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Thread: Disturbing Lack of Interest in Poetry Competitions

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    Not politically correct Pendragon's Avatar
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    Disturbing Lack of Interest in Poetry Competitions

    What has happened here? We used to have strong competition in every poetry contest, and the winners were many and varied. The instructions would go up for the next contest and within three days we would have five or six entries. Now the contests stagnate until the judge finally realizes that people aren't interested and judges the poems he or she has, usually no more than four, and that's if we are lucky.

    These contests were created to be fun, to share poetry, and to have a place where friends were happy to share with other friends. Have we lost that now? I come here every morning expecting to see a turn around in poetry contests, and I grow more and more discouraged. If these contests become lost causes, I will have no reason to come here anymore.

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    confidentially pleased cacian's Avatar
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    Hi Pendragon I am always up here checking too. lol love poetry myself.
    I just think that some take longer then needed to get the feedback that is why.
    I think keeping it short and snappy should get more interest.
    A daily contest is in order lol
    Last edited by cacian; 11-15-2012 at 11:16 AM.
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    Ruadh gu brath ampoule's Avatar
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    I haven't been coming around enough to keep up. I'm in a wierd place and my muse has been hibernating. I miss the old group and haven't had a chance to get to know the new group. Please don't leave. Be patient with us. I'm going to look at the contests right now!
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    Maybe YesNo's Avatar
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    I like the poetry contests. It is the main reason why I'm here as well. It is the first page I go to when I log on, so don't leave Pendragon! If one thinks of the contest challenges as prompts for writing it is a way to pace oneself to get a poem written every now and then. I suppose the threads where poems are critiqued could be interesting, but contests seem friendlier.

    The other threads are sometimes interesting, too. I do get tempted to discuss atheism-theism, relativity, Harry Potter, Joyce's Ulysses, etc, but the contests come first.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pendragon View Post
    What has happened here? We used to have strong competition in every poetry contest, and the winners were many and varied. The instructions would go up for the next contest and within three days we would have five or six entries. Now the contests stagnate until the judge finally realizes that people aren't interested and judges the poems he or she has, usually no more than four, and that's if we are lucky.

    These contests were created to be fun, to share poetry, and to have a place where friends were happy to share with other friends. Have we lost that now? I come here every morning expecting to see a turn around in poetry contests, and I grow more and more discouraged. If these contests become lost causes, I will have no reason to come here anymore.

    It might not be lack of interest at all. Perhaps many of us would not entangle with the ones that have monopolized the forum with constant BS, including wpuld be editors, etc.

    I love you all

    Pen
    It might not be lack of interest at all. Perhaps many of us woul not entangle with the ones that have monopolized the forum with constant BS, including would-be editors, would-be writers, etc.

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    All are at the crossroads qimissung's Avatar
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    eeek. I haven't participated in the contests for awhile now, but I do offer some, which has been enjoyable. Sometimes I have to put the word out to get a good turnout, but in the end there are usually a satisfactory number.

    The would-be editors, etc. don't really have anything to criticize in a contest do they? This is not the place for criticism of any kind. But Pen, while I understand your discouragement, this is not the time to give up, but to get the word out. The contest page is a little bit hidden, so maybe newer people do not always know of it's existence. Whatever the reason, I suggest we discuss ways to pull people in, and brainstorm any other changes we could make that would make this place a tad more livelier. Suggestions, anyone?
    "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its' own reason for existing." ~ Albert Einstein
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    Justifiably inexcusable DocHeart's Avatar
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    I like poetry, and I like contests, so I like poetry contests -- both reading and participating. But these have been running for a while and I only recently discovered them, almost by accident.

    I can't think of many ways to increase engagement other than to bump these topics up as frequently as possible (without, of course, becoming irritating - and I realize there's a delicate balance to be struck there). But Sche does it for the short story competition -- occasionally goes into the thread and bumps it up by writing something as simple as "Three days left to submit your stories".

    Incidentally, what happened to your "Time" thing?

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    Participation on these forums has gone down in general, so it's not surprising that a poetry contest, something I'm assuming not a ton of people participated on the first place, would be affected. Hell, just look at the forum book club. I don't even think it's even done anymore.

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    Card-carrying Medievalist Lokasenna's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DocHeart View Post
    Incidentally, what happened to your "Time" thing?
    Yes, I was wondering that myself.

    I like the poetry competitions - it allows those of us who don't have a huge amount of time for web-surfing to concentrate our online poetry reading. It's also very nice to have pieces next to each other for comparison.
    "I should only believe in a God that would know how to dance. And when I saw my devil, I found him serious, thorough, profound, solemn: he was the spirit of gravity- through him all things fall. Not by wrath, but by laughter, do we slay. Come, let us slay the spirit of gravity!" - Nietzsche

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    Registered User prendrelemick's Avatar
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    I've only just found these pages, (after three years on lit net) perhaps they should be in forum games. there are so many threads and so little inspiration in me
    ay up

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    Just haven't been in the mood for writing much lately. That comes and goes.

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    Registered User Calidore's Avatar
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    I'm not normally much for poetry myself, but I am glad you created the Comedy/Satire/Pun competition and will continue to participate in that one.
    You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Mahatma Gandhi

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    Not politically correct Pendragon's Avatar
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    Problem with a daily contest is that we are a world wide community and we are scattered across all timezones. Different people's day begins and ends at times when others are ahead or behind. What we would have to do is have the contest use a standard time, such as Greenwich. Thus everyone knows the correct beginning and end of the contest.
    Some of us laugh
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    confidentially pleased cacian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pendragon View Post
    Problem with a daily contest is that we are a world wide community and we are scattered across all timezones. Different people's day begins and ends at times when others are ahead or behind. What we would have to do is have the contest use a standard time, such as Greenwich. Thus everyone knows the correct beginning and end of the contest.
    it sounds like a good idea Pendragon.
    it may never try
    but when it does it sigh
    it is just that
    good
    it fly

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