THE VERSE NOVEL...
I recently went to a workshop on the verse novel by poet/ author Lisa Jacobson. Lisa was a great teacher, inspired and passionate about poetry. Eager to support us into 'having a go'.
Now the verse novel is something I have read, read quite a few actually over the years, and enjoy. I even attempted one quite a while ago---I am a bit of a dabbler (aka will give most things a go).
I always enjoy a workshop, no matter what genre or form, because I always take something away. Sometimes new information, sometimes a reinforcement of what I know but need to hear again...but I always leave ready to write and with a few new ideas floating around.
One of the first verse novels I read was Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust which I loved. It made me want more.
Since then I've read Dorothy Porter and Steven Herrick, Catherine Bateson and Libby Hathorn, Margaret Wild and David Levithan- mostly YA or children's I must admit but I am beginning to read more widely.
I will say that I love when a child reads a verse novel (often for school ) and then gets excited because they 'got the poetry'. It opens the door for so much more.
During the workshop one of the recurring questions was 'why write a novel in verse' and then more importantly 'what makes this poetry and not simply a sentence broken up by line breaks?'
It was a really interesting discussion. A few serious poets in the room were definite about what they thought poetry was and wasn't - while the rest of the workshoppers simply wanted to be taken for the ride. Willing to be led by the narrative.
It was a day well spent. Not only did I learn a lot more about my own poetry writing style (versus how I wish I could write) but also about writing in general.
How to look at a big subject like a novel / verse novel and think about how I want it to look - the form it would take- chapters versus sections - the voice - recurring imagery - plot and how it will be structured - flashbacks or a lineal movement - title - whose POV - whose story is it....and on and on.
So much to think about - so much to try in my own writing.
I really loved Lisa's observation - that poetry draws attention to language. Our everyday language becomes mundane and predictable but poetry creates surprise. It makes us look at things differently.
Here's to looking at things just a bit differently...and being prepared to be surprised.
Vicki
Now the verse novel is something I have read, read quite a few actually over the years, and enjoy. I even attempted one quite a while ago---I am a bit of a dabbler (aka will give most things a go).
I always enjoy a workshop, no matter what genre or form, because I always take something away. Sometimes new information, sometimes a reinforcement of what I know but need to hear again...but I always leave ready to write and with a few new ideas floating around.
One of the first verse novels I read was Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust which I loved. It made me want more.
Since then I've read Dorothy Porter and Steven Herrick, Catherine Bateson and Libby Hathorn, Margaret Wild and David Levithan- mostly YA or children's I must admit but I am beginning to read more widely.
During the workshop one of the recurring questions was 'why write a novel in verse' and then more importantly 'what makes this poetry and not simply a sentence broken up by line breaks?'
It was a really interesting discussion. A few serious poets in the room were definite about what they thought poetry was and wasn't - while the rest of the workshoppers simply wanted to be taken for the ride. Willing to be led by the narrative.
It was a day well spent. Not only did I learn a lot more about my own poetry writing style (versus how I wish I could write) but also about writing in general.
How to look at a big subject like a novel / verse novel and think about how I want it to look - the form it would take- chapters versus sections - the voice - recurring imagery - plot and how it will be structured - flashbacks or a lineal movement - title - whose POV - whose story is it....and on and on.
So much to think about - so much to try in my own writing.
I really loved Lisa's observation - that poetry draws attention to language. Our everyday language becomes mundane and predictable but poetry creates surprise. It makes us look at things differently.
Here's to looking at things just a bit differently...and being prepared to be surprised.
Vicki
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