I’m stretching myself again, writing poetry about the sea. A dear friend and I are committed to writing a poem related to that week’s prompt (issued on a Monday) and posting it (the following Sunday.) The point is to write whatever gets written.

I love these sorts of projects – I work well with prompts and finite amounts of time and no pressure to write something great. Writing like this helps me actually write.

Having said that, I offer the following to you, dear writers, who are looking for motivation to actually write:

For the young who want to
By Marge Piercy

Talent is what they say
you have after the novel
is published and favorably
reviewed. Beforehand what
you have is a tedious
delusion, a hobby like knitting.

Work is what you have done
after the play is produced
and the audience claps.
Before that friends keep asking
when…