Mayday

[Tiger the Lion]

[Wjames]

Yeah thanks for running it, River.

Lots of interesting prompts, and I like trying to make a lot of poems - it's good practice.

[Mark A Becker]

NaPoMo is always a challenge. Being retired makes it easier, but doing it well is still hard.

Special thanks to River for doing a top Notch job!

Out of the 30 poems I did, I think I have 2 or 3 keepers, and a few that could be OK with more work.

Looking forward to rutting around in the Pen, especially now that the site is working like it should on my computer. I was worried for a while there that the graphics were permanently screwed up. Glad that things were good in time for NaPoMo ‘24.

I really hope to see more participation next go round, but I completely understand that most folks don’t have the luxury of time that I enjoy. Sort of enjoy…

[TranquillityBase]

Yes, this was a unique NAPM, at least among the four I've participated in.  My only complaint would be the prompts were so interesting, I really hated only having a day to respond (also, April was a rough month for me, so my efforts were hindered by life getting in the way).

I especially liked the one word prompts, like "warn", "mourn" etc.

My poems were mostly an embarrassment to me, but maybe it purged me in some ways, and now I can try writing something worthwhile.

Good job, River.  

[dukealien]

NaPoMo is always a challenge. Being retired makes it easier, but doing it well is still hard.

Special thanks to River for doing a top Notch job!

Out of the 30 poems I did, I think I have 2 or 3 keepers, and a few that could be OK with more work.

Looking forward to rutting around in the Pen, especially now that the site is working like it should on my computer. I was worried for a while there that the graphics were permanently screwed up. Glad that things were good in time for NaPoMo ‘24.

I really hope to see more participation next go round, but I completely understand that most folks don’t have the luxury of time that I enjoy. Sort of enjoy…

Well said... you're ahead of me, though, I think there might be *one* of mine worth further editing.  It's great to have something one must do each day that requires some effort.  Almost like work... I almost remember work!

[Wjames]

I like a few of the poems I made, but I like NAPM a lot because I don't worry as much if it's good or not as I normally would, it's just about making something. If you make enough things, you'll make something you like eventually - and you get better the more you write, even if it's barely discernible day by day.

Who cares if a poem is bad? Throw it in the trash and make something else tomorrow. Not worrying so much about something being good makes writing a little less painful to me.

I try to use the prompts to write about whatever I actually might want to write about on that particular day if there was no prompt. The prompt often gives you a metaphor or interesting idea to tie in.

Put all the poems you wrote you don't like in a word document - next time you're writing something and stuck on a line, flip through the trash poems and see if anything you've already thrown away might work.

[Tiger the Lion]

I like a few of the poems I made, but I like NAPM a lot because I don't worry as much if it's good or not as I normally would, it's just about making something. If you make enough things, you'll make something you like eventually - and you get better the more you write, even if it's barely discernible day by day.

Who cares if a poem is bad? Throw it in the trash and make something else tomorrow. Not worrying so much about something being good makes writing a little less painful to me.

I try to use the prompts to write about whatever I actually might want to write about on that particular day if there was no prompt. The prompt often gives you a metaphor or interesting idea to tie in.

Put all the poems you wrote you don't like in a word document - next time you're writing something and stuck on a line, flip through the trash poems and see if anything you've already thrown away might work.

You nailed it, WJ! 
NaPM or any of our other prompt related themes for that matter, are not meant to solicit polished work. They are meant to solicit a first blurt - I could write a thesis on the value of first blurts, but won't.  Sometimes one line, or even one cleverly played word is worth saving. I's not far from the idea of "write drunk, edit sober."