[Maryann Corbett]

Thanks to Robin Kemp and the Formalista listserv for this news:

Writer's Digest is holding a sonnet competition.

Poetic Form Challenge: Sonnet

As Robin says, the Sphere should like this one.

[Roger Slater]

I think this would have been more appropriate as a PM to Catherine Chandler, don't you?

[Chris O'Carroll]

Here's how the guy who's running the competition defines a sonnet:

"It's basically just a 14-line poem with a flexible rhyme scheme. There's a general rule of thumb for meter, but I'll let you know right now that I won't be scanning lines."

I'll let you know right now that I won't be wasting my time.

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

Well, Chris, Gail and I just entered even though our lines scan.

Duncan

[Maryann Corbett]

I suppose I might have censored this one on the grounds of metrical laxness, but perhaps we should suspend judgment until we see results. May real sonnets prevail!

[Mary Meriam]

Is there a prize at all? Somehow not getting the rules, duh.

[Chris O'Carroll]

Real quality might carry the day, even in a dumbed-down forum. I wish Duncan and Gail well, but both of them are, as they say in the stand-up comedy biz, too hip for the room.

[Maryann Corbett]

Originally Posted by Mary Meriam

Is there a prize at all? Somehow not getting the rules, duh.

The general rules are in a link, and this is what they say:

"Breaking news!

A new possible publishing opportunity has opened up in the Writer's Digest magazine. For around a year now, Poetic Asides has had a column in Writer's Digest, including a short Q&A with a poet, a prompt, and a poetic form. When space allows, the editors would like to include an example poem of the poetic form in action. They offered me the chance to include my own poems as examples, but I think the Poetic Asides community deserves this opportunity more.

So, here's the deal:

* I will post a poetic form that poets need to write.
* Poets will write a poem (or three) and paste them into the Comments on the appropriate post by whatever the deadline is.
* After the deadline passes, I will choose a winner.
* That winner will at the very minimum be mentioned in the Writer's Digest issue and a link will be provided in the magazine of where to check out the poet's poem.
* When space allows, that winner's poem will be published in the Writer's Digest magazine.
* Poems should be previously unpublished (and no, I don't count publication on your personal blog or in poetry forums as previously published).

Since this post just gives the general rules, any poems pasted here will not be considered. You must paste the poems on the actual challenge post that includes the deadline, poetic form, etc."

So it doesn't look like you're guaranteed anything but a mention. Maybe you get published. No money even alluded to.

[Mary Meriam]

Thanks, Maryann.

[Ann Drysdale]

Word Nerd Alert! Copy-pasted from Google.

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