Julia’s latest vase (she gave the last one away as a present) with silk fritilleries.
I’ve just been replying to two emails from editors. One was comparatively simple, a quick note of thanks for an acceptance. I had an automatic reply by return, telling me that they weren’t taking submissions at the moment – an impersonal response to my attempt at being polite. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised – some magazines are like that.
The other was more complicated. It was a rejection with some suggested links to articles which would help me improve. It’s the sort of response that always invites being categorised as condescending.
I read the first one and it told me that most western definitions of haiku were too restrictive. This explains why editors annoy me by publishing haiku that fall outside the published definitions. Maybe they should take down the definitions hey often display, or display a current one. Same goes for the people who are often quoted on the subject – if your definition is outdated, have the courtesy to indicate this or update it.
As for the haibun article, it quoted a number of haibun. One of the haiku wasn’t a haiku by any definition and the rest all reiterated the subject material, which you aren’t supposed to do. I can’t help feeling that if I’d have submitted any of them, they would have been turned down, not used as examples. I just wrote and thanked them for the feedback and said they provided food for thought.
Email is not the forum to exchange views over something like that, as it could be construed as argumentative and although I have issues with things, I don’t want to start an argument with someone who is trying to help.
This is the one she gave away as a present.
That’s the nice thing about tanka – fewer rules, more freedom, and fewer people writing about them.
my friend got the the second round of a writing contest but not to third. some of the critique she received was more judgement than critique. one said I hope my granddaughter wouldn’t act like your main character and the other said your main character is too old to be acting like this.
Both comments that have little bearing on the quality of the work. Old people do act badly. I am one, I know. As for the other, social media is full of grand-daughters doing things I consider reprehensible.
That’s what I hate about judges. On the other hand I
have to do a bit of judging next month and I am very nervous about it.
Congratulations to your friend on her progress though. It is a step forwards.
well, you could always give opinion and then at least people will talk about you…
🙂 There are so many possibilities where I become famous for my insight, ditto for shunned for my stupidity . . .
😂😂😂
It will be interesting, to say the least.
Oh, to heck with them! Onward. Those vase are absolutely lovely. Julia has such a flair.
I’m thinking of encouraging her, but that might just put her off. 🙁
They really are stunning!
Confidence, practice, hubandly support. It will come together. 🙂
I agree with Derrick, some free verse might be a good thing to take up again?
I love Julia’s vases with the silk flowers.
She is planning her Christmas presents already. People will be getting vases and pens. 🙂
In regard to the definition of an haiku – when I taught English back in the day when I was younger and enthusiastic I would get my classes to write haiku. I stuck to the classic 5-7-5 syllabul rule. I was stirict. I wasn’t looking for the best haiku ever, but I was asking my students to think. To think of words that fitted. To change one word for an equivalent that did fit. Eventually one of my students, a brilliant young girl, said we should call it Sir’s ‘More ways to skin a cat’ method.
🙂 It’s a good training method for discipline and flexibility. I used to write 5-7-5 but they are rarely published these days. Sometimes I write one by accident – old habits die hard.
How about free verse?
I am going to go back to it. had some published a few years ago, but sort of drifted away.
There is something very attractive about free verse but it needs a lot of discipline to stop it floating away into self-indulgence. There are times when restrictive rules are very good.
You are right. I like sonnets and villanelles, as they bring a real sense of achievement. However, I’ve never written a decent sonnet and only a couple of passable villanelles.
A good plan
It keeps me out of trouble. The alternative is doing some jobs around the house, and that usually goes badly. 🙂