That is the question I ask myself that each and every time before I press send. Thrusting snippets of my blood-sweat-and-tears out to individual contests to be scrutinized by professionals in the romance field – other than just another one of my perspective agents or editors. Although my works have yet to be graced with a win, I still enter writing contest because … admittedly, I want validation from my peers that I’m good at what I love to do.
That being said – hold onto your seats. Because as soon as I’d learned of a Haiku local poetry contest a few weeks back I decided to try my skills at a form of writing I’d not even been aware of until then. For those of you like me, Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry made most famous by Matsuo Basho in the 1600’s. This style of poetry consist of three-lines … only! The first and third lines have just 5-syllables, and the second line has seven. That’s it. That is the whole style – period. Apparently there are two types to Haiku as well. The traditional style of haiku creates a mental image such as a snapshot of a moment in time. Whereas a Pop haiku can cover a myriad of subjects which are often humorous in nature.
Being new to Haiku – or for that matter writing any poetry, I opted to enter one of each style. I offer for your consideration (and hopefully enjoyment) my two entries: Traditional – Yes, I write romance And my books are my children. No sitter needed.
Pop style — While under a tree Enjoying natures bounty, A nut hit my head.
I’m sure I need not point out that my traditional entry’s my favorite. Still … I enjoy the whimsy of the pop style. Both styles say a lot about how I love to write. With each of my books I pen conflict that will eventually lead to lessons learned and boundaries rebuilt. But I love adding a bit a humor to my characters plights. I think it makes for a far more enjoyable read if you add a bit of relief to the tension every now-an-then. “Write on!”
