how often do you read your own poetry?

[StuffedTiger]

how often do you read your own poetry?

 

[Rollingrrl]

well I read over mine constantly, revising, editing and that sort of thing.

if you mean how often do I *really* read my own stuff, like I read other peoples' , not too often.

sometimes in fact I get too caught up in the correction phase that I'll finish a poem, post it on here and not ever have really *read* it. Then I'll see people reply and I'll read my poem and sometimes I'm just flabbergasted that I wrote something that powerful and didn't even know it!

 

[Raz]

sometimes in fact I get too caught up in the correction phase that I'll finish a poem, post it on here and not ever have really *read* it. Then I'll see people reply and I'll read my poem and sometimes I'm just flabbergasted that I wrote something that powerful and didn't even know it!

I sort of know what you mean...most everything I write is pretty spontaneous...it just kind of comes out, so I don't really have that correction phase, but I do get that thing where I'll post something without a second thought, come back and look at it after it's gotten a few replies, and then I'm really surprised that something I thought was just okay turns out to actually be really good! Of course that means there are also times when I look back on my stuff and cringe because it's so bad, but you know, we take the good with the atrocious....

To answer the initial question though...I read my stuff constantly. It's interesting for me to see what frame of mind I was in at the time I wrote a lot of stuff, and I also like to go over my pieces to see what worked and what didn't; turns of phrase, formatting, stuff like that.

Nearly everything I write is posted on here these days, so every now and then I do a search for all my stuff in Words and just read it all from the beginning to see the progression of ideas. I can definitely see points in time where I've picked up new ideas and have fixated on them for a little while, or added them to my writing...

Great topic, thanks StuffedTiger!

--Raz-- :D

 

[RareForm]

well I read over mine constantly, revising, editing and that sort of thing.

if you mean how often do I *really* read my own stuff, like I read other peoples' , not too often.

sometimes in fact I get too caught up in the correction phase that I'll finish a poem, post it on here and not ever have really *read* it. Then I'll see people reply and I'll read my poem and sometimes I'm just flabbergasted that I wrote something that powerful and didn't even know it!

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[StuffedTiger]

god I read my own shit all the time. I think it's such an important part of your own growth as an artist.

I wrote a book of poetry and short stories a little while back and while I was writing it I would constantly read the poetry and stories I'd already written, so I knew what had already been expressed and could move on to new ideas and feelings without being repetitive or overly wordy.

I think that if you use poetry as an emotional outlet the stuff you've already written can be just as therapeutic as writing itself, if not more so.

 

[blahblahblah]

on occasion... I might read some of mine right now because I am bored and my head is drawing a blank (kinda how I like it) and I kinda feel like writing something but I dont have any ideas, maybe some thing will come me as I read...





corrupt/seedless/shell

 

[PsychoKitten]

Rarely, if I actually read anything I write I tend to have the urge to correct it or change it and I've learn't that's an easy way to ruin a piece.

I read something I wrote ages ago again today (thanks to a timely bump by cherub) and it's almost shocking to remember that those words came from me.

 

[E-girl]

sometimes, something will make me think of something i wrote a long time ago, and i'll look for it. and read it, and remember. but mostly, the past hurts to reread. so i try not to revisit it too often.

but i have to admit -- i dont proofread my work. i write it and that's it. i almost never revise it.