Good writing can be taught

I LAST ran a poem-a-thon workshop in May 2014.

I am pretty proud of that month-long workshop.

It was, of course, a public service of The Peter Solis Nery Foundation for Hiligaynon Literature and the Arts, Inc.

Just one of the many things I do to promote Hiligaynon writing.

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Participants of that workshop often ask me when I will do something like that again.

Well, the long wait is over.

I’m gonna do it again.

And I’m opening it up to more people. Casting the net wider.

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I’m inviting people from Instagram.

Poetry groups, and writing communities.

Those who follow me, and those who don’t.

But the workshop will still be conducted on Facebook.

I will create a special Facebook group for it.

They only need to join the group, and follow my rules.

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Once you are in, you can always leave.

But first, you must ask to be let in.

Ask, and I shall approve.

But there will be a “process” to test if you can follow instructions.

I mean, I cannot teach you, if you cannot follow my instructions.

As simple as that.

First instruction: follow posts and updates about this workshop on my Facebook wall, and here on Panay News.

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The language of instruction is going to be English.

I have come to this decision because I know Filipinos are English language literate.

But also because I am casting the net wider, and opening the event to the whole wide world.

Welcome to online education. Welcome to 21st century learning.

Welcome to the world.

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June 2018 Poem-a-thon with Peter Solis Nery: one poem each day for all the 30 days of June.

That’s a challenge.

That’s “the” challenge.

You can be a dropout by Day 15, but that will be on you.

I am a finisher.

And I will do this.

With, or without, you.

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I have a vision.

But I will not spill all of it out to you at this time.

I mean, that’s why you got to trust me a little.

Or trust me with all your might. With all your life.

My goal is simple: By the end of June 2018, you would have written at least ten great poems. Maybe more.

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Well, you can f*ck it up.

Still, that is my goal.

I will work towards that goal.

I will give my all to make that happen.

And if I fail, I wouldn’t be so bad. Wouldn’t be so sad.

Because I’m sure I will have a great time teaching.

And for me, the journey is more important than the arriving.

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The effort is more valuable than the result.

This is just a workshop. A training.

A honing of a creative attitude.

Developing real artists. Real poets.

Poets-at-heart living a real poet’s life.

I mean, my kinds of poet.

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Of course, you will produce some crappy stuff.

Masterpieces are hard to come by.

I know that from experience.

And I have lots of experience!

Perhaps you will only produce crappy stuff in all of the thirty days.

It’s really up to you.

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In the workshop, I will teach you and guide you.

But you will have to do your own writing.

I cannot do that for you.

Nobody can do that for you.

Also, you can ignore my teaching.

So, if you fail, I’ll just chalk it up to experience.

Or, I can just say, Well, you don’t ever listen to me.

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Because here is my belief: Writing can be taught.

Good writing can be taught.

And if you trust me, and follow me, and do as I say, I can get you to a better version of yourself.

The best version of yourself though depends on you.

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What if you discover that you really can’t write poetry?

That you have no real poetic sense after all?

Well, the better for us all!

Then, you can stop dreaming to be a poet.

And you can stop writing crappy stuff parading them as poems.

And stop giving all the genuine poets of the world a bad name.

Then, you can thank me for saving you from a lifetime of delusion.

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And if you discover you have talent? And that you are really good?

Well, we can go on and help you get on with your life.

I can advise for publication.

I can suggest ways to go about publishing and getting famous. And all that crap.

But I’d like take credit for helping, maybe even discovering, you.

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In fact, I’d like to have the first publication rights to your works that come out of the workshop.

Yes, I’m thinking of another book to be published by my Foundation featuring outstanding pieces from the poem-a-thon workshop.

You will give me the rights, and will not ask for payment.

Hello? Did I mention that I am giving this workshop for free, and I’m not asking for payment from you?

Can I scratch your back, and you scratch mine?

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Full disclosure: I will not ask for tuition or workshop fee. But I might encourage you to pay as you are able; pay as you can.

Just thinking about it at the moment.

But why not, if you can afford it.

Send me a donation for the workshop. If you can afford it.

I mean, that will pay for coffee while I stay up reading and evaluating your work. (To be continued on Friday) (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)