A poll on writing

[vanityfair00]

Poll Random writing question

Anything I didn't get? Leave a comment.

P.S. I have some very lovely cards hanging on my door. Thanks everyone!

Comments

[ginny_weasley31]

You didn't have my options. :)

Okay. I don't use poems, but I know several people that do. If it's short and sweet I'll read it first. If it's long I don't. If I like the story or chapter, I'll go back and read the poem after reading the chapter... but never before.

Often times (if the author is good, & usually they are) the poem is a reflection of the chapter, I'd like to read the chapter without knowing what's coming in it. Usually the title (if there is one) is enough of a clue.

I don't use them, as I already stated. I spend a lot of time on chapter titles or story titles. Sometimes my beta helps, but when she doesn't come up with an idea I spend HOURS looking up quotes and trying to find something that I can modify (or not) and use. Essentially, it should do the same thing if you think about it.

[vanityfair00]

I've never been one to name my chapter titles. And story titles always seem to jump out at me.

So you read afterwards? I'll admit that option never occurred to me. If I skip something I rarely go back. If it wasn't important enough the first time then it won'tbe the second time. But that's just me. Plus, it's hard to speed read poems. That's really my main reason.

[revena]

I want to add "if used appropriately and well" to each of my answers in the first section.

[vanityfair00]

So noted.

[scatteredlogic]

I didn't answer the actual poll because none of the answers fit exactly what I'd say. I've used poems and not used them; I've read them and not read them. It all depends on my mood at the time. Usually, if it's a very long poem, I'll skip either it entirely or go back to it hem after reading the chapter, but I'll usually read a short stanza or poem before the story itself. I consider poems used before a story to be glimpses into what's coming up within the story itself, and I'm always afraid that a long poem may give too much away.

[vanityfair00]

I like what iulia_linnea says below about thematic glimpses but it depends on the author, I suppose. They could give too much away with the wrong poem.

[iulia_linnea]

I'm always a little dismayed to see poems heading up chapters; I only like them when they serve as thematic glimpses of what's to come.

[vanityfair00]

Thematic glimpses - what an excellent way to phrase it. I do that with my current WIP, but I try to keep them to one line because I know I wouldn't read anything longer.

[maddyriddle]

I find poems hard to understand sometimes. Usually they have a obscure words in them and that means I have to go look at the dictionary or skip and try to get the meaning by context (what it's hardly an option when dealing with poetry).

I don't have the same problem in Spanish. :P And I like some poems in my language. But I feel the same about opera... it loses a lot of charm if I'm unable to read it without having to resort to dictionaries/translators.

Summing up: Quotes are good. Very short or simply written poems are acceptable. More than 4 lines or very complex ones, I skip... they are not worth the trouble.

[vanityfair00]

Even understanding English perfectly I sometimes wonder why an author chose that poem. It doesn't always seem to fit. Which can make it that much harder for you to understand