Gavin Bennett's Blog: 2015 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 3

Sorry for the late start today. I’ve been struggling a bit with my poem, but that happens from time to time, right? Let’s get poeming!

For today’s prompt, we’ve actually got a 2-for-Tuesday prompt. You can pick one prompt to follow, do both separately, or combine into one prompt. Your choice.

Write a United Poem.
Write a Divided Poem.

Remember: These prompts are merely springboards. Interpret them as you wish.

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Re-create Your Poetry!

Revision doesn’t have to be a chore–something that should be done after the excitement of composing the first draft. Rather, it’s an extension of the creation process!

In the 48-minute tutorial video Re-creating Poetry: How to Revise Poems, poets will be inspired with several ways to re-create their poems with the help of seven revision filters that they can turn to again and again.

Click to continue.

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Here’s my attempt at a United and/or Divided poem:

“Speculation”

At school, everyone was divided over what had
happened to Jesse. “Personally, I think he’s dead,”
said Eddie Click between bites of his soft roll
in the cafeteria. “Of course, you do,” said Barbara
Bane. “You’re always so morbid. What do you think,
Marcus?” “Well…” “I’m not morbid,” Eddie interrupted,
“Just being real.” “A real jerk,” replied Barbara.
“They haven’t found the body yet,” said Walt Waters.
“Or the car,” interjected Eddie. “So?” “Well, think
about it, Barbara,” continued Walt. “Maybe nothing
happened to him. I mean, he could just be on the run
or something.” “Or maybe,” said Eddie excited.
“Maybe he killed someone.” Barbara slapped Eddie.
“Whu? Why’s it always gotta be about death with you?”

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market and Writer’s Market, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and a poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

This is his eighth year of hosting and participating in the November PAD (Poem-A-Day) Chapbook Challenge. He can’t wait to see what everyone creates this month–not only on a day-by-day basis, but when the chapbooks start arriving in December and January. Fun, fun, fun.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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