Monday Poetry Train

Sorry I haven’t been around much lately.  I’m on a dial-up connection for a while and WordPress doesn’t seem to like it very well. 

This is another old-ish one.

TABOO

1.
Masturbation
Self-sex
Fun
Pleasure

“You’ll go blind!”
“It’s a sin.”
“Good girls don’t do that.”
“Shame on you!”

Society sets the stage,
talking about it
in hushed tones.
“Everybody does it.”

2.
Homosexuality
Rug muncher
Ass fucker
Fudge packer

Alternative lifestyles
examined with scorn
by parents or the church,
judge and jury in one.

“It’s an abomination!”
“Remember Sodom and Gomorrah.”
“AIDS is God’s judgment on you!”
“Get outta here, faggot!”

3.
Pagan, Buddhist,
Muslim, Wiccan,
sometimes accepted,
usually rejected.

“You’ll go to hell for that.”
“No good Christian thinks like that.”
“I’ll pray you return to the church.”
“Repent, sinner!”

Alternative religions
invite scorn, hatred,
judgment from their own
judges and juries.

4.
Abortion
Baby-killer
Murderer
Anti-life

“You killed your baby!”
“God had plans for that baby.”
“I’ll see you on Judgment Day.”
“Life begins at conception.”

Nobody considers the stress
the decision itself puts on mothers.
Not many people, either,
consider the results of rape.

(Take a ride on Rhian’s Poetry Train, no reservation required.)

Filed under: poetry train, writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps, poetry, verse

Monday Poetry Train

I just got back from a trip to New Orleans, so you’re getting an oldie but (hopefully) goodie today.  This was a study in color, to use as many things as I could think of at the moment that I actually owned of that particular color.  I have one that was done in yellow also.

PURPLE

1.

I write with a purple pen.

Ink spills across the page,

strutting like an actor on stage. 

Romeo and Juliet?

Those lines aren’t memorized yet. 

Words and lines

of my own invention?

Yes, that’s the pen’s intention. 

2.

I wear a purple gown to sleep.

My dreams are nice and deep. 

By the time I stir and wake,

my memories these thieves did take. 

I need to know.

I want the knack.

They’re my dreams!

I want them back. 

3.

I want to find

the purple dress.

I admit, I want to impress

new friends and old ones too.

Purple dress, where are you? 

So comfortable and so nice.

I keep looking for you,

today makes thrice. 

Isn’t that a lucky number? 

4.

I brush my hair with a purple brush.

In the mornings, I try not to rush. 

Clothes are nicely pressed,

it doesn’t take long to get dressed. 

Each curl is in its place

before I go outside to join the race. 

5.

I write with a purple pen.

My words, for now, will end.

No splaying across the page.

No prancing as if on stage. 

In my purple gown,

to sleep I will go.

My words will continue to flow

trusting tomorrow I will let them show.

My sleep will be sweet

with dreams complete

with success and fame. 

But when morning comes,

I’ll be struck dumb

by dreams that stole my words again.

(Take a ride on Rhian’s Poetry Train, no reservation required.)

Filed under: poetry train, writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps, poetry, verse

New Project

I have a new project I just started today.  I was trying to keep my options open and decide what I was going to start on later.  But the opening scene for this particular project came to me while I was in the shower this morning.

Yes, I get a lot of ideas while I’m in the shower.

So I’ve started a contemporary novel tentatively titled “Navajo Rose.”  I guess “Confessions of a Fat Chick” will have to wait a little bit longer.

Filed under: writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps

Final Weekly Wrap-Up

This is very overdue.  I’m sorry about that.  They moved while I was goine and we didn’t have any kind of Internet access there without going back to dial-up for a while.  Things are looking up in that regard and I now (obviously) have my Internet back. 

So, now for the final weekly wrap-up:

• Residency Ended:  On Thursday, October 11, I left the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow.  I most definitely made some friends I plan to keep in touch with.  I hope they have good luck with their projects so that we’ll hopefully see them in the stores.  In a word, I would describe the residency experience as “amazing.”  If I had another word, I would add “productive.”  I can’t ask for much more than that.
• Agent Appointment:  At the Ozark Creative Writers conference, I had an appointment with Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli of JET Literary on Friday, October 12.  Despite my nerves and (self-perceived, I’m sure) bumbling through the pitch, she requested the first 50 pages of “Kiernan’s Curse.”  She wanted it sent via e-mail as a Microsoft Word attachment.
• Awards Banquet:  Saturday night was the awards banquet for the contest associated with the conference.  Many of the categories I entered came and went without a mention of my name.  I was honestly starting to be disappointed, but, hey, you can’t win them all, right?  Right.  Then it got to the novel categories I entered.  I received 1st Honorable Mention for “Kiernan’s Curse” in the 3-3-1 Editor’s Delight category.  (For that, you have to send in a 3-page synopsis, first 3 pages of the book, and a 1-paragraph jacket copy blurb.)  Next up was a first-chapter category.  (I forgot the exact name of that category.)  “Devon’s Wish” received 1st Honorable Mention in that one.  Now, here’s the thing about that.  When I sent that in, I hadn’t had a chance to even do one run-through on any edits.  I wonder if it would have done any better if I had?
• Home:  We decided to leave Eureka Springs a day early.  The weatherman was forecasting severe storms for Sunday night and well into the day Monday.  I was ready to be home, so I latched onto that as a reason to go ahead and head for home.  A month is a long time to be gone, regardless of how wonderful it is.

That’s it.  When I have any news on the agent front, I’ll be sure and let you all know what it is.

~Jen
My Website
Créatif
Confessions of a Fat Chick

Filed under: writing , contests, creative, creativity, Jen Nipps, jennipps, WCDH residency

Agent Appointment

Yesterday I mentioned about leaving the Writers’ Colony and going to the conference location.

Today, I had an appointment with a literary agent where I pitched “Kiernan’s Curse.”

She wants the first 50 pages!

Filed under: writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps, WCDH residency

This Is It

Last night was my last night at the Writers’ COlony at Dairy Hollow.  This has been a remarkable month.

As soon as I post this, I’m going to take a quick shower, finish what little packing I didn’t get done yesterday, and clean up.

This evening, I will be at a meet-and-greet for the Ozark Creative Writers conference.  From one thing to another.  *s*

I have to admit though, I miss my family and I actually am ready to go home.  I still plan on moving here someday, just not for a while.

Filed under: Uncategorized , Jen Nipps, jennipps, organizations, WCDH residency

Creative Juice

I’ve learned quite a few things this month away writing.

• I can do a large amount of work in a relatively short period of time.
• I need to be able to get out to reconnect with nature in order to feel whole and creative.
• I need contact with people in order to feel whole and creative.
• Most importantly, I need to be around my family in order to feel whole and creative.

Over the past few days, I’ve been feeling like something is missing. It took me a while to figure out what that something is.

My family. My parents, brother, sister, neices, nephews, close friends. Everybody.

While it’s nice to be able to get away from it all and focus on what makes me me and what provides my creative juice, it’s nice to be around family too. They remind me that while I may be a creative person, I also need to stay grounded and real.

I’m looking forward to going home in a week. I may not be able to keep up the same volume of work I’ve done this month since I’ll be going back to day-job stuff, but I know now how to make it more of a priority than I have before.

Filed under: writing , creative, creativity, Jen Nipps, jennipps, WCDH residency

Monday Poetry Train

I forgot it was Monday until just a couple minutes ago.  I went to Rogers (Arkansas) with a friend and just got about about 10 minutes ago.

This poem is technically an old one that I’ve reworked into a form I like better for it

Jibber
jabber.  Chit chat.
Shoot the breeze.  Chew the fat.
Talk is cheap when you’re not paying
the bill.

(Take a ride on the Monday Poetry Train.  No reservation required.)

Filed under: poetry train, writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps, poetry, verse, WCDH residency

Weekly Wrap-Up #3

Time is completely flying by. 

Thanks to my mid-week e-mails, a lot of you probably already know most of this, but I’m going to put it in the highlights anyway.

• “Devon’s Wish” – I finished the rough draft of DW.  It’s 226 pages, about 67k words, 20 chapters plus a prologue and an epilogue.
• “Kiernan’s Curse” – I finished the first round of edits on KC.  The new version weights in at 243 pages and close to 73k words.  I added 17 pages and 16.5k words.  I need to tweak the synopsis, do the query, and prepare my pitch by Thursday.
• Potluck dinner – Tonight, those of us who are in residence her will be getting together tonight for a pot luck dinner/cookout.  It should be fun.
• Corvette weekend – Yes, Corvette weekend.  I’m thankful I’m in the farmhouse because if I were in my original apartment, I wouldn’t be getting anything done for the noise from the Corvette parade.  (I don’t know if that counts as a highlight or a lowlight.)  As it is, I can hear them very well up here.

The next wrap-up you get from me will be the last one for this.  Maybe it’ll be a good one with contest wins and agent news. 

Filed under: editing, revisions, writing , contests, creative, Jen Nipps, jennipps, queries, WCDH residency

Done, Again

Finishing two big projects in two days.  Wow.  That’s really all I can say about it.

The new version of “Kiernan’s Curse” is done.

When I had completed the first one, it was only in his POV.  I added in Maeb’s to round it out.  I am very satisfied with how it is now.  I’ll have to get some distance between me and it again before I can take another objective look at it.

The original version weighed in at 226 pages and 56,500 words.  This  version, with Maeb’s viewpoint, has 243 pages and 72,900 words.

I added 17 pages and 16,400 words.

Now I get to tweak the proposal and do a query for it for my meeting with the agent on the 12th or 13th.

Filed under: editing, revisions, writing , creative, Jen Nipps, jennipps, queries, WCDH residency