Punch Up Your Prose - Lyrical Language Lab

Julie Rowan-Zoch visits this blog a lot, so I had a minute the other day and I checked out her blog and found the post below about her beta-testing a course on punching up your prose using lyrical language. I thought you might like to know about it, since we are all looking for language that makes our stories sing. But first, here is a little bit about Julie:

Julie Rowan-Zoch is an author/illustrator who studied Graphic Design, at FIT in NYC and the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Braunschweig, Germany. She has recently completed the artwork for three board books for Bailiwick Press, due out in October ’14. Julie Rowan-Zoch now lives and works in Colorado.

Blog: julierowanzoch.wordpress.com

facebook: Artist: Julie Rowan-Zoch

The illustrations below are from the three board books coming out.

Renee LaTulippe’s new course - THE LYRICAL LANGUAGE LAB 

The course is designed for   –Rhyming PB writers who would like a stronger foundation in the mechanics of poetry –Prose PB writers who would like to punch up the lyricism of their writing through poetic techniques –Writers who would like to learn more about writing poetry for children.

I happen to be one of the very lucky beta testers of the first five lessons of her course. Renee wanted at least one total newbie to give it a trial run. Someone who may have dabbled but really had no clue what they’re doing. ME! No joke, I GET it now, even what is meant by ‘don’t mess with the stress!’ Teresa Robeson wrote a much more descriptive post about her beta experience – HERE

I know, practice makes perfect. I’m an amateur not a fool, but look at some of my  homework: first, an iambic quatrain —

I’d like to drink a cup of tea

in your adoring company

But if you don’t enjoy the tea

Ingest! Delight! Just bask in me!

Maybe not gonna bring the house down, but I got the beat (everybody get on your feet… No? Too 80′s for ya?)

Just one more – not quite there yet, but here is my first try at the anapest (and Wantagh is where I grew up)

— In the middle of winter in Wantagh

I caught cold from the breezy night air

Though my mother had taught me much better

I camped on a patio chair

She said, Child what on earth were you thinking

your whim could have caught you your death

for in Wantagh the devil is lurking

on the moisture that carries your breath

I did rock out an AWESOME double dachtyl, but I can’t share it yet because I’m being brave –  going to enter it in my library’s contest this month - Battle of the Bards!

Click her to read the full post. I guess you will have to keep checking her blog to see when she posts her double dachtyl.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy