway?
What are some things that people pester you about but are none of their business and you wish they'd just accept?
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
An Army of One is all about building a society where whatever people are is normal.
The Blueshift Troupers travel the galaxy helping colonies solve problems.
Clay of Life depends on the friendship between a blacksmith and a golem.
Daughters of the Apocalypse relies a lot on mutual aid for survival in a world where most of the people formerly considered normal have died off.
Frankenstein's Family has diverse subgroups interacting to help each other.
Monster House is suburban fantasy about a diverse family with a very unusual idea of what normal is.
The Moon Door features a women's chronic pain support group, which is all about being gentle with each other.
The Ocracies has a different definition of normal in all its many societies.
P.I.E. is urban fantasy about a paranormal investigator who uses a wheelchair.
Polychrome Heroics is largely about diversity. Threads particularly focused on this include Antimatter and Stalwart Stan, Aquariana, the Big One, Iron Horses, Officer Pink, Rutledge, and Trichromatic Attachments.
Quixotic Ideas is set in a world with plenty of magic and a positive tone, where people often help each other and solve challenges peacefully.
Schrodinger's Heroes save the world from alternate dimensions, and they take care of each other.
Or you can ask for something new.
Linkbacks reveal a verse of any open linkback poem.
If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week. (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts. I am now.) Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog.
Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.
I'm going to host a Poetry Fishbowl on my blog on Tuesday, June 4. I'll be soliciting ideas for thematic characters, plots, settings, objects, and poetic forms in particular. Chances are I'll spend a good chunk of the day, from afternoon to evening or more, alternating between this site and doing stuff offline so my back doesn't weld itself to the chair.
Perks: I will post at least one of the resulting fishbowl poems on the blog for everyone to enjoy, and an extra one if there's at least one new prompter or donor. The rest will be available for audience members to buy, and whatever's left over will go into my archive for magazine submission.
If donations total $100 then you get a free $15 poem; $150 gets you a free $20 poem; and $200 gets you a free epic, posted after the Poetry Fishbowl. These will usually be series poems if I have them; otherwise I may offer non-series poems or series poems in a different size. If donations reach $250, you get one step toward a bonus fishbowl; four of these activates the perk, and they don't have to be four months in a row. Everyone will get to vote on which series, and give prompts during the extra fishbowl, although it may be a half-day rather than a whole day. If donations reach $300, there will be a half-price sale in one series.
I want to promote linkbacks pointing people to the "Fishbowl Open" post on Tuesday. Each linkback will reveal a verse of any open linkback poem. One person can do multiple links if they're on different services, like Twitter or LiveJournal, rather than all on Dreamwidth.
(See the complete list of current perks.)
If you enjoy my poetry -- or if you just love poetry in general, or want to promote interest in normalizing diversity -- please mark the fishbowl date on your calendar. Drop by and give me some ideas, comment on the posted poetry, encourage people to come look, whatever tickles your fancy. I hope to see you then!
This theme is all about normalizing things that society often criticizes and tries to exclude. A few examples, which you can throw into your prompts if you wish:
"He should get therapy like a normal person."
"Just grab a fidget like a normal person."
"After the last round of body modification, we'll have normal anal sex like any other gay couple."
And here are more things people believe should be normalized. What is normal, anyway?
What are some things that people pester you about but are none of their business and you wish they'd just accept?
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
An Army of One is all about building a society where whatever people are is normal.
The Blueshift Troupers travel the galaxy helping colonies solve problems.
Clay of Life depends on the friendship between a blacksmith and a golem.
Daughters of the Apocalypse relies a lot on mutual aid for survival in a world where most of the people formerly considered normal have died off.
Frankenstein's Family has diverse subgroups interacting to help each other.
Monster House is suburban fantasy about a diverse family with a very unusual idea of what normal is.
The Moon Door features a women's chronic pain support group, which is all about being gentle with each other.
The Ocracies has a different definition of normal in all its many societies.
P.I.E. is urban fantasy about a paranormal investigator who uses a wheelchair.
Polychrome Heroics is largely about diversity. Threads particularly focused on this include Antimatter and Stalwart Stan, Aquariana, the Big One, Iron Horses, Officer Pink, Rutledge, and Trichromatic Attachments.
Quixotic Ideas is set in a world with plenty of magic and a positive tone, where people often help each other and solve challenges peacefully.
Schrodinger's Heroes save the world from alternate dimensions, and they take care of each other.
Or you can ask for something new.
Linkbacks reveal a verse of any open linkback poem.
If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week. (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts. I am now.) Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog.
Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.
I'm going to host a Poetry Fishbowl on my blog on Tuesday, June 4. I'll be soliciting ideas for thematic characters, plots, settings, objects, and poetic forms in particular. Chances are I'll spend a good chunk of the day, from afternoon to evening or more, alternating between this site and doing stuff offline so my back doesn't weld itself to the chair.
Perks: I will post at least one of the resulting fishbowl poems on the blog for everyone to enjoy, and an extra one if there's at least one new prompter or donor. The rest will be available for audience members to buy, and whatever's left over will go into my archive for magazine submission.
If donations total $100 then you get a free $15 poem; $150 gets you a free $20 poem; and $200 gets you a free epic, posted after the Poetry Fishbowl. These will usually be series poems if I have them; otherwise I may offer non-series poems or series poems in a different size. If donations reach $250, you get one step toward a bonus fishbowl; four of these activates the perk, and they don't have to be four months in a row. Everyone will get to vote on which series, and give prompts during the extra fishbowl, although it may be a half-day rather than a whole day. If donations reach $300, there will be a half-price sale in one series.
I want to promote linkbacks pointing people to the "Fishbowl Open" post on Tuesday. Each linkback will reveal a verse of any open linkback poem. One person can do multiple links if they're on different services, like Twitter or LiveJournal, rather than all on Dreamwidth.
(See the complete list of current perks.)
If you enjoy my poetry -- or if you just love poetry in general, or want to promote interest in normalizing diversity -- please mark the fishbowl date on your calendar. Drop by and give me some ideas, comment on the posted poetry, encourage people to come look, whatever tickles your fancy. I hope to see you then!