Get Serious About Your Poetry in 2011

You write poetry. Maybe you even get brave and go to poetry open mics. Maybe you even get up the courage to actually get up and read. You like to write your poetry, but you feel a bit like Emily Dickinson, a hidden poet.

Well in 2011, come out as a poet and join a critique group. My Saratoga Poetry Focus Group has been running continuously for 21 years and counting. Our maximum of six poets per monthly meeting gets 30-45 minutes to read their poems, hear their poems read to them, get round-table critique for each poem, ask questions of the group, even tell the group what kind of critique they want. For example, when, like now, I am working on my poetry books, I ask for a 1-5 number on each poem I read only once. 1 is best trashed; 2 needs a lot of work; 3 needs work; 4 almost finished; and 5 finished. I can plow through lots of poems this way and get a feel for the response, especially with five people writing their numbers on each poem.

Some people ask questions about where to start getting published, where to find a printer, how to create a chap book, how to get a mainstream pubisher interested in pubishing them.

If you are local to Saratoga Springs, New York, give me a call and let me know where you are with your poetry and how the Saratoga Poetry Focus
Group may be able to help you move forward in the direction of your goals. Contact: Barbara Garro at WriterBarbaraGarro@ElectricEnvisions.com

What Makes a Poet Great?

Sitting in Fastig-Tipton’s beautiful facility in Saratoga Springs, New York, at the annual National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, I listened to the greats among the greatest trainers, jockeys and owners. I discovered that greatness is achieved in the very same way by those who aspire to it whether they are writing poetry or racing horses.

Garro on Greatness–

1.  Greatness is not a moment, but many moments of greatness of never being satisfied that begins in early childhood with those who provided inspiration or at least did not get in the way.

2.  The greats have the ability to work through challenges and not screw up.

3.  The greats possess the motivation of the force of hard work to bring out the best in themselves.

4.  Mere talent is not enough. The greats possess talent, toughness and tenacity with enough endurance to achieve success, however long it takes.

5. Most of all, the greats have a desire to say about their lives at the end of their days, “Well done!”

Life is a horse race. At any given moment or second, anything can happen. Those who have prepared are ready to deal with it.