Hello, hope everyone's well. I just have a few finds to share:

:)

http://www.bookcouncil.sg/swc/

There is some useful information about publishing in Singapore the free-to-download Writer's Kit.

Also check out National Book Council site if you are interested in courses and upcoming events on books, writing and literature.

http://www.bookcouncil.sg/

The best forwarded spam mail I have ever got:

Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 8:52 PM
Subject: People come into your life...

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

That's quite a feat. When I have a headache, I can hardly write anything at all.

I'm proud to announce the launch of our latest (and long awaited) collaborative anthology : OVER THERE: Poems from Singapore and Australia

The book will be launched as part of the Singapore Writers Festival 2007, at 7pm, 6 Dec 2007, at The Arts House (Earshot) .

Edited by John Kinsella and Alvin Pang, the volume features over 150 pages of poetry from each territory, including new and recent material from some of the most prominent living poets in Singapore and Australia. I'm especially pleased to be able to include new work from Lee Tzu Pheng, Madeleine Lee, Ng Yi-Sheng, Enoch Ng Kwang Cheng, Teng QianXi, Kirpal Singh, Edwin Thumboo, Toh Hsien Min, Cyril Wong, Robert Yeo and a host of others.

Australian editor John Kinsella will be flying in just for the launch -- and we hope to see all of you there in support of what we believe will be another groundbreaking anthology.

So hang around, party, chat and browse books -- I hope to see you all on the 6th!

best
Alvin Pang

A bit last minute, but the email was dated sent today. Even if you can't make it to the launch, this might be yet another local anthology to look out for.

BooksActually, 125A Telok Ayer Street

It's located in a row of restored chinese shophouses, on the second floor. The locations is near the Thian Hock Keng Temple and Hokkien Huay Kuan clan association.

It's a rather small bookshop which sells mostly poetry and literature books. They occasionally hold reading sessions. They have some modern fiction books, but more of the serious rather than the usual pop fiction you can find at the big bookshops. They also sell novelty bookmarks, notebooks, etc.

Competition is over. Please keep your enthusiasm for the next poetry competition.

Missqi makes a good point. Rhyming words at the end of each line do not make a piece of writing a poem. You don't have even number of beats per line, so it doesn't make this into any kind of recognizable form. Even if you are writing this as a free form, the rhymes placed in such a way only makes the poem seem forced.

You use words like 'big', 'tall', 'high' --but they are not very specific. Although we all know what an ostrich look like, I think you can bring about a different level if you use more descriptive words to let us see how the ostrich sees itself. It is suffering but the poem doesn't seem to express enough to make people sit up and pay attention.

The complaint of the ostrich repeats itself several times in this poem. "I am flightless. I cannot fly. I never felt the lap of sky." But then why would an ostrich want to fly, what does it think flying is about?

I look so beautiful, my neck long, slim and trim,
My feathers are pretty but my life is grim,

What would the ostrich sacrifice of itself to be able to fly? Afterall, it seems to like itself with exception to the fact that it can't fly? What made it start complaining: envy? Explore,and make this more interesting, instead of just complaining.

On a side note: All crits mean something -- you cannot choose your audience's reactions. Sometimes they are disappointed. Sometimes they are just not interested. Up to you whether you want to accept or not.

/my 2 cents. Write on!

Congrats winners. Well done!

After every end, a beginning I hope.

I like this two lines:


Like the eve of hurricane
Slowly strengthening

and these were pretty strong too imho:

The cure
I've felt the blades before

Its coldness
Not unlike my perceived outer

Originally posted by eagle:

Randomness
Orderless
Put us in confusion

Sadness
Moodiness
Gives only fustration

Seriousness
Thoughtfulness
Our work's notion

Happiness
Cheerfulness
We live with satisfaction

Rather wise words.

Originally posted by trendz:

Just wait and see.
You're were once free,
but now you allow yourself
this huge stone of f*cking emotions
tied to your feet.
All because you yearn for love and to love.
And you think that's love.

All of you said you would wake up.
You, you and you.
f*cking people.
You never did wake up.
I don't wanna mourn for you.
Now who the f*ck cares if I ever did.

I feel sorry for you.
I don't know what will it take
for you deluded lovelorns to arise from
your seemingly paradisal enchanted slumber.
Yes, XXX (self) will never understand you.
Yes, you think XX's a pile of bullsh*t.
Oh, note to self.
You don't owe another person a living.

You think this is love.
Let me tell you;
you know nothing about love.
Absolutely nothing.
You think it's all bliss,
oh, sadness, hurt, sorrows, devastation...
I'm your detractor.
No, it ain't a case of sour grapes.
I'm over and done with what's called love.

It's making me sick.
God made people to fall in love,
I admit I did.
But I'm resisting, cause it yields nothing..
Nothing but shrapnels of piercing, blooded anguish..
No, it ain't a case of once bitten twice shy,
or extreme pessimism.
To hell with unconditional love.
You're not so f*cking noble.
No one is. Save your bullcrap.

I'm not a hypocritical jerk.
I tell it straight to your f*cking face.
Like how blunt and tactless you are to me.
I'll shove the cold, hard truth right up your f*cking face.
Whether you have the mental capacity to accept and decipher
these words is another case altogether.
Nah, it's never schadenfreude.
Cause there's no malice or vile.

No, it ain't angst, or bottled-up emotions.
Tell me if I'm a 3 year old writing sh*t.
I don't have a mind of a deluded fool.
I ain't a deranged hysterical sod.
I'm utterly sober.
I'm perfectly normal.
Thrust a spear through my heart;
I bleed. Like you, like everyone.

Pleasures of the flesh is an understatement.
Love's a cardinal sin.
And what about our parents' love?
Now, may I ask whose life is this,
living in & breathing in you?
Yours, entirely yours.
And you thought you had full control over it.
You're dead wrong.
Be it secularism or atheism;
We don't belong to this world from the start.
Cause from life to death;
we're nothing but dust...

Sorry. Pardon my language.

It's ok.

That's quite a confrontational piece I thought. Sounds like you had enough of entertaining delusions.

I did feel bad for you reading that, especially since you seem to want to see someone and yet you aren't allowed or welcomed to. There is a conflict between the parents and you, and yet you all love the same person. It is actually an interesting thing to explore in writing, either through poem or prose even. Romantic to the end, I thought.



Hope things get better for you and your love one as well.

Originally posted by Xephone_xenon:

I teach you one good way to improve vocab.
This is my jia chuan mi fang, normally i dont tell people one.
Lucky you.

First of all must download this.
http://www.sequencepublishing.com/thesage.html#download
Its a offline dictionary progamme. Damm useful one.

Then when you writing. Mayb you want to write "sick"
You type in the programme. Then check for synonyms.
Sure got alot pop out. For the word sick alone.
The programme got like near 50 words for it.
Then from there slowly improve vocab lor!

Thanks for sharing.

Anybody can write just to express his/her feelings. It doesn't even have to rhyme. It doesn't have to be a proper poem. If it makes you feel better to write out stuff, just do it.

Mad Pencil Club does not require members to be experts in English to express themselves here. Of course we do encourage everyone to explore further and improve themselves.

I think a lot of us here are not Literature students or English masters. But we try our best.

If you are serious, you really want to get into mastering the craft, then you must start by reading more poems -- from classic to modern to contemporary. Find poets you like and read their works. See how they write. And then take on their habits while you slowly develop your own style.

You can also check out this thread where you can find some excellent notes on writing poems:
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=190459

And this thread for books on how to go about writing good poems.
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=249396

I think I know what DP is referring to.

>>The assassin's face was blank, expressionless.

I think blank and expressionless mean the same thing.

>>round, metallic ball.

If something is a ball, then it goes without saying that it is round.

Stuff like that.

They have word limits, not to restrict you but so that you will weed out the unnecessary details.

That was pretty interesting setting, and I like the warm ending.

Originally posted by chongjasmine:

Too late for me to take part.

No worries, they are supposed to have it again every two years, next one will be in 2009.

I think Don's Pie may be better as they have nice comfy couches (convenient for sleeping in case the reading gets too boring!!!....kidding! kidding!) and most impt-ly : PIES! Delicious pies!!! Nothing better for me than listening to someone reading and pigging out at same time

Very wicked ah you, EP. Want to eat when people are reading. So the last time I read, you must have been thinking of pie lah...hor, now I know.

j/k

All this talk of pie is making me hungry.

Originally posted by :

Where is Books Actually located?

BooksActually, 125A Telok Ayer Street

It's located in a row of restored chinese shophouses, on the second floor. The locations is near the Thian Hock Keng Temple and Hokkien Huay Kuan clan association.

Originally posted by tare:

erm..... okie... but must be angmoh issit?

Must ask DP already.

Not everyone can understand other languages, so english is universal imho. Personally, I don't mind it and can enjoy it even if it's in a lanuage I don't understand.

Originally posted by expiringpoet:

Can read my Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows or not? Since i paid 47 bucks for it, i think i should share it around...heheh...

You too eh? No spoilers please.

Originally posted by expiringpoet:

How fun! I should be able to make it on both dates!!! Incidentally, why at BooksActually? I'm thinking the space is too big it might be difficult to hear the person reading if they're not loud enuf, plus the distractions...

Books Actually is big?! Are we talking about the same place?? I thought it was fine the last time. It definitely has the ambiance. Not the most convenient location (10-15 minutes walk from Tanjong Pagar) I'll admit, but they were nice enough to let us have the place (credit goes to DP), so I hope we don't have to go hunt for another place.

Anyway, if you or anyone have a better place in mind, please feel free to organize. That is always open to the floor.

even your company’s meeting minutes if you think it is interesting enough to hold our attentions. (THAT will be a real challenge

Please note that MPC will not be held responsible if you get fired for doing that.

Originally posted by tare:

are we supposed to just bring ANY reading material AND read it???

never did tis b4... perhaps u can give us an idea wat kinda materials is more suitable? how long? etc...

*p.s. if tat day i lost my voice can i nominate ppl to read for me?

The point is to read yourself whatever you like, not point fingers.

The last time I went, those who read just read one or two of their poems. You can read poems, paragraphs from a favorite book (to be considerate, maybe just avoid end book spoilers), or just any bits of stuff you like. I think that time, Kenny said that if people just want to read their favorite words is also ok. Don't have to be very long. I think it's anywhere between 1-5 minutes.

It's more fun all around if everyone who goes just participate. Don't worry about your voice, or what you are going to read, no one is going there to judge you.

You don't have to have a loud voice, just read in your normal talking voice, because the place is not very busy, so there's no need to shout.

I didn't know.

Hope you had a wonderful birthday, DP.