NaPoWriMo

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.
-Plato

April is National Poetry Writing Month, or NaPoWriMo, an annual project organised by Maureen Thompson, a publisher in Washington DC. Yes, I know. If I'm writing this in Oldham in Northwest England, it should be International Poetry Writing Month, or InPoWriMo, which I think has a better bouncy sort of rhythm to it. Well. I'll suggest it next year, then.

The idea: write a poem on every day of the month. I'm writing this on the 6^th and, so far, I've written 0 poems out of 6 days. Oh well.

There's something about this project that could really help to raise the profile of poetry, and the task could involve and enthuse people who otherwise would never have taken to it. The site has a collection of links to good poetry blogs, although there are probably thousands of sites you could read to get a grasp of what poetry is all about. The first site I’d recommend is Duotrope, a searchable list of fiction and poetry magazines.

As noble as the cause is, I'm not sure that the principle of writing a poem a day is particularly going to work for many people. Here's why:

1. Ideas come and go. Sometimes they come five at once, sometimes none for ages. If you don't have a strong idea, you won't have a strong poem. Forcing ideas out, to fill the days, makes for lame poems.
2. This scheme should be more than just a bunch of newbie writers trying to write some poems sat at their computers in solitude. Poetry is something that can be learned in a class. Where are the free classes? Where are the lists of writers groups operating throughout the country? Wouldn't they be places to hone poetry skills? They exist, but they're not advertised on the NaPoWriMo site.
3. Also not advertised are the poetry reading events that anyone can get involved in. Writeoutloud, a national hub for participation in poetry, would be a good place to link to. Search this site for your town to see what poetry-related happenings are near you.
4. Most importantly, poetry has a really bad image. Most people are reluctant to read anything at all, beyond their own Facebook news feed. I'd say poetry, being one of the hardest writing forms to decipher, is among the least popular. But I think there is a form of poetry somewhere for everyone, even if it's rap lyrics or something abstract that doesn't feel like a poem, but technically is.

So even though I won't be doing a poem a day for NaPoWriMo, I'm keen to have a bash at something poetry-related- maybe I'll find a poetry slam somewhere in Manchester. Maybe I'll polish off some old drafts or think of a few new ideas. I might also investigate a few more feedback sites. If you're having a go at NaPoWriMo, I wish you all the best. Let's see what we can come up with!

For further info on what a poem is, as opposed to what it is not, and how to write one, see this BBC 5-minute interview with former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion.