Happy National Limerick Day!

Blog Post Happy National Limerick Day! May 12, 2014

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Happy National Limerick Day!

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Book of Nonsense

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Today we honor the birthday of Edward Lear, the author and illustrator of Book of Nonsense, a nonsensical book of limericks and merriment!

It is free to download the Kindle version from Amazon!

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I share one of my favorite with you…

 

 Edward Lear

 

 

The Rules for Writing a Limerick:

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□ A traditional limerick often starts out with, “There once was a …”
□ The ending of the first line is usually the name of a place, town, or country.
□ A Limerick is a 5 lined poem.
□ Lines 1,2 & 5 rhyme with each other.
□ Lines 3 & 4 rhyme with each other.
□ The first, second and fifth lines should have eight or nine syllables.
□ The third and fourth lines should have five or six.
□ Lines 1, 2 & 5 have 3 feet.
□ Lines 3 & 4 have 2 feet.

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So, download The Book of Nonsense,

read some limericks,

write some limericks

and share a limerick with a friend!

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Haiku poem

RhyPiBoMo Daily Winners and…….The Golden Quill Poetry Contest Winners!!!

RhyPiBoMo Daily Winners and

The Golden Quill Poetry Contest Winners!!!

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Last Week’s Daily Prize Winners

Sunday – Melanie Ellsworth

Choice of Rhyming PB from Sneak Peek donated by Margot Finke

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Monday – Cindy Johnson

Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul donated byAngie Karcher

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Tuesday – Deborah Holt Williams

The Making of a Poem:A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland – donated by Angie Karcher

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Wednesday – Aimee Haburjak

Take Me to Your BBQ by Kathy Duval and Adam McCauley donated by Angie Karcher

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Thursday – Mary Warth

Storytellin CD donated by Mary Jo Huff

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Friday – Lynn Alpert

Storytellin CD donated by Mary Jo Huff

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Saturday – Sydney O’Neill

Critique donated by Debbie Diesen (due to busy schedule – available this summer)

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Congrats to all the winners!

Please email me at Angie.karcher@yahoo.com ASAP with your address!

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RhyPiBoMo Golden Quill

Poetry Contest Prize Winners

I want to first say how amazed I am by all of you who entered this contest! Some of you have never even attempted poetry and yet, you dove in feet first and swam with the sharks who may have been writing poetry for years. I thank you! I am so proud of each and every one of you and am VERY proud of your brilliant poems!

I do want to add that we didn’t have any ties. The 1-3 place winners were very close but very clear. I did read and judge all the poems  and my numbers were waiting in case there was a tie breaker…but there was not . If there had been, my vote would have decided the winner.

I have also awarded 10 Honorable Mention poems. There are no prizes but these poems and authors deserve to be recognized for their awesome work!

 

So, without further ado,

Congratulations to…

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First Place – Feast or Flu? by Dawn Young
Wins a Scholarship for From Storyteller to Exquisite Writer: The Pleasures and Craft of Poetic Techniques!
Donated by Mira Reisberg and Sudipta Bardhan Quallan

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Second Place – THE KALEIDOSCOPASAURUS by Randi Sonenshine
Wins a Scholarship for The Lyrical Language Lab: Punching up Prose with Poetry
Donated by Renee La Tulippe

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Third Place – My Summer Vacation by Rebecca Colby
Wins a Scholarship for a spot in Picture Book Magic Course
Donated by Susanna Leonard Hill

 

*My greatest appreciation and congratulations go to you for a job well done!

You are the top 3 out of over 40 poems!

Well Done! I will be in touch!

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Honorable Mentions: (in no particular order)

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The Queen Bee and the Hungry Bear by Stephanie Salkin

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Double Drip Cone by Kathleen Doherty

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Runaway Rodeo by Linda Hoffman Kimball

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A Duel at Bedtime: Parents versus Kids by Katie Gast

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Lunch On the Bus by Ashley Potts

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Dog Versus Morning Dove by Melanie Ellsworth

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A Sticky Situation by Jill Proctor

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Morning News by Buffy Silverman

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Recipe For Humor by Janie Reinart

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Please Don’t Make Me Eat Those Peas by Lynn Alpert

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Well Done Everyone! I am proud to call you RhyPiBoMoers!

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Thank you to our esteemed judges who worked their hineys off

to get these back to me by Saturday!

You guys are the absolute best!

Renee La Tulippe
Jill Esbaum
Tiffany Strelitz Haber

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And now for our Brilliant, Singing Poems…

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First Place Poem

Feast or Flu?
By Dawn Young

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It’s springtime; fields of flowers fully blossomed stand in bloom.

Their sprightly sight awakes the weary winter-withered room.

As poppies placed inside a vase, set stage for nature’s scene,

the window waves a welcome, whereby scents seep through the screen.

Lavender and peony, lilies and red roses,

a fragrant feast to say the least, pure pleasure to our noses.

I breathe them in, those splendid scents, a nose just loves to savor

like a tongue when tempted by a tantalizing flavor.

A breeze blows by, a bigger whiff, my sniffer starts to twitch.

The trickle flows, drip goes the hose, my eyes, like bug bites, itch.

The tickle creeps deep down my throat and sweeps from ear to ear.

Through sweat and tears, my make-up smears, a molten mutineer.

The nasal-nested nagging scent now nettles me. Achoo!

I’m snorting snot, no doubt I’ve got that fragrant flower flu.

Another breeze, another whiff, the symptoms get much worse.

I pitch the poppies, scorn the screen, and curb the urge to curse!

I peer; the paneful portrait paints me pink and puffy-eyed,

but worst of all is knowing that I’ve yet to step outside!

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Second Place Poem

THE KALEIDOSCOPASAURUS
by Randi Sonenshine

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In the Tuscadoran Forest lives a singing Brontosaurus
Who performs for Turkish tourists each December twenty-third.

All November he rehearses scores of notes, refrains, and verses –
With his music, he converses, seeking perfect pitch and word.

But one year a frightful blizzard brought a cold deep in the gizzard
Of each frog and bear and lizard, every owl and every bird.

Soon his throat began to prickle, sting and tingle, itch and tickle
Making all his notes turn fickle – could it be that he misheard?

He must surely have bronchitis or infectious laryngitis,
So he summoned Madame Titus who remarkably inferred:

“Your poor tonsils are distended, but I’ll quickly have them mended
And your singing will be splendid by December twenty-third.”

Then she fluttered into motion without fanfare or commotion
Whipping up a potent potion, which she measured, mixed and stirred.

Though it tasted like zucchini with a side of squid linguini,
Soon he belted out Puccini, perfect pitch with every word!

Then he noticed his reflection – a kaleidoscope complexion!
“Just a tiny imperfection. Not to worry,” said the bird.

Though distressed by this mutation, his new look was a sensation!
Now they come from EVERY nation on December twenty-third!

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Third Place Poem

My Summer Vacation
by Rebecca Colby

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Last summer on vacation, I went to Borneo
to ride some pygmy elephants and water buffalo.

I trekked across the jungle under snake-infested trees,
got bitten by tarantulas and stung by killer bees.

I chased a hairy rhino while fat leeches sucked my blood;
a white-crowned hornbill nipped my hand, and chased me in the mud.

I spied a clouded leopard, then I tracked his trail for miles,
but lost him at the river bank by basking crocodiles.

For food, I ate rambutans, giant ferns and sprouted beans,
until I smelled some durians and creamy mangosteens.

I sank into some quicksand thinking I was surely dead;
a Dayak tribesman rescued me, then tried to shrink my head.

At night I slept in tree top huts with thick mosquito nets,
yet still I got malaria and shook with chills and sweats.

I brought home an orangutan but gave him to a zoo–
I’ll have to find another pet next August in Peru.

It’s true! It is! It happened on that wonderful vacation,
I took inside the deepest realms of my imagination!

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Honorable Mention

The Queen Bee and the Hungry Bear
by Stephanie Salkin

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(A Parallel Poem based on “The Walrus and the Carpenter” from THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, by Lewis Carroll)

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The time has come, the Queen Bee said,
to talk of many stings:
of hives, bears, honey combs,
of soldier bees on wings
and how a bear could maul our home—
such horrid, awful things!

Did you hear that? The Queen then cried.
We have to end our chat!
A hungry bear paws at our door—
he’s meaning to grow fat.

Go quickly, said the worried Queen.
Please save our habitat!

Her soldiers buzzed, they flew outside,
the bear commenced to chew,
completely mindless of the bees
that swarmed out into view.
My hide is thick, the brown bear said.
Your stings cannot stab through!

I weep for you, he told those bees,
I really feel so pained.
With sobs and grunts he tore their hive,
his face all honey-stained.
And drank, he did, those sweet, sweet combs
till they were fully drained.

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Honorable Mention

DOUBLE DRIP CONE
by Kathleen Doherty

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My tongue is working extra fast.
This ice cream cone will never last.

Lickety, lick.
The drips come quick!

A soggy mess, a sticky hand . . .
Another drop—PLOP!—hits the sand.

Lickety, lick.
The drips come quick!

’Round and ’round the rim I bite.
A cone this mushy isn’t right.

Just one last bit for me to munch!
I’m done. I’m stuffed. So, when is lunch?

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Honorable Mention

Runaway Rodeo
by Linda Hoffman Kimball

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(illustrator’s note: the boy Peter is missing his top front teeth)

It’s rodeo time. The crowd’s comin’ in.
Peter’s excited. It shows in his grin.

He loves every bit – every bridle & rein,
each rope & each saddle, each tail & each mane,
each wrangler & rider, each pearl-buttoned shirt,
each whinny & moo & the smell of the dirt.

But here’s the main reason Pete came out to cheer:
his favorite bronc’ buster Sly Cottonwood’s here!

It’s Sly’s turn to try stayin’ on long enough.
“You’ll do it!” Pete yells. “Hold on & hang tough!”

The seconds are tickin’! What’s Cowboy Sly’s fate?
He stays on for 6 & then 7 & 8!

“Yahoo!” Peter adds to the chorus of cheerin’,
but the bronc’ with his rider keeps buckin’ and rearin’!

Sly hollers a prayer on the back of the horse,
But prayin’s not changin’ that crazy brute’s course.

(illustrators note: images here of the horse and rider careening around the arena)

Then comes such a “THWEEET!”
so piercin’ & shrill
that everything stops!

The horse fin’ly stands still!

Sly looks up at Peter whose lips are still puckered.
“Thanks for your whistlin’! I was sure gettin’ tuckered!”

Pete shouts, “That bronco jutht needed more noith!
Thly, you’re the betht of the betht of cowboyth!”

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Honorable Mention

A Duel at Bedtime: Parents versus Kids
by Katie Gast

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‘Click’ the TV off. Signal, that’s a wrap.

Put away the toys. They deserve a nap.

Laughing, screaming shrieks. “We are wide awake!”

Race around the house. Wiggle, hop and shake.

Pop the hamper lid. Stinky clothes are chucked.

Set the furnace low. Cool it, heating duct.

Splash into the tub. Leave no counter dry.

Minty fresh brushed teeth. Grab the towel and fly.

Push the armchair in. Legs and back do ache.

Flip the light switch off. Circuits need a break.

Hide behind the door. Climb up on the chair.

Jump out when they pass. Roar and wave and scare!

Read to wound up kids. Sing to keep them shushed.

Put the house to bed, gently, it is bushed.

Wriggle, squirm and kick! Bed sheets on the floor!

Giggle, hiccup, burp. “Water! We need more!”

Tuck tots back in bed. Kiss soft cheeks night-night.

Dream they fall asleep. Pray some night they might.

Creep around the house, want a playful chum.

Rooms are dim and grey, silent…boring… glum.

Still walls, dark halls, waylay wakeful heads.

Pick all snoozers up. Lay them in their beds.

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Honorable Mention

LUNCH ON THE BUS
by Ashley Potts

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Lunch on the bus. Lunch on the bus.
I left,
I left,
my lunch on the bus.
It’s not in my backpack. Not spilled on the floor.
The last place I saw it was Bus 24.
I shouldn’t have taken it out when I did,
to show off my lunchbox to Raymond and Sid.
Left on the bus. Left on the bus?!?
The driver must EAT lunches
left on the bus!
Who can resist ham salad on rye?
Pickles and cheese sticks and leftover pie?
I’m sure that he’s crunching my cookies right now,
and slurping my Super Slug juice box.
Oh, wow.
Lunch on the bus. Lunch on the bus.
I left,
I left,
my lunch on the bus.
I can’t buy my lunch. I don’t have a dime.
That sneaky bus driver, he knew it was mine.
I’m going to STARVE. I’m going to croak!
I’m going to pass out. This isn’t a joke.
My poor stomach feels like it just took a punch.
Hey, Driver, I’m dying ‘cause YOU ate —
MY LUNCH?!?
Who doubled back?
Who brought it to school?
Oh.
My bus driver’s actually pretty darn cool.

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Honorable Mention

Sonnet: DOG VERSUS MOURNING DOVE
by Melanie Ellsworth

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To catch a dove that’s feasting at the feeder,
requires a nose that’s keen, and careful legs.
The dog for this should be the sure pack leader.
(He must ignore that sizzling ham and eggs.)

A tough dog keeps his focus on his prey.
Now, I’m a mangy mutt and old to boot – yet,
I want this dove. I HOWL, and GROWL, and BAY!
The dove keeps snacking – doesn’t even sweat.

Across my field I spot a Pointer coming.
There’s hope at last! A bird dog cannot miss.
He leaps. I lunge. Our hearts are pounding, drumming.
We mark this moment with a well-earned piss.

For two together do what one may not.
There’s no one mourning for the dove we caught.

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Honorable Mention

A STICKY SITUATION
by Jill Proctor

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A hairy fly
with sticky toes
alighted on
my nobby nose.

I brushed it off
with one big “whack!”
But soon the fly
came buzzing back.

Swoosh! I swiped
both left and right.
The hairy fly
would not take flight.

I poked the fly.
I gave a nudge.
The hairy fly
refused to budge.
I wondered next,
what shall I do?
The fly is stuck!
The fly won’t shoo!

If hairy fly
declines to split,
I’ll swat and squish
and swallow it!

At last, the pesky
fly took wing.
And from its sticky
feet I swing.

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Honorable Mention

Morning News
by Buffy Silverman

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A chickadee chirps from a high leafy perch,

deep in the shade of a bountiful birch.

He sounds an alarm: Chick-a-dee-dee-dee-deeee! 

Cat’s on patrol!  She skulks in the hedge!

Freeze where you are!  Be alert! Stay on edge!

Chick-a-dee-dee-dee!  Chick-a-dee-dee-dee-deeee!

 

Chipmunk’s alert to the chirps of alarm.

She chips out a warning, then sprints from the harm:

down through a burrow, her chips disappear

away from the danger, far from the fear.

She stays in her chamber, awaiting all clear.

Chick-a-dee-dee-dee!  Chick-a-dee-dee-dee!

 

A chickadee spies from his high leafy perch,

deep in the shade of a bountiful birch.

He calls an all-clear: chick-a-dee-dee.

Danger has passed.  You don’t need to freeze.

Fly to the feeder. Flit through the trees.

Chick-a-dee-dee!  Chick-a-dee-dee!

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Honorable Mention

RECIPE FOR HUMOR
by Janie Reinart

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Crack a joke.
Steep the laughter.
Baste a smile.
Taste it after.
Grill the gag.
Hear it giggle.
Shake it quick,
just a jiggle.
Squeeze the jest.
Make it titter.
Jazz it up.
Sprinkle glitter.
Pinch the pun.
Knead the clowning.
Just like that,
no more frowning.

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Honorable Mention

Please Don’t Make Me Eat Those Peas
by Lynn Alpert

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Please don’t make me eat those peas –
they stink and make me gag and wheeze.
I have a strong aversion to
those squishy globes of greenish goo!

I try to feed them to our puppy,
the hamster, and the family guppy.
They try a pea and spit it out –
they hate them, too, without a doubt!

I wish you would respect my wishes–
I promise I will do the dishes
if you don’t force me to consume
that evil, little green legume!

I’ll clean my room and make my bed
and make sure that the pets are fed.
If you love me, I’m beggin’ please,
Please don’t make me eat those peas!

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 A Heartfelt Congratulations To You All!

Your poems are fabulous and you should be very proud of a job well done!

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I welcome everyone who entered the contest to post your poems in the Pearls of Poetry tab above!

Please share them with us…Mention that your poem was entered in the contest!

All the poems were wonderful and I appreciate your participation! Keep rhyming!

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See You Next Year!

 

RhyPiBoMo 2014 ends with Confetti, Fireworks and Champagne for Everyone!

RhyPiBoMo 2014 ends with Confetti, Fireworks and

Champagne for Everyone!     Day 35

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This is it…the end of RhyPiBoMo 2014!

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Here are a few interesting facts:

35 Daily Lessons

35 Guest Bloggers

204 RhyPiBoMo Participants

243 Facebook Group members and growing daily

40 Golden Quill Poetry Contest Entries

210 working hours in April

9 Organized Critique Groups

72 Critique Group members

89 Planning days prior to the event

45 Prizes awarded

4 Rhyming Parties

28 Different country members represented here

equals…

1 Happy Angie with Many Amazing New Friends! My Heart is Full! Thank you!

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I was fortunate enough to meet today’s guest blogger virtually through Mira Reisberg’s Hero’s Art Journey Course. She is so kind and eloquent with her words and her many award-winning picture books are equally as divine! She is a very talented author who I hope to meet in person some day! I thank you so much Marsha for ending RhyPiBoMo with your grace and genuine care for other writers!

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So, without further ado, I’m honored to present today’s

Golden Quill Guest Blogger

Marsha Diane Arnold!

   Rhypibomo Guest Blogger Badge   Marsha Diane Arnold 1

THE GREATEST JOY

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Some years ago my Aunt Ruby shared a children’s rhyme from her childhood. She wrote: “These little rhymes, we took with the greatest joy. Grandpa Kaufman crossed his legs and placed us on his foot, tossing us up and down, galloping with this little rhyme. At the words ‘fall in the creek,’ he’d tumble us off his foot, to our joy and laughter, only to get on again and again.” Her son-in-law shared the same rhyme with his sons who today share it with their children.

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I love her phrase, “the greatest joy.” Movement, rhythm, sound, and rhyme naturally bring us joy. They are part of our earliest memories and an integral part of our nature.

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Sometimes I wonder from where the first rhymes came. Perhaps from the magpie lark. Magpie larks sing a duet where one bird calls “tee-hee” and another replies “pee-o-wee, pee-o-wit.” Ornithologists have discovered some young birds must be taught their songs. At first, they are far from perfect songsters. They listen to their expert parents or uncles or aunts and learn from the masters.

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This is a good way for all of us to become more skillful. Check out The Making of a Poem, A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms. Keep it near your bed stand to read each night, for the best examples of poetry and explanations of forms. Mary Oliver is one of my favorite contemporary poets. Read her poems as well as her A Poetry Handbook, gentle and wondrous guides. Sometimes children’s books are the easiest way for me to learn. Judy Young’s R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet is a collection of poems that illustrates poetic terms and techniques. My current favorite “lesson” book on poetry is also the funniest I’ve ever read, The Ode Less Travelled, Unlocking The Poet Within by Stephen Fry. Brilliantly entertaining as well as extremely useful.

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Learning from the masters may sound serious, but rhyming for children is mostly great fun. So, be playful. Make odd observations; notice things that others might not. Practice thinking in a different way than usual. Think of writing poetry and stories like a visit to an amusement park. The beginning should draw the reader into the park. The middle should take her on a rollercoaster ride. The end should bring her to a safe landing, emotionally satisfying and also logical within the story’s or poem’s world.

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Support is also essential. I’m honored to be able to hang out with truly talented poets at Poets’ Garage, http://poetsgarage.wordpress.com.

 Poets Garage

I started rhyming my stories after a serious illness. Subconsciously, I must have needed to express and feel “the greatest joy” my Aunt Ruby talked about. So I began to include rhyme in my writing projects. I ended up with one poem, beautifully illustrated in High Five by Highlights and two picture books. Before Prancing Dancing Lily and Roar of a Snore, my work had been lyrical, filled with alliteration and lovely lines, but no rhyme. It’s been a delight to share these stories with children at school visits. I know from their laughter and smiling faces that they’re enjoying themselves.

 Marsha Diane Arnold 2

Angie has given us brilliant lessons to guide us through the rhyming world. RhyPiBoMo bloggers before me have added to the wisdom. So, go forth, dear rhymers. Learn from the masters, be playful, write excellent rhyme, and bring to yourself and others “the greatest joy.”

Marsha Diane Arnold 3
BIO:
Called a “born storyteller” by the media, Marsha Diane Arnold is an award-winning picture book author with eleven traditional books, two digital apps, and an e-book to her credit. Her books’ awards range from the Ridgway for Best First Book by a New Author to Smithsonian Notable to IRA Distinguished Book. Represented by Red Fox Literary, in 2013 she contracted with Neal Porter Books for two new picture books, Kate O’Sullivan of Houghton Mifflin for another, and Tamarind for a fourth. Marsha is the creator of the popular Writing Wonderful Character-Driven Picture Books e-course (http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/writing-character-driven-stories.html) at Children’s Book Academy, where she also writes a monthly blog (http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/blogettes.html). She grew up on a Kansas farm, but today creates imaginative rhyming worlds and wacky characters in northern California. You may read about her books, school visits, life, and check out her blog at http://www.marshadianearnold.com.

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http://www.marshadianearnold.com
Character-Driven PB Course:
http://www.picturebookacademy.com/writing-character-driven-stories.html
Prancing Dancing Lily app:
http://fatredcouch.com/Prancing_Dancing_Lillypr

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Thank you Marsha Diane Arnold!

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RhyPiBoMo Daily Lesson: Saturday, May 3
By Angie Karcher © 2014
Lesson 35

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Submit it & Celebrate a Job Well Done!

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This is the one thing I am the worst at! I write but I rarely submit anything. It makes no sense! I am giving myself May to write and revise and then lookout… June is the month I am going to start submitting my work again!

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I do much better if I make a plan ahead of time. So I am looking at June’s calendar…

Writing Schedule for June

I often work 7 days a week but you can certainly tweak this schedule to fit into your life…I am committing to submitting every week on Sundays. Sunday afternoons are fairly quiet around my house and the television shows I love to watch are on Sunday evenings so I will be motivated to work on Sunday afternoons so my reward will be television: Downton Abbey, MadMen and TurN and Masterpiece Classic. Yes, I am like a child that way…I need motivation sometimes and I love these shows!

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Create your own schedule! Add in what you need to focus on! If you don’t succeed the first week in doing everything, don’t fret…move on to the next week and start over. Maybe the schedule will need to be tweaked from week to week until you find what works for you.
Here is your June Calendar…fill it in!

June Calendar

The main thing is add time to submit, be it weekly, bi-weekly or monthly…get it on the calendar and make it happen!

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Let’s celebrate the submission…because there will be lots and lots of rejections before the acceptance letter and the book contract comes!

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I am creating a Tab on my blog called Submissions and Success. I am going to talk more about submissions there and give links to publishers that are accepting unsolicited manuscripts for rhyming picture books. I am going to announce every time that I submit a manuscript! I want you to share when you submit as well!

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The SUCCESS won’t come without the SUBMISSION!

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I also want to hear when you have a rhyming picture book accepted! So share your success too! We will celebrate the submissions and the success!

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So, look for the Submissions and Success tab on my blog in June.

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Now for celebrating this wonderful month of rhyme!

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It has been one of the best months of my writing life! I am so motivated to write, revise, and submit for the first time in a long time.

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I want to thank you for being here because without all 204 of you, I would not be headed on this rhyming picture book path in June!

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I had no idea when I started this writing challenge if anyone would show up. You fellow rhymers showed up in full force and I think we made a statement that rhyme is here to stay but we have also committed to writing brilliant rhyme and not submitting anything less!

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I have not been able to reply to the many comments that you have all made this month. But, I have read every single one of them and I thank you for every kind word and all your wonderful appreciation! You have inspired me too!

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Please continue to follow my blog and stay tuned because there is more to come in this wacky world of rhyme!

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I am tossing confetti!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix9_Jvt-UYU

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and there are fireworks in the sky!

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http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=fireworks&vid=9f71d2d1b3217d417a5e9fcd69b488c9&l=1%3A28&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DVN.608029419181769035%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9jzLL3PiJTE&tit=Fireworks&c=14&sigr=11a4gus88&sigt=109kp8moi&ct=p&pstcat=news&age=0&hsimp=yhs-
fullyhosted_003&hspart=ironsource&tt=b

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and champagne is flowing!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGTdElWC-Ko

Cheers!

for

this

day

has

arrived

and

we

all

survived…and steadily learned how brilliant rhyme is earned! (1more rhyme for the road) LOL

RhyPiBoMo ends with our favorite rhymer…

 

RhyPiBoMo Willy Image

In the words of Willy S.
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“The rhyme’s the thing wherein I speak
the words and let them sing”
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now…
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Let us end where we began with
Kevan Atteberry’s brilliant cartoon…

Kevan Atteberry 2

Enough Said!

Go Forth, Write Singing Poetry and Change Lives! Friday

Go Forth, Write Singing Poetry and Change Lives! Friday     Day 34

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Where did April Go?

I can’t believe we are here, at the end of this lovely month of learning and sharing…it has been a joy to meet all of you!  I do plan to continue blogging once a week so please come back and visit. I will share this certificate again in case you missed it yesterday…please post this on your website and blogs as a token of your hard work and dedication to writing rhyming picture books! I would appreciate if you would link it back to my blog at Angiekarcher.wordpress.com   Congrats for a well-deserved diploma!

RhyPiBoMo Graduate Badge

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There was a survey posted earlier and I want to thank each of you that took the time to fill it out!

There is one more question that I need a more specific answer to…Please name specific authors, editors and agents that you want to see as guest bloggers for next year…

Thank you for all your support and friendship throughout this month!

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Today’s guest blogger is a friend who has been telling stories to kids forever! She is energetic, full of gumption and sass!  Hold on to your hats because you never know what you are going to hear when Mary Jo is around! LOL

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So, without further ado, I’m honored to present today’s

Golden Quill Guest Blogger

Mary Jo Huff!

   Rhypibomo Guest Blogger Badge   Mary Jo Huff 1

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My name is Mary Jo Huff and I come from a different world then many of the bloggers and maybe even the readers. My life has been dedicated to, “lighting a fire in children’s imaginations.” Rhyming comes natural to me because I have worked with hundreds of children making up rhymes, moving from one spot to another with a fun rhyme and I have written many rhymes.

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My rhymes are not published in picture books but in resource books for librarians, teachers and the world of Early Childhood. Rhymes never get old as they are repeated over and over by children and adults. Experiences with rhymes provide a solid foundation for early literacy.

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“During the first years and months of life, a child’s experiences with language and literacy begin to form a basis for their later reading success. Research consistently demonstrates that the more children know about language and literacy before they arrive at school, the better equipped they are to succeed in reading.” (Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Reading Success, National Research Council, 1999).

Mary Jo Huff 5
Rhymes are throughout my new book “STORY PLAY: Building Language and Literacy One Story at a Time. I am grateful for being invited by Dianne De Las Casas to be involved with the original Picture Book Month blogs. This experience has led me on a new path. I plan to be published in the picture book market and of course there would be a rhyming picture book.

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Mary Jo Huff 6

SOME OF MY FAVORITE NEW RHYMING BOOKS:

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GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT – Mem Fox, Judy Horacek
HERE’S A LITTLE POEM – Jane Yolen & Andrew Fusek Peters, Polly dunbar
MARC BROWN’S PLAYTIME RHYMES = Marc Brown
MICE – Rose Fyleman, Lois Ehlert
MY MOTHER GOOSE – David McPhail
ON THE FARM – David Elliott, Holly Meade
THIS LITTLE PIGGY – Jane Yolen, Will Hillenbrand
THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY – Pam Adams
THE HOUSE THAT SANTA BUILT – Dianne De Las Casas
THE HOUSE THAT WITCHITY BUILT – Dianne De las Casas

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Bio:
Mary Jo is an author, storyteller and puppeteer who creates books, CDs and DVDs filled with original stories, songs, and finger plays. She has visited 46 states and presented to thousands of children and adults. Mary Jo is an Early Childhood teaching artist, past director of a center with 115 children, and is an onsite consultant for Early Childhood centers, schools, 4C, Head Start and Family Childcare. Mary Jo has written for the Frog Street’s Pre-K Curriculum and Gryphon House, Monday Morning Publishing, SECA and many publications for Early Childhood educators. She works with children in school settings via SKYPE and in person. Her information and experiences are presented in a humorous, enthusiastic style with practical ideas that create new early literacy activities that can be implemented immediately. Mary Jo shares passionately, in an interactive, hands-on, participatory atmosphere. Plan to snap, clap, wiggle and giggle as you learn new ways to connect with children and parents.

http://storytellin.com/

Mary Jo Huff 4

Storytelling for Kids! – Creative Child Magazine CD of the Year 2009
NAPPA – Gold 2008
Dove – 2009

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Thank you Mary Jo Huff!

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RhyPiBoMo Daily Lesson: Friday, May 2
By Angie Karcher © 2014
Lesson 34

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Does Your Poetry Sing?

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As we have studied poetry techniques, poetic forms and how poetry enhances our writing, we have become word musicians. We compose short musicals of words matched with pictures and the result is a rhyming picture book. The written words in a picture book are meant to be read aloud to express the musicality of the language, so carefully composed by the author. We all know that the meter, the rhythm and the rhyme create that magical flow that urges the reader to continue and keeps the listener asking for more.

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As a writer, we want our work to move people, to make them think, to give a new experience. We write because we are story tellers. We write for children because our words can take them on journeys they might not otherwise experience.

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Teachers use songs in the classroom to help kids remember and reinforce the important skills being taught. Try singing your poems out loud! Find or make up a tune that fits the poem and sing it!

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Yes, I am talking about actual singing! You know the reference to poetic singing, and how it should flow musically, with rhythm and lyrically in the language…well songs are just poems that have been set to music…

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I can’t think of a better complement for a writer than to have their work set to music.

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Many, many folk tales were set to music to help people remember the words but more importantly the story being told. This song, She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain is actually about a religious belief of the returning of Christ to the world. I had no idea that’s where this originated. This is a timeless song that has made its way from the early 1800’s to today with very few changes. The way it is expressed musically varies but the message remains the same. That is the kind of poetry/picture books we must write…universal themes and timeless messages.

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Here are the lyrics to this American folk tale:
She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain
When she comes,
She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain
When she comes,
She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain,
She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain,
She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain,
When she comes

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Other verses:
She’ll be drivin’ six white horses
Oh, we’ll all go out to greet her
We will kill the old red rooster,
Oh, we’ll all have chicken and dumplings,
She will wear her red pajamas,
She will have to sleep with Grandma

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Here are a few different versions of this wonderful poem put to music!

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She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain – Radio Broadcast Version
Played by Ramblin’ Tommy Scott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghd-xL5gAjc

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She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain – Hollywood Dance Orchestra
Played on a Victrola from the 1930’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SEiXgHCzYA

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She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain – Sesame Street Version
By Big Bird and Elmo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7VL2P9dryM

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She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain – Choral Version
by The Dale Warland Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW9ahqmcBLc

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She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain – Funk Version
by Funkadelic 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mwWYeOF6Ww

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Today, we think of this as a kid’s song but actually, it was a common song sung by adults for hundreds of years. The point is, it is still being sung today in many different forms by many different people…it is timeless.

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Poetry set to music can even become part of motion pictures. This version of The Colors of the Wind gives me actual goose bumps! It is beautiful to listen to musically but the words are so powerful. This is what we need to be writing!

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The Colors of the Wind by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz
From the Disney movie Pocahontas

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http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=She%27ll+be+coming+around+the+mountain%2C+sung+in+french&vid=e66be562815cd7d8a7252d4537d73dc1&l=3%3A14&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DVN.608027490749841530%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHvvZ1TEQRB8&tit=Pocahontas+-+Colors+of+the+Wind+%28Disney+Song%29&c=15&sigr=11akj5pb0&sigt=11dnkrfbu&ct=p&age=0&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_003&hspart=ironsource&tt=b

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“We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains and we need to paint with all the colors of the wind”

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Inspiring…

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I’m not at all saying that our writing should be preachy or teach lessons specifically but it should be inspiring in some way. It should inspire a child to laugh, to share the story with a friend, to grow and learn more about the world around him…singing poetry can do that!

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Our poetry should touch children in the whole world…here is The Colors of the Wind in Spanish. Write your poetry and picture books for all children in the world!

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The Colors of the Wind – Spanish Version
By Vanessa Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeII17phew8

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I leave you this poem to music. It saved thousands of lives when a group of musicians and the world came together to help starving African children. We are the World is one of my favorite songs. I can barely listen to it without crying because it is so powerful, yet so, so simple…

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We are the world, we are the children,
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving.
There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives,
It’s true we make a better day, just you and me!

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Think of this in terms of your writing.

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Now go forth, write singing poetry and change lives!

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We Are the World

USA for Africa – We Are The World ( Original Music Video 1985 )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoDY8ce_3zk

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Okay, now do everything else on the pledge for today and don’t forget to comment on today’s blog post!

RhyPiBoMo Pledge

RhyPiBoMo PledgeRhyPiBoMo Pledge Please comment ONLY ONE TIME below for a chance to win today’s prize! Prizes will be drawn by Random.com next Sunday for the previous week. To be eligible for a prize you must be a registered participant and comment after each days lessons.

We Write Brilliant Rhyme that is Sublime All the Time! Thursday

We Write Brilliant Rhyme that is Sublime All the Time! Thursday        Day 33

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The Poetry Contest

I hope to be able to announce the winners of the poetry contest on Sunday but I can’t guarantee that, as it is taking some time to go through each poem and give it due diligence in judging. I am so impressed with the quality of the poems submitted. I have had to disqualify a few poems because the author didn’t include 3/5 senses in their poem. I have had a few people ask why this was one of the requirements…First of all, it helped to eliminate poems that weren’t written specifically for this contest. It also isn’t an easy task and I wanted to challenge you. It is rewarding to see how cleverly you added 3 senses into your poems.

Please don’t contact me asking if your poem was disqualified. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to address your specific poem and will not be able to answer those emails.

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Overall, I think one area of improvement could be the use of multi-syllabic rhyming words…really search the rhyming dictionary for the absolute best word choices! It is very obvious in a contest like this to see who did! Use those clever, unexpected rhyming words in your picture books to keep the reader guessing. You don’t want them to be able to predict anything! It has been so much fun reading your poems and I thank each and everyone of you who is participating! Good Luck!

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Critique Groups Open to New Members

We are opening up critique groups again in the Facebook Group! If you are interested in joining an organized RhyPiBoMo Critique Group, please contact Dawn Young on Facebook or comment on the post concerning the groups. The window for adding new members will only be open for a week so please contact us asap!

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I found today’s guest blogger when I was searching for information on rhyming! She has a wonderful resource that I suggest called Rhyme Like the Experts. Here is the link to her blog where it can be purchased:http://jackiehoskingpoetry.wordpress.com/

She is a well written and respected poet who has published poetry all over the world.  She recently announced that her debut rhyming picture book coming out this July. She also offers an editing service and is the editor of Pass It On, an e-zine for writers and illustrators. See, I told you she was busy!

 

So, without further ado, I’m honored to present today’s

Golden Quill Guest Blogger

Jackie Hosking!

   Rhypibomo Guest Blogger Badge   Jackie Hosking 1

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DOES METER MATTER?

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As far as I’m concerned, without meter nothing matters!!..

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So what exactly is meter?

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Meter is the pattern created by the ordering of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of verse. It is the rhythm of our language, the drum beat that rocks the poem along. It should be predictable and so established right from the start. This allows the reader to relax – it’s a bit like jogging. Once the rhythm is established you can jog for miles! Without this predictable rhythm the reader will trip up which will pull them out of the story or poem while they try to adjust to the new rhythm..

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A COMMON MISTAKE
Altering where the stress falls naturally to fit the meter
Song writers do this quite often but it doesn’t seem as jarring when there is music to go along with the words. Poetry is different, especially poetry that is designed to be read by people other than the author.
When we learn to speak a language we are taught to pronounce words according to where their stresses fall. Different accents will sometimes stress different parts of the word.

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Eg: the word ‘paprika’ in English/Australian is pronounced PAprika, with the stress falling on the first syllable. In the USA it is pronounced paPRIka, with the stress falling on the middle syllable.
If I was looking to rhyme with the word paprika, I could use either ‘Africa’ or ‘eureka’ depending on which country I was writing for. This is one of the reasons why it is difficult to translate poetry across countries even if they speak English.

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Here’s another eg:
I tipped my hat and waved goodbye
And walked away with my Bonsai

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What’s wrong with this couplet? Bonsai certainly rhymes with goodbye but why doesn’t it sound right? Below is an alternative – why does this read more smoothly?

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I tipped my hat and waved goodbye
And wiped a teardrop from my eye

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Okay – here’s the secret. In natural speech the word ‘goodbye’ is made up of two syllables, ‘good’ and ‘bye’. The stress falls on the second syllable – goodBYE.

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The word ‘bonsai’ on the other hand, while also made up of two syllables, has its stressed syllable falling naturally on the first one. BONsai.

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The pattern or meter for this couplet goes like this…
I tipped my hat and waved goodbye – an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
And walked away with my Bonsai – now we have two stressed syllables running into each other. The author is likely to adjust how they pronounce the word ‘bonsai’ and put the stress on the second syllable. They will do this instinctively when they read it aloud and will miss the discrepancy. The new reader, however will try to pronounce the word as it is spoken normally and will trip up the first time he/she reads it. A good indication of whether you have made this mistake in your own writing is to get a friend to read it aloud and note where they stumble.

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Jackie Hosking

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Bio:
Jackie is a multi published children’s writer and poet. Her rhyming poetry has appeared all over the world and her first rhyming picture book has been contracted by Walker Books Australia to be published in July 2014. Jackie is the editor of PASS IT ON (PIO), the Children’s Book Writers’ and Illustrators’ Networking e-zine and she also runs her own Rhyming Manuscript Editing Service. Users of her editing service are able to purchase a copy of her booklet ‘Rhyme Like the Experts’ for only AU$5.00

Jackie's book

*children’s author/poet
http://jackiehoskingblog.wordpress.com/
*editor – children’s rhyming manuscripts
http://jackiehoskingblog.wordpress.com/jackies-editing-service/
*publisher of PASS IT ON
http://jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/

 

 

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Thank you Jackie Hosking!

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RhyPiBoMo Daily Lesson: Thursday, May 1

By Angie Karcher © 2014
Lesson 33

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Is your Rhyme Brilliant?

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When I began thinking about today’s blog I asked myself,
“What does BRILLIANT mean?”

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Here are a few synonyms:
Shining brightly
Sparkling
Glittering
Lustrous
Distinguished
Having great intelligence
Talented
Quality
Strong and clear in tone
Vivid
Bright
Illustrious
Splendid
Magnificent

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These words describe so much about this past month spent learning more about our love for writing rhyme together.

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First of all, I am overwhelmed with the gratitude I feel from everyone. It has been my pleasure to share my journey with you…it’s so much more fun to study with friends!

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Secondly, these descriptive words apply to how brilliant our writing will be if we keep at it! I hope you will keep the daily lessons saved where you can refer to them often. There was A LOT of information…go back when you have time and do the writing prompts, click on the resources and read it all again without the pressure of daily intensity.

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Thirdly, continue to submit your work to your critique group, continue to do the word chopping exercises we learned and add in all the poetic devices your manuscript can handle without feeling like a sinking poetic ship! Don’t do them all in one manuscript…choose the gems that will make it sparkle and glimmer on its way to publication!

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If you notice that your writing starts to seem a bit:
cloudy
dim
dull
gloomy
obscure
dulled
normal
typical
Then it’s time to get your sparkle back! Pull out the RhyPiBoMo Notebook!

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I have a few requests of you…

RhyPiBoMo Graduate Badge
1) Please post this RhyPiBoMo Graduate Badge on your website and blog and link it back to my blog at Angiekarcher.wordpress.com You have earned this well-deserved badge of honor for doing the work, and for sticking it out with me! Please tell other rhymers about your experience here! If I could figure out a way to make this badge sparkle, I would have done it! You should be able to grab it (copy and paste) from here and I also have it on the sidebar of my blog. Here is the image link:

https://angiekarcher.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/rhypibomo-graduate-badge-e1398926047783.jpg

 

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2) Please promise that if you have a rhyming picture book published from here on out that you will let me know!!! I want to celebrate with you and share your brilliant accomplishment with the world! I want to create a plaque listing the names of the RhyPiBoMo published authors that were published after this month.

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3) I would absolutely LOVE for you to send me an autographed copy of your rhyming picture book once it is published. I will share it in future events and brag on you…say that I knew you before you were a big time author! LOL! I will post your book on my wall of authors on my blog!

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4) I hope that you will continue to read rhyming picture books every day and I hope that you will continue to write poetry too. Poetry is the secret ingredient to our rhyming picture book cakes that will make it delicious and keep kids and parents asking for more. Anyone who says poetry isn’t important in this genre…is wrong! Of course, it’s not about knowing the terminology, it’s about understanding the concepts and how they will make your text shine! Anyone who has published a genuinely brilliant and singing rhyming picture book is writing poetry, whether they know it or not.

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The difference between brilliant rhyme and mediocre rhyme is the difference between publishing an award winning, acclaimed rhyming picture book and one that is published but collects dust on the shelf…no one reads it more than once.

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Remember, I am on this journey with you as I have not published a rhyming picture book yet…but I am working on that! My biggest challenge has always been…sending out submissions. Isn’t that stupid that I write but I don’t submit very often. I go in spurts, typically after attending a writing conference, where I submit several manuscripts at a time and then I get caught up in some other writing endeavor and don’t continue the pattern.

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I am so motivated now to revise a few of my rhyming picture book manuscripts and submit…Maybe we should announce submissions on the Facebook Group as a motivation! Let me think about what we can do to help motivate submissions on a regular basis. We will talk about submitting more on Saturday!

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Writing Prompt: Use as many of the descriptive synonyms of brilliant as you can in a poem to describe your writing!

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Okay, now do everything else on the pledge for today and don’t forget to comment on today’s blog post!

RhyPiBoMo Pledge

RhyPiBoMo PledgeRhyPiBoMo Pledge Please comment ONLY ONE TIME below for a chance to win today’s prize! Prizes will be drawn by Random.com next Sunday for the previous week. To be eligible for a prize you must be a registered participant and comment after each days lessons.