About
“There’s a difference between insufficient talent and insufficient practice.”
~ Roger Robins, On Poetry
The Orange Verse is the passion project of Lorna Rose Gill.
I have been writing poetry for as long as I can remember. For the past few years I have been honing my skills but there’s still an element of waiting for the muse to arrive. And, I’m definitely avoiding some of the hard work that will guarantee my poetry improves.
The Orange Verse is a commitment to write better poetry. It’s inspired by Roger Robinson, Aime, and Mary Oliver who say you have to do a little everyday; who tell the hard truth that you have to practice your art in order to get better.
My mission is to demystify the process of writing poetry by practicing in public.
Lorna Rose Gill
My favourite TV format is: ‘it’s like Bake Off but for [insert skill]’.
These shows include RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Pottery Throw Down, The Sewing Bee, Blown Away, etc. etc.
I love these shows because I get to witness creatives push the limits of their art for the sheer enjoyment of the process. I love watching people improve and succeed and be in joy.
This got me wondering… If there was a poetry slam reality TV show, would I make the cast? And, if I made the cast, would I do very well?
The answer is no. No, I’m not good enough to make it. And no, my skills aren’t rounded enough to produce something win-worthy in the timeframes given.
So, I have created The Orange Verse, a place of prompts and challenges designed to further my art and develop my skills.
And, I thought, maybe you’d like to join me - so I’m making them available to everyone.
Each week there are three challenges
The Mini Challenge
The mini challenge is a short exercise, designed to get the creative juices going. It shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes and can be repeated as many times as you like throughout the week. Use it as a warm up before a longer writing session where you want to go deeper.
The Technical Challenge
The technical challenge will force you into writing in a particular format or structure. Think sonnet, villanelle, prose poem, couplets, etc. The idea is not to be perfect but to have a go and play with form. Set a timer for one hour and get it finished. I will provide instructions and examples to get you started.
The Epic
This is the main event. Do your best work. Write and rewrite and edit and edit some more. You have all week to do this bit. Research your topic and any stylistic flourishes you want to add. Read and read and then write some more. If you were being judged, this is where the majority of your mark is coming from. At all costs avoid RuPaul banging his fist, Chris Revel Horwood rolling his eyes and aim for Keith Brymer shedding tears of joy and that famous Hollywood handshake.
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