Some tentative goals:
-Write 30 poems total. Not holding myself to a poem a day or anything like that. Front loading and back loading probably will happen, though hopefully I don't end up literally writing five poems in a day again like last year
. -Play with forms/structures. When I did NaPo in 2013 and 2014, I really pushed myself and got creative, writing villanelles and sonnets and other structures even though I typically do free verse. So I'll say as a goal I'd like to do three structures that I haven't used before.
-The last few years of NaPo had a lot of angst/generally whining about my life. There might be some of that still (e.g. what even are stupid unrequited crushes for if not crappy poems?) but I like the poems that get out of my head and tell other stories. To quantify this, I'll set a goal of five poems that are about something other than my own life.
-Get more creative with imagery/metaphors. Like I always look at other people's NaPo threads and they just seem so interesting compared to mine. Not sure how to quantify this but maybe I'll find some inspiration during March for images/ideas to play with in April
-At least one thing that could become a song. This tends to happen naturally but I haven't been writing lyrics lately, so I think it's a good goal
Schedule/Potential Roadblocks
-The biggest roadblock right now is the sheer uncertainty of my life. I'm currently working full time, but it's a temporary job that will likely end in March, though when exactly is unknown. So I might be working in April but I might not be. Also, because of my work schedule, I have to schedule appointments and stuff in the evenings, so I will likely be way too tired to write on those days.
-Another roadblock is my lack of energy at the end of the day/general aversion to pulling out the computer after I've been on one all day at work. I should note, however, that this is not necessarily an aversion to writing poems, but rather posting them on here. I can still write offline (remember notebooks and pens?
) or even on my cell phone poetry apps (these are fun and I may revamp my article on them to aid others in inspiration, writing, etc.) -I think a good way to encourage consistency is to pick a time when I'm usually available and write for 10-15 minutes a day. Let's say 8 PM for now. On days this isn't feasible due to appointments or whatever, I can either modify the time or skip.
-I'll use weekends to post poems on YWS and check in on my overall progress. I might also post on weekdays as my schedule allows.
-I'll also spend an hour a week reading other threads and posting comments because that's always fun and encouraging.
