Posts Tagged ‘Writing & Publishing Humor’
Sunday, August 7th, 2011
It’s Limerick-Off time, once again. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.
The best submission will be crowned Limerick Of The Week. (Here’s last week’s Limerick Of The Week Winner plus the Honorable Mentions.)
How will your poems be judged? By meter, rhyme, and cleverness. (If you’re feeling a bit fuzzy about limerick writing rules, you can find some helpful resources listed here.)
I’ll announce the Limerick of the Week Winner right before I post next week’s Limerick-Off. So that gives you a full week to submit your clever, polished verse.
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A man who was lacking in wit…
or
A gal who was lacking in wit…
Here’s mine:
Witless Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A man who was lacking in wit
Bought a magnetized poetry kit.
Penning poor verse galore,
He wrote more — what a bore!
And ignored those who begged him to quit.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity on my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please send me an email requesting the alerts. You’ll find my email address on the upper right sidebar, in the “Author” section just below my Limerick-Offs button. Thanks!
Tags: Creativity, Magnetic Poetry Kits, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Contests, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick Writing Contest, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 44 Comments »
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
I took a break from limerick writing to write this pair of tanka:
When haiku won’t do,
when thoughts defy compression
and can’t be contained
in seventeen syllables,
give thanks to plus-sized tanka.
********
Some art inspires
tears, joy, admiration, love.
Some awakens thought.
And some makes one want to ask:
“Whatever were you thinking?”
********
Tags: Art Humor, Creativity, Modern Art, Poetry Forms, Tanka, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Tanka
Posted in Creativity Verse, Poetry Forms, Tanka, Writing & Publishing Humor | 7 Comments »
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Why is this limerick untitled? Because Thursday Think Tank has prompted us to write an untitled poem. Writing without a title frees up our creative juices … at least that’s the theory:
Untitled Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
To title a verse can be hard —
A challenge for most ev’ry bard.
But a title-less work
Can drive me berserk.
It feels jarring and fake-avant-garde.
Tags: Avant-Garde, Creativity, Poets United, Thursday Think Tank, Title Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Creativity Verse, Limericks, Writing & Publishing Humor | 12 Comments »
Thursday, May 12th, 2011
I Blame Edward Lear! (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A woman who loves to write verse
Has bits of it stuffed in her purse.
She frets about rhyme
Nearly all of the time.
She’s addicted, for better or worse.
Happy Birthday, Edward Lear! And Happy Limerick Day, May 12th!
You can find more National Limerick Day celebration limericks here and here.
Tags: Addiction Humor, Edward Lear, International Limerick Day, May Holidays, National Limerick Day, Obsession Verse, Rhyming Obsession, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Addiction Humor, Authors & Playwrights, Behavior & Personality, Creativity Verse, Holiday Humor, Light Verse, Limericks, Obsessions Humor, Public Figures, Writing & Publishing Humor | 11 Comments »
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
Creative Keys (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
When you’re whipping your verse into shape
And are caught in a verse-challenged scrape,
The delete key is handy.
Assisted by brandy,
And last, but not least, try escape.
(Prompted to escape)
Tags: Brandy Humor, Computer Humor, Creativity, Editing Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Advice Humor & Poems, Computer Humor, Creativity Verse, Food & Drink Humor, Limericks, Technology Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 28 Comments »
Thursday, April 14th, 2011
Tax Time, Already? (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
It’s tax time again — I’ve been lax.
Am I stalling? Oh yes, to the max.
Cuz I’d rather write verse
Than struggle and curse
Over taxing mathematical facts.
(You can find lots more of my money and tax humor columns and verse here.)
Tags: April Holidays, Federal Income Tax Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Money Poems, Procrastination Verse, Tax Filing Humor, Taxes Limerick, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Tax & IRS Satire, Time Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 21 Comments »
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
Here’s my limerick and haiku prompted by this attention prompt and this challenge to write about writing:
Attention Must Be Paid
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I find paying attention’s a pain.
A-D-D makes it rather a drain.
I’m drifting right now.
Lost in thought? Yes, and how!
Which is why this short story’s inane.
*****
Must pay attention
to pretentious professor.
Can’t? Then pretend to.
*****
Tags: ADD Humor, Attention Deficit Humor, Attention Span Humor, Brain Humor, Concentration Limerick, Education & School Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Creativity Verse, Limericks, Mental Health Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 10 Comments »
Friday, April 1st, 2011
Limerick Lament
By Madeleine Begun Kane
There are times that I feel like a tool,
Complying with each lim’rick rule.
So starting today
I refuse to obey.
Don’t believe me? You’re right. April Fool!
(My 2nd National Poetry Month poem, and it’s still April 1st. Yippee!)
Tags: April Fools' Day, April Holidays, Limerick Rules, Poetry Forms, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Celebrations Poetry, Creativity Verse, Holiday Humor, Limericks, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 17 Comments »
Monday, March 14th, 2011
We Write Poems has an against the grain prompt which asks how (or if) we manage to write when we just aren’t feeling creative. My three-verse limerick explains all … sort of:
To write humor when not in the mood
Takes a major adjustment of ‘tude.
If I’m still uninspired,
I tell me, “You’re fired,”
Or pretend I’m about to be sued.
Okay, none of this stuff’s really true.
When I’m blocked, I don’t know what to do.
So I shower or walk,
Read the news, turn on talk,
Absorb info, inviting a cue.
At long last something starts to take hold,
And a concept begins to unfold,
As I play with the news
Which teases my muse
In my quest for some comedy gold.
(You can find more of my writers block humor here.)
Tags: Comedy Limerick, Creativity, Humor Writing, Muse, We Write Poems, Writer's Block, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Creativity Verse, Limericks, Writing & Publishing Humor | 26 Comments »
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Ghostly Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
There are those who like being a ghost —
Not the dead kind. Who wants to be toast?
I mean writers whose name
Gets no credit (or blame.)
Here’s my problem with that: You can’t boast.
(More ghost and hauntings verse over at Big Tent Poetry’s Thursday Think Tank)
Tags: Authors & Playwrights, Big Tent Poetry, Boasting, Books Humor, Braggart Verse, Bragging, Ghost Writing, Ghosts, haun, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Book Publishing Humor, Limericks, Writing & Publishing Humor | 16 Comments »
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Warning to those here for their daily dose of “funny.” Most of these aren’t. Sorry!
My passionate hunt
for humor in the mundane—
a chastening quest.
*****
Vulgar temptation
haunts, tantalizes, prevails—
beats dainty retreat.
*****
Passionate and raw
feelings too painful to root
escape on breached wings.
*****
Integrity fights
a war against temptation—
battles to a draw.
*****
A thought tempts, glimmers,
says “explore me,” then wings off—
never to return.
*****
Marching to the beat
of your own drum may work best
in solo parades.
*****
To those who ask me
how I remember my verse—
that’s what blogs are for.
*****
Thanks to these prompts for their inspiration: Carry On Tuesday, Haiku Heights, Haiku Wednesday, LoL Prompts, One Single Impression, Poetic Asides, Sunday Scribblings, and Three Word Wednesday.
Tags: Blogging Humor, Creativity, Haiku & Senryu, Inspiration, Integrity, Memory, Mundane, Passion, Temptation, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Creativity Verse, Haiku & Senryu, Memory Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 34 Comments »
Monday, March 7th, 2011
I’m playing with clichés today:
Clichéd Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I try to think outside the box,
But sometimes those boxes have locks.
And to break myself free
With creative esprit,
I have to be crazy like fox.
UPDATE: Happy Cliché Day, November 3rd!
Tags: Cliché Day, Clichés Humor, Creativity, November Holidays, Odd Holidays, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Cliché Humor, Creativity Verse, Language Humor, Limericks, Odd Holidays, Writing & Publishing Humor | 8 Comments »
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
It makes me fidget,
but I book myself to write
accidental verse.
*****
Accidental glance,
de-liberating romance—
just the dance of chance.
*****
Shocking incident:
things accidentally went
exactly as planned.
*****
Ms. Bristol Palin’s
book contract and dancing gig—
accident of birth.
*****
Booked reservation
at restaurant, but canceled—
had reservations.
*****
If you dare mention
certain odd affinities,
brace for fidgeting.
*****
Tags: Bristol Palin, Drink Verse, Food Haiku, Happy Accidents, One Single Impression, Planning Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Reservations Haiku, Romance Humor, Theme Thursday, Three Word Wednesday, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Haiku
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Books, Celebrity Humor, Creativity Verse, Family & Relatives Humor, Family Verse, Food & Drink Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Relationship Haiku, Romance Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 21 Comments »
Monday, February 21st, 2011
Once again, it’s Limerick-Off time. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.
So I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A woman was trying to write. …
or
A fellow was trying to write. …
Here’s mine. (It’s a three-verse limerick, but a standard one-verse limerick is fine, of course.)
Writerly Verse
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A woman was trying to write.
Ev’ry sentence and phrase was a fight.
She hated each line.
Too much whine. (Too much wine?)
And decided to call it a night.
She started again the next day.
But her muse seemed to be on delay.
So she showered and walked.
Inspiration still balked.
Though agnostic, she started to pray.
She returned to her screen with a curse.
Started typing for better or worse.
Tried to block her left brain,
Or her right, or the twain.
Then punched keys till at last she found verse.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity in my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please send me an email requesting the alerts. You’ll find my email address on the upper right sidebar, in the “Author” section just below my Limerick-Offs button. Thanks!
Tags: Creativity, Inspiration, Muse, Poetry & Prompts, Writer's Block, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 37 Comments »
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Over the years I’ve written enough humor columns, limericks, and sundry light verse to fill two or three collections. And one of these days I may even get my act together, stop procrastinating and self-publish at least one of them. I mention this because Big Tent Poetry’s latest prompt urges us to come up with a name for a future book and then write a title poem for that non-existent book.
Yes, I know this is Sheer Madness, which is also the title of my non-existent humor collection:
Sheer Madness
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I’m hoping to publish a book
With an excellent concept and hook.
It’s title? Sheer Madness,
Reviewed please sans badness,
Sold on paper and Kindle and Nook.
Tags: Book Reviewers Verse, Book Title Humor, Creativity, E-Books, Humor Book, Madness Humor, Procrastination Verse, Publishing Limerick, Self-Publishing, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Book Publishing Humor, Books, Creativity Verse, Humor Columns & Humorous Essays, Kindle Humor, Limericks, Procrastination Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 27 Comments »
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
My memory is so bad, that when I spotted the upcoming memory prompt at Haiku Heights I forgot the obvious — that the prompt was for haiku. Ah well, here’s my Bad Memory Limerick:
Bad Memory Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My mem’ry is bad — getting worse.
It’s a failing I constantly curse.
I forget what I’ve done,
People’s names, whom to shun.
Now what was the theme of this verse?
(For those who can actually remember something, here’s a spot to post your memories in verse.)
Tags: Aging Limerick, Forgetfulness, Memory Limerick, Mental Health Satire, Poetry Prompt, Remembering Names, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Aging Humor & Verse, Behavior & Personality, Health & Medical Humor, Health Verse, Light Verse, Limericks, Memory Humor, Mental Health Humor, Poetry & Prompts | 10 Comments »
Saturday, February 12th, 2011
Epiphany (Tanka)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My muse teases me,
Awaiting epiphanies
That never arrive.
So I must go it alone,
Writing until I’m amused.
(Note: Tanka is five line Japanese poetry which pre-dates haiku and whose syllabic form is 5-7-5-7-7. I usually think of it as haiku plus two more 7 syllable lines. My Epiphany Tanka was inspired by the Writers Island epiphany prompt.)
Tags: Creativity, Epiphanies, Inspiration, Japanese Poetry, Muse, Tanka, Writer's Block, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Creativity Verse, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Tanka, Writing & Publishing Humor | 14 Comments »
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
This week Big Tent Poetry prompts us to cheer ourselves up and cure whatever’s ailing us by writing poetry. I’m no cheerier than before, but at least I did write a relevant limerick … sort of:
Blue Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Our topic today feels perverse:
It’s curing our blues with some verse.
If I write something happy
It’s sure to be crappy.
And bad limericks make me feel worse.
Tags: Blues Limerick, Depression, Mental Health Satire, Poem Therapy, Therapeutic Writing, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Behavior & Personality, Creativity Verse, Limericks, Mental Health Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 26 Comments »
