Improvisational Poetry

Improv theatre has always interested me. Poetry = improv. I don’t know why I did not think about it like that before. Now it seems glaringly obvious that every act of writing is an act of improvisation. Since writing is not as physical as acting, I never made the comparison before.

When writing my NaPoWriMo poem yesterday, I read a few poems on Verse Daily to get into that writing mood.

Then, I decided to play a game.

I looked up at the screen quickly, found a word, and used it in one of the next few lines. When I completed that, I’d either continue writing or look at the screen for another word before I continued writing. Using this method, I wrote two drafts that were where I wanted them to be. Yes, they are drafty, but I’m not concerned with perfection. I realized I even sent them out to my NaPoWriMo group with some typos. My goal here (I have to keep reminding myself) is not to look good or be perfect. The only goal is to write every day. If I get something I like, that’s an extra bonus.

Am I getting poems I like?

I might have 4-6 since March 17, which is when I started.

I went several days without writing anything I wanted to keep. Despite my best efforts, the lack of anything I liked started to bother me. Then, the above happened. What if I’d been frustrated and had not persisted? I would not have these additional poems. Keep on keeping on, everyone.