For about three years now, my partner Doug has been hankering after Mister Softee, a soft-serve ice cream truck that he fondly remembers from his childhood. Mister Softee of Central Illinois has a Facebook page so you can find the truck. Today they were parked all day at the Warrensburg Corn Festival. So we went, and drove an hour to get ice cream ... and it was the best street fair we've been to. Tiny little thing -- no more than 5-6 vendors, maybe 6-8 food and beverage places, a midway with a handful of rides, and miscellaneous entertainment. But I give them 10 out of 10 points. Let me explain why...

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Tags: community, event, event report, family skills, food, holiday, illinois, life lessons, personal, review
Current Mood: happy

This is an advance announcement for the Tuesday, August 1, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. This time the theme will be "rites / rights." I'll be soliciting ideas for adolescents, parents, heroes, villains, fools, clergy and other officiants, explorers, travelers, ordinary people, outcasts, facing thresholds, questioning, debating labels, traveling, accepting the call, refusing the call, getting lost, losing everything, hiding in the closet, coming out, finding your power, speaking truth to power, telling your own story, discovering new places, bedrooms, classrooms, counseling offices, churches, government buildings, the wilderness, cliffs, trails, self-discovery, self-awareness, birth, puberty, getting a job, marriage, sex, parenthood, death, rebirth, radical transformation, the hero's journey, birth control, reproductive freedom, alien transitions, self-sacrifice, disruptions, adventures, legal rights, famous geographic passageways, and poetic forms in particular.

I have a linkback poem, "Rewriting the Narrative" (9 verses, standalone). 

If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week.  (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts.  I am now.)  Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog. 

( New to the fishbowl?  Read all about it!Collapse )

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, event, family skills, fishbowl, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

Here is my card for Winterfest in July.  Bingo will run from July 1st through July 31.  This month we will be celebrating all winter holidays.  (See all my 2017 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out.  I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far.  This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.

Underlined prompts have been filled.


WINTERFEST IN JULY BINGO CARD

Christmas	Special Delivery	Homelessness	Fish	Chinese New Year
Shoveling Snow	Snowmageddon	Acts of Kindness	Make a List	Blue and White
Party	Red and Green	WILD CARD	Tree	Stars
Antlers	Baby It's Cold Outside	Shopping	Lights	Baking/Cooking
Gingerbread	Guests	Feast	Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day - December 8	Wise Men

Tags: bingo card, cyberfunded creativity, event, fishbowl, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

I posted a tidbit about our Litha ritual.

Tags: event, holiday, illinois, paganism, personal
Current Mood: busy

The crowdfunding Creative Jam is now live with a theme of "Sufficient or Indulgent."   Come give us prompts, or take some for your own inspiration.  


What I Have Written

"Goldilocks and the Three Planets" is this session's freebie.

A prompt about rich folks inspired the free-verse poem "The Things That Money Can't Buy." Scrunch is a supervillain who can make trouble and throw money around, but not even he can buy everything he wants.
94 lines, Buy It Now = $47


From My Prompts

Tags: art, community, creative jam, cyberfunded creativity, event, fiction, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: creative

Below is my card for the Round 8, 2017 hc_bingo fest. This fest encourages the creation of boundary-pushing material that explores what happens when things go horribly wrong and people actually care about each other. Remember, things always go wrong; what matters is how you deal with that. Some of the content may be NSFW. Read the FAQ and rules first. The signup post is here. (See all my 2017 bingo cards.)

I thought this might be an effective way to attract some new readers. It's also useful for developing some of my more danger-prone series.

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out. This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.

Warning: One of my readers noted that many of these prompts are "extra dark." I didn't notice it so much because I tend to gauge based on the tone of a given piece. If you're sensitive to just the prompts, you may wish to exercise caution.

Underlined prompts have been filled.

( My hc_bingo cardCollapse )

Tags: bingo card, cyberfunded creativity, event, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This is my card for the Pride Bingo Fest. Since June is LGBTQIA+ pride month, the theme for this month's fest is Pride!  It runs June 1-30.  (See all my 2017 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out.  I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far.  This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.


Underlined prompts have been filled.


PRIDE BINGO CARD

Dysfunctional	genderfluid	Cuddling	Public places	Nonphysical Passions
Experimentation	gay	Queerplatonic	questioning	Praise or Humiliation
Helplessness	Courting couple	WILD CARD	Punishment	demisexual
Accidental	bisexual	transgender	asexual	Teamfamily
Nonsexual Touch	lesbian	queer	Dominance & submission	Consent is sexy

Tags: art, bingo card, cyberfunded creativity, event, fiction, gender studies, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

The crowdfunding Creative Jam is now open with a theme of "Baker's Dozen."  Please drop by to give us prompts or claim some for your own inspiration.


What I Have Written
"13 Reasons Why" is this session's freebie.

"Creating a Community Around Food"
Shiv visits the farmer's market and makes many fine discoveries.
516 lines, Buy It Now = $258

"Ten Minutes in the Life of a Pear"
Shiv comes home with a bushel of pears, and Cook shows him how to turn them into wonderful desserts.
249 lines, Buy It Now = $125


From My Prompts

Tags: art, community, creative jam, cyberfunded creativity, event, fiction, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: creative

The Poetry Fishbowl is now CLOSED.  Thank you for your time and attention.  Please keep an eye on this space, as I'm still writing.

Starting now, the Poetry Fishbowl is open!  Today's theme is "history written by the losers."  I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.

Click to read the linkback poem "Lead Us in Peace" (18 verses, Clay of Life).


What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?

Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.

In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "history written by the losers." I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things relating to that theme. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.


Cyberfunded Creativity

I'm practicing cyberfunded creativity. If you enjoy what I'm doing and want to see more of it, please feed the Bard. The following options are currently available:

1) Sponsor the Fishbowl -- Here is a PayPal button for donations. There is no specific requirement, but $1 is the minimum recommended size for PayPal transactions since they take a cut from every one. You can also donate via check or money order sent by postal mail. If you make a donation and tell me about it, I promise to use one of your prompts. Anonymous donations are perfectly welcome, just won't get that perk. General donations will be tallied, and at the end of the fishbowl I’ll post a list of eligible poems based on the total funding; then the audience can vote on which they want to see posted.

2) Swim, Fishie, Swim! -- A feature in conjunction with fishbowl sponsorship is this progress meter showing the amount donated.  There are multiple perks, the top one being a half-price poetry sale on one series when donations reach $300.



3) Buy It Now! -- Gakked from various e-auction sites, this feature allows you to sponsor a specific poem. If you don't want to wait for some editor to buy and publish my poem so you can read it, well, now you don't have to. Sponsoring a poem means that I will immediately post it on my blog for everyone to see, with the name of the sponsor (or another dedicate) if you wish; plus you get a nonexclusive publication right, so you can post it on your own blog or elsewhere as long as you keep the credits intact. You'll need to tell me the title of the poem you want to sponsor. I'm basing the prices on length, and they're comparable to what I typically make selling poetry to magazines (semi-pro rates according to Duotrope's Digest).

0-10 lines: $5
11-25 lines: $10
26-40 lines: $15
41-60 lines: $20
Poems over 60 lines, or with very intricate structure, fall into custom pricing.

4) Commission a scrapbook page. I can render a chosen poem in hardcopy format, on colorful paper, using archival materials for background and any embellishments. This will be suitable for framing or for adding to a scrapbook. Commission details are here.  See latest photos of sample scrapbooked poems: "Sample Scrapbooked Poems 1-24-11"

5) Spread the word. Echo or link to this post on your LiveJournal, other blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Digg, StumbleUpon, or any other social network.  Useful Twitter hashtags include #poetryfishbowl and #promptcall.  Encourage people to come here and participate in the fishbowl.  If you have room for it, including your own prompt will give your readers an idea of what the prompts should look like; ideally, update later to include the thumbnail of the poem I write, and a link to the poem if it gets published.  If there is at least one new prompter or donor, I will post an extra freebie poem.

Linkback perk: I have a spare series poem available, and each linkback will reveal a verse of the poem.  One person can do multiple links if they're on different services, like Dreamwidth or Twitter, rather than all on LiveJournal.  Comment with a link to where you posted.  "Lead Us in Peace" has 18 verses available and belongs to Clay of Life.


Additional Notes

1) I customarily post replies to prompt posts telling people which of their prompts I'm using, with a brief description of the resulting poem(s). If you want to know what's available, watch for those "thumbnails."

2) You don't have to pay me to see a poem based on a prompt that you gave me. I try to send copies of poems to people, mostly using the LJ message function.  (Anonymous prompters will miss this perk unless you give me your eddress.)  These are for-your-eyes-only, though, not for sharing.

3) Sponsors of the Poetry Fishbowl in general, or of specific poems, will gain access to an extra post in appreciation of their generosity.  While you're on the Donors list, you can view all of the custom-locked posts in that category.  Click the "donors" tag to read the archive of those.  I've also posted a list of other donor perks there.  I customarily leave donor names on the list for two months, so you'll get to see the perk-post from this month and next.

4) After the Poetry Fishbowl concludes, I will post a list of unsold poems and their prices, to make it easier for folks to see what they might want to sponsor.

5) If donations total $100 by Friday evening then you get a free $15 poem; $150 gets you a free $20 poem; and $200 gets you a free epic, posted after the Poetry Fishbowl.  These will usually be series poems if I have them; otherwise I may offer non-series poems or series poems in a different size.  If donations reach $250, you get one step toward a bonus fishbowl; three of these activates the perk, and they don't have to be three months in a row.  Everyone will get to vote on which series, and give prompts during the extra fishbowl, although it may be a half-day rather than a whole day.  If donations reach $300, there will be a half-price sale in one series.


Feed the Fish!
Now's your chance to participate in the creative process by posting ideas for me to write about. Today's theme is "history written by the losers." I'll be soliciting ideas for historians, other chroniclers, invaders, the oppressed, the misunderstood, ordinary people, outcasts, refugees, fish out of water, abuse survivors, the women that men don't see, QUILTBAG folks, people of color, people with detested superpowers, "evil" races, untouchables, burakumin, former or current criminals, foster children, others on the fringes of society, fighting a holding action, retreating, losing everything, looking in the window, taking people for granted, expecting the unexpected, surviving oppression, hiding, upstanding, speaking truth to power, facing your demons, punching up, protesting, storytelling, battlefields, reservations, cities, slums, classrooms, hideouts, alleys, subways and sewers, liminal zones, government buildings, libraries, oral tradition history, poorskills, unpaid labor, self-sacrifice, emotional labor, disruptions, linchpins and ripplepoints, time travel, the Underground Railroad, unusual vulnerabilities, history books written by the losers, painted hides, minority languages, subversive literacy, subversive education, humility, humiliation, appreciation, social evolution, and poetic forms in particular. But anything is welcome, really. If you manage to recommend a form that I don't recognize, I will probably pounce on it and ask you for its rules. I do have The New Book of Forms by Lewis Turco which covers most common and many obscure forms.

I'll post at least one of the fishbowl poems here so you-all can enjoy it. (Remember, you get an extra freebie poem if someone new posts a prompt or makes a donation, and additional perks at $100-$300 in donations.  Linkbacks reveal verses of "Lead us in Peace."  The rest of the poems will go into my archive for magazine submission.

Tags: #poetryfishbowl, #promptcall, cyberfunded creativity, event, fishbowl, history, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: creative

I made bingo in the Month of Rainbows fest. \o/

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, event, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: accomplished

The crowdfunding Creative Jam is now live with a theme of "twists."  Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration.


What I Have Written

"Twisted Wind" is today's freebie.


Inspired by My Prompts

alexseanchai has posted "The Spiral of Life" about small acts of kindness.

Also from alexseanchai 
Your poem inspired "Beacon", a sequel poem of sorts, about picking up after the tornado: 25 lines. Sponsor it for public view for $20, or become a patron of my Patreon and view it there (it is not yet posted) for as little as $1 per poem.

thesilentpoet has created this:
Belated inspiration!

Your image prompt of 'Twisted Tree' inspired a brief character sketch, set in the Urban Fantasy novel featured on my Patreon. For those, who may have followed me before my disappearance, some characters and setting may be recognized.

Character Sketch.

Teaser line: "Beside her sits her phone, her purse, her shoes... It is out of character."

Tags: art, community, creative jam, cyberfunded creativity, event, fiction, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: creative

The Poetry Fishbowl has made its $250 goal three times, so you get a bonus fishbowl on Tuesday, April 18. Based on an audience poll, the featured series will be Clay of Life.

Clay of Life (Jewish fantasy)
This series began with the August 6, 2013 Poetry Fishbowl. The poem "Clay Feet" introduced the golem Yossele and the traveling blacksmith Menachem. Jewish culture and folklore contribute much to this series. Themes include spirituality, freedom and service, friendship, and craftsmanship.

Pesach (Passover) 2017 is celebrated April 10-18. Pesach Sameach to my Jewish friends!  I myself am eclectic Pagan but happy to write about other traditions.

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, event, fantasy, fishbowl, poetry, reading, spirituality, writing
Current Mood: busy

Since k_a_webb recently stepped up as a new moderator, origfic_bingo is back in action. This community makes cards with a Gen, Romantic, and/or Kink theme intended for original works.

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out.  I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far.  This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.


Underlined prompts have been filled.


ORIGFIC  GEN CARD

injury	baby	fire in the fireplace	history	festival/fair
slavery	criminal intent	celebrity/notable person	AU: Crossover/fusion	memories
sports/games	magical/mythological creatures	WILD CARD	sleepy times	vulnerability
bedtime rituals	nurse back to health	phobias	sleeplessness/insomnia	abuse
beauty	body alteration/injury	habits & routines	second person narration	reunion

Tags: bingo card, cyberfunded creativity, event, fantasy, fiction, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

Here is my card for the Month of Rainbows Bingo fest.  This fest will run from April 1st through April 30.  It features a selection of Crayola crayon colors.  (See all my 2017 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out.  I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far.  This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.


Underlined prompts have been filled.


MONTH OF RAINBOWS BINGO CARD

Cultured	Sea Serpent	Flesh	Blue Jeans	Thistle
Dirt	Green	Lightning	Warm and Fuzzy	Violet (Purple)
Cedar Chest	Fresh Air	WILD CARD	Red	Magic Potion
Chocolate	Yellow	Blush	Shadow	Daffodil
Midnight	Bittersweet	Alien Feet	White	Outer Space

Tags: art, bingo card, cyberfunded creativity, event, fantasy, fiction, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This weekend the crowdfunding Creative Jam is running on Dreamwidth and LiveJournal.  The theme is "skeptical, not blind."  Come give us prompts, or claim prompts for your own inspiration.


From My Prompts
"Tolerance" by alexconall  looks at different meanings of the word.


What I Have Written 

These two free-verse poems are a matched set in the Berettaflies thread:

"Until It Hears Something Better" spans part of Week 4 and Week 5, after Stylet surrenders and begins making amends to the citizens of Easy City. It's a bumpy ride, but he has some support.
182 lines, Buy It Now = $91

"A Little from the Heart" shows the meeting between Stylet and Ashley, in which he attempts to apologize and she expresses her extreme displeasure.
481 lines, Buy It Now = $241

Tags: art, community, creative jam, cyberfunded creativity, event, fiction, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: creative

Here is my card for the Disability Bingo Fest, in honor of March being Disability Awareness Month.  This fest will run from March 1st through March 31.  It focuses on the role of handicaps in storytelling.  (See all my 2017 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out.  I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far.  This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.


Underlined prompts have been filled.

DISABILITY BINGO CARD

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome	Seeing from a Different Perspective	Determination	Formidable Handicapped Villain	Family Support Makes a Difference
Invisible Handicaps	Asthma	Handicapped Heroes	Involuntary Healing	Depression
All-Disabled Heroic Team	Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome	WILD CARD	Intentional Neighboring	Stop Treating Me Like a Child
Creative Solutions to Limits	Amputation	Magical Disability	Pain	Anxiety
Autism or Asperger's Syndrome	Service Animals	Out of Spoons (Energy Limitations)	Adaptive Equipment	Lifestyle Changes

Tags: activism, bingo card, cyberfunded creativity, event, fantasy, fiction, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

I made two bingo rows in the Valentines Fest, plus some other fills.  \o/

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, event, fantasy, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: accomplished

The February Creative Jam is open on Dreamwidth and on LiveJournal. This month's theme is "Love."


From My Prompts


What I Have Written

Your second prompt inspired the free-verse poem "A Bicycle Built for Three." Cassandra gets a lesson in communication from her friends who have a Triplet bicycle.
109 lines, Buy It Now = $55

This inspired the free-verse poem "So Glad That You're Here." Turq and some kids enjoy a playground. So. Much. Fluff!
60 lines, Buy It Now = $20

"Marjorie's Baby" is a song sung by Amergin, from Polychrome Heroics, about a newborn bard.
36 lines, Buy It Now = $15

This session's freebie is "Star-crossed, Sun-swept."

Tags: creative jam, cyberfunded creativity, event, fiction, networking, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

These are my cards for the Valentines Bingo fest over in allbingo. It has several different categories. I have decided to play in Romantic, Platonic, and Love Songs. The fest runs from February 1-28. (See all my 2017 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out. I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far. This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.

Underlined prompts have been filled.

( Read more...Collapse )

Tags: bingo card, cyberfunded creativity, event, holiday, poetry, reading, romance, writing
Current Mood: busy

 nsfwords is doing the Valentines Bingo fest and wants ideas to flesh out the prompts.

Tags: call for prompts, cyberfunded creativity, event, fiction, networking, reading, romance, weblit
Current Mood: busy