Challenges Options

[Sekhmet]

Good morning to anyone who reads this.

OK - Where are all the members when the gauntlet of a Challenge is thrown dawn?
I wander about the echoing halls of the weekly, monthly, slam, short prose, and drabble sections - and see only the same names, week after week.
It is now a cosy little corner, for just a few of us - but we need new blood to survive, and what better time than Halloween to go out and hunt for it?

Why not have an extra condition placed upon all members, (apart from the two responses to other writers' poems for each poem published) -
A response to at least one of the challenges every second month. That's sixty-odd days to think up some kind of response!

These Challenges stimulate the mind into branching off at a tangent; and are important tools in our poetic arsenal. I am amazed at what turns up, unbidden, when working on a challenge.

Surely, all the members are capable of meeting at least one of the challenges every couple of months? If not- they need assistance from the more experienced writers to achieve the required result.
When Newbies, (such as myself) squeaked;
' I know nothing about poetry criticism - I couldn't possibly crit anyone else's work.'
We were all briskly told to look at other members' crits, and do your best; you'll soon get the hang of it.

Why not give exactly the same advice to anyone who baulks at answering a Challenge? Just as in the various critical sections - the standard of work will vary,from writer to writer - but we are all learning, all the time. New Challengers will get bolder as time passes, and who knows what might be drawn forth?.

Leo

[Arnfinn]

G'day.

I first met Lori, in 2001, at a poetry site called Shadow Poetry. There was a yeary membership fee, and once financial, new members were shown a map of a fictional town and advised to select a vacant residence. The selected residence remained your poetry home until you became unfinancial. When a poet/writer did not renew membership their house became vacant real estate, and open, on display for new members. The streets were named after literary terms; for example my residence might be 32 Limerick Lane, (I probably chose this street because of an interest in limericks). My next door neighbour number 34 (he/she may have chosen the same street because of the same poetry interest); as well as interacting with other members in the poetry/writing forums, members could click onto member residences and leave messages on message boards. The advantage of this system is community relationships between members. Another advantage is yearly membership fees, say Original fee, (US) $20, thereafter, (US) $15.

Back to MM.

Lori, decided to branch out on her own in 2003 and invited me to become a MM member.

I've been here ever since.

I haven't been on-the-go much lately. Old age has cluttered my thoughts, and sucked inspiration down and away into a whirlpool of confusion.

To a degree, I agree with Wally about writing. Learners or those semi-skilled in writing leave behind footprints that stumble and stray from the rules of literature, and therefore can benifit from words of advice. The hard critiques; are the talented writers, those, at MM or elswhere whose footsteps to the eye are straight and evenly spaced. These, the hard critiques, take time--chew up the hours. I find, talent, should not only receive praise, but rewards. I think most members at MM have had their contributions, judged as exceptional, then passed on to other literary websites for assessment.

When I'm in the mood, I find, if I write a good opening line, an association of thoughts follow, the ink flows quickly from stanza to stanza until the poem/chapter is complete. The next step--revision.

I've read what's been said, and I respect your concerns and ideas about our MM.
The crux of the matter is, ill health, some very serious.
Speaking for myself I should be making a comeback shortly.

Best regards to everyone.

John