Coming Together in Videos

As I may have mentioned, I’ve edited a book of poetry: Coming Together in Verse. The book is published through Alessio Brio’s wonderful Coming Together collective and it would not have been possible without the hard work and generosity from a lot of very talented and very patient poets.  

All the profits from the book's sales go to benefit a nominated charity.  The charity I’ve nominated is Hope for Paws. They are an amazing charity who do some amazing things, as you’ll see if you take time to check out this video.

Several of the authors have videoed themselves reading their work. 

Because I know how much fun it is to watch or listen to an author reading their work, I thought it might be fun to collect some of the samples on this page. (I know I've missed some of the authors reading here and I apologise unreservedly for any oversights. However, if I've missed yours and you're reading this, please drop me an email and I'll update the page accordingly). 

And, in no particular order, here are some of the ones I've been enjoying over the past few weeks.

 http://janineashbless.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/blue-monday-special-ashbless-reads.html

  

Coming Together in Verse is a brilliant collection of poems but, if you’re not into poetry, you might still want to consider making a donation to Hope for Paws as the work they do helps address a great amount of unnecessary suffering. http://www.hopeforpaws.org/ 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Together-Verse-Ashley-Lister/dp/1518833667/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448613928&sr=1-1&keywords=ashley+lister

http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Together-Verse-Ashley-Lister/dp/1518833667/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450017258&sr=8-1&keywords=ashley+lister+coming+together+in+verse

Read more...

Coming Together - Logos by Lisabet Sarai

Earlier this year I finally got a chance to meet the author, poet and all round legend, Lisabet Sarai. Not only is she a fantastic writer but it also turns out she's a truly lovely person.

Lisabet has poetry in Coming Together in Verse and she's been gracious enough to record herself reading Logos, a deliciously erotic piece of poetry. The book is officially released later this week but, for now, sit back and relax and enjoy this taster from the collection read by its author.

You can purchase your copy for the US from here: http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Together-Verse-Ashley-Lister/dp/1518833667/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447761264&sr=1-1&keywords=ashley+lister

Or you can purchase your UK edition here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Together-Verse-Ashley-Lister/dp/1518833667/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1447761378&sr=8-5&keywords=ashley+lister

You can find it on CreateSpace at this link: https://www.createspace.com/5831577

And you can find it on SmashWords here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/593587?ref=comingtogether

Contributors include: myself (Ashley R Lister), Alessia Brio, Victoria Blisse, Rachel Woe, Janine Ashbless, Liv Honeywell, AJ Chilson, Roy Clements, Katy J, Ashe Barker, Lisa Bower, PJ Bayliss, Geneva Rose, Jay Willowbay, Slave Nano, Lily Harlem, Kay Jaybee, KD Grace, Norbert Gora, IG Fredrick, Jade A Waters, Adrea Kore, Bella Settarr, Okami No Koga, Daniel Davis, Joanna Harrington-Cruise, Sophia Sophia, Le Petite Mortimer, Eleanor Meadows, Angell Brooks, L Hollamby, Blacksilk, CA Bell, Ian Jade, Tamsin Flowers, Ruby Red, Colin Davies, Desmond Field, Rachel McGladdery.

Please, if you get a chance, buy your copy today.

Read more...

Poem 69 - Colin Davies

It’s here! It’s here! It’s finally here!

For those of you who know me well, you’ll realise that I don’t use exclamation marks lightly. I’m of the opinion that we should be allowed six exclamation marks in our lifetime. Anything more than that is simply abusing the privilege.

But I’m excited with this announcement. Coming Together in Verse is officially released on Friday 27^th November. It’s available for pre-order from the links below.

Last night I was lucky enough to be on stage with some tremendous poets and a good number of them (in the audience and on the stage) had contributions in the book. This is one of the poets, Colin Davies, who kindly shared his poem from Coming Together in Verse with last night’s audience.

You can purchase your copy for the US from here: http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Together-Verse-Ashley-Lister/dp/1518833667/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447761264&sr=1-1&keywords=ashley+lister

Or you can purchase your UK edition here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Together-Verse-Ashley-Lister/dp/1518833667/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1447761378&sr=8-5&keywords=ashley+lister

You can find it on CreateSpace at this link: https://www.createspace.com/5831577

And you can find it on SmashWords here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/593587?ref=comingtogether

Contributors include: myself (Ashley R Lister), Alessia Brio, Victoria Blisse, Rachel Woe, Janine Ashbless, Liv Honeywell, AJ Chilson, Roy Clements, Katy J, Ashe Barker, Lisa Bower, PJ Bayliss, Geneva Rose, Jay Willowbay, Slave Nano, Lily Harlem, Kay Jaybee, KD Grace, Norbert Gora, IG Fredrick, Jade A Waters, Adrea Kore, Bella Settarr, Okami No Koga, Daniel Davis, Joanna Harrington-Cruise, Sophia Sophia, Le Petite Mortimer, Eleanor Meadows, Angell Brooks, L Hollamby, Blacksilk, CA Bell, Ian Jade, Tamsin Flowers, Ruby Red, Colin Davies, Desmond Field, Rachel McGladdery.

Please, if you get a chance, buy your copy today.

Read more...

Coming Together in Verse - release date

OK. I’ve collected the poems. I’ve edited the collection. And we’re due to release on black Friday: Friday 27^th November 2015.

Contributors include (in no particular order), myself (Ashley R Lister), Alessia Brio, Victoria Blisse, Rachel Woe, Janine Ashbless, Liz Honeywell, AJ Chilson, Roy Clements, Katy J, Ashe Barker, Lisa Bower, PJ Bayliss, Geneva Rose, Jay Willowbay, Slave Nano, Lily Harlem, Kay Jaybee, KD Grace, Norbert Gora, IG Fredrick, Jade A Waters, Adrea Kore, Bella Settarr, Okami No Koga, Daniel Davis, Joanna Harrington-Cruise, Sophia Sophia, Le Petite Mortimer, Eleanor Meadows, Angell Brooks, L Hollamby, Blacksilk, CA Bell, Ian Jade, Tamsin Flowers, Ruby Red, Colin Davies, Desmond Field, Rachel McGladdery. I'd like to take a moment here to thank each of them for the generous submission of quality work to this incredible anthology.

As soon as the book is available to order, I’ll be letting you know more about it. I’m also hoping to share recordings from some of the contributors, so that you can hear how good they are, and so that you get a taste of the top quality writing that’s gone into this collection.

And, if you’re wanting to hear one of my poems from this collection, here’s a link to me reading ‘The Ballad of Poor Simple Dave’ whilst I was at Smut Manchester last year.

Read more...

Writing Exercise - Limericks

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

A silly young woman called Alice
Used live dynamite for a phallus
It blew her vagina
To North Carolina
And her ass to a ranch up in Dallas

I’ve mentioned limericks before but I’m mentioning them again as a writing exercise for one very important reason: they’re fun.

Note the rhyme scheme: a-a-b-b-a.  This is consistent for the majority of limericks.

A very good friend of mine, Paul
Has got a hexagonal ball
The result of its weight
Plus his dick’s length times eight
Is his phone number: give him a call

Note the metre/syllable count.  In this one it’s 8/8/6/6/9.  Commonly, each limerick is 8/8/5/5/8 although they can go a couple of syllables either side depending on how they’re being performed. 

Please remember that the most important thing about the limerick is that the form lends itself to fun. 

One morning a nobleman, Andy
Woke up feeling properly randy.
He said to his aide,
"Please fetch in my maid,
Or the dog, or whatever is handy."

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Last Reminder - Call For Submissions

I've been asking for your best poems and there's only a week left for you to submit something. The deadline is October 1st 2015.

Coming Together: In Verse  will be a collection of erotic poetry and risqué verse edited by Ashley R Lister. Sales proceeds benefit Hope for Paws.

Erica Jong said, “Poetry is what we turn to in the most emotional moments of our lives – when a beloved friend dies, when a baby is born, when we fall in love.” Wallace Stevens said, “A poet looks atthe world the way a man looks at a woman.” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” Most of us agree, when it comes to expressing passion, there is nothing more effective than poetry.

Whether it’s blank or free verse, or a rigid rhyming metrical form, well-written poetry can touch us in places deeper and more personally than any fiction. There's nothing sexier than a poem that speaks to us on such an intimate level.

Author, lecturer and occasional performance poet, Ashley R Lister, is looking for your best pieces of original poetry, erotic verse, risqué rhymes, cheeky cinquains or saucy sonnets. The collection will contain a broad range of quality erotic poetry submissions, from the rude, ribald and vulgar through to the suggestive, sensuous and sensitive.

Standard Rules apply: No underage, no non-consensual, no scat, incest, or necrophilia. Any pairings or groupings accepted and encouraged.

Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2015.

Send poems double-spaced, 12 point font (Times New Roman or Georgia) in .doc or .rtf format to me@ashleylister.co.uk, with “ATTN: Coming Together, your pen-name, your story title” in the subject line. Indent the first line of each paragraph, do not add extra lines between paragraphs. British English grammar please. Double quotes around dialogue.

Only submit your final, best version of the poem; do not send multiple versions of the same piece. Up to three poems will be considered from each author. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable and be clear which one is which), mailing address, and up to 250 word bio. You will be notified as to the status of your poem by no later than November 1, 2015.

This is a charity anthology. Contributors will receive ebook copies of the publication. Additional compensation is likely to come in karma and tax-write offs. Hope for Paws will benefit from all proceeds. Hope for Paws is a non-profit animal rescue organisation. They rescue dogs (and other animals) who are suffering on the streets and in shelters. Their goal is to educate people on the importance of companion animals in our society. Find out more at hopeforpaws.org

Read more...

Writing Exercise - Standart Habbie

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

When it comes to raw sex appeal, it’s difficult to think of a country sexier than Scotland. Famous for muscular males, proficient in caber tossing and kilt-wearing; equally famed for feisty flame-haired females, Scotland has been the home of raunchy romance since the earliest days of print.  

Scotland is also blessed with a proud poetic heritage which gives us this month’s writing exercise. The Burns stanza is named after Scotland's national poet Robert Burns.

The form did exist before Burns made it his own in the form of the Standart Habbie. It’s also known as the Scottish stanza or, sometimes, simply the six-line stave. Personally, I’m happy calling it a Burns stanza. This is my attempt at the form.

Wee, sleekit, cowran, tim'rous lassie, 
Blessed with a perfect, peach-shaped assie 
Your heels and stockings look so classy, 
Have a guess what’s on my mind
You know I’d love to mount your chassis 
And take you rudely from behind.

Stanzas have six lines rhyming aaabab. 

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - Shadorma

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

The shadorma is something of an enigma. Authorities are unsure about its ancestry. Is it an overlooked Spanish form that has been around for ages? Or is it a relatively new innovation that has been brought to us in the guise of something with a history?

These questions won’t be answered here. This is partly because I’m not clever enough to know how to respond but mainly, because I don’t care one way or the other. Whether it’s ancient or modern, the shadorma is a fun poetic form that’s worth the time and effort of any writer wanting to stretch literary muscles with a brief warmup exercise. To my mind, this is the only detail worth considering with regards to any poetic form.

I don’t want
your lace-topped stockings
black thong or
fuck-me shoes.
I just want you without your
designer labels.

The shadorma is a six lines stanza made up of lines that contain 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllables respectively. There is no fixed rhyme scheme. A shadorma can consist of a single stanza, or the form can be used to produce a longer poem with multiple stanzas.

Sad to say

despite best efforts

(replacing

batteries

shaking it ‘til it wobbles)

the rabbit is dead.

Take comfort
or consolation
from this fact:
that rabbit
died doing what he loved best.
His last words were, “buzz.”

The shadorma can be a lot of fun and, as with all poetic forms, it’s a great way to discipline your writing muscles. The majority of online material discussing this form reiterates the need for six unrhymed lines in the format of 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllables.

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - the rispetto

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

This is what the Encyclopaedia Britannica has to say about the Rispetto:

rispetto, ( Italian:: “respect,” ) plural rispetti,  a Tuscan folk verse form, a version of strambotto. The rispetto lyric is generally composed of eight hendecasyllabic (11-syllable) lines. In its earliest form the rhyme scheme was usually abababcc. Later, the scheme ababccdd became more prominent, and other variations can also be found.

Here’s an interpretation of the second cited form of the rispetto that was written for me by an anonymous colleague.

Won’t you tie me to the bed before we start?
At least secure my wrists so I’m held rigid.
You may take my body like you took my heart
I’m motionless and cool but far from frigid.

I’ll surrender to your absolute control
Let me languish in my loved submissive role
Make each punishment seem painful and unjust
I’ll be bound and tied: a prisoner to your lust.

There are other versions of the rispetto. There are heroic interpretations when written in iambic pentameter. I’ve even seen versions written in tetrameter. The key things to remember for this form are:

      1)    Regardless of which meter or rhyme scheme you select, retain the strict meter.

      2)    Have fun.

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Call For Submissions - Penultimate Reminder

I've been asking for your best poems and there's only a month left for you to submit something. The deadline is October 1st 2015.

Coming Together: In Verse  will be a collection of erotic poetry and risqué verse edited by Ashley R Lister. Sales proceeds benefit Hope for Paws.

Erica Jong said, “Poetry is what we turn to in the most emotional moments of our lives – when a beloved friend dies, when a baby is born, when we fall in love.” Wallace Stevens said, “A poet looks atthe world the way a man looks at a woman.” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” Most of us agree, when it comes to expressing passion, there is nothing more effective than poetry.

Whether it’s blank or free verse, or a rigid rhyming metrical form, well-written poetry can touch us in places deeper and more personally than any fiction. There's nothing sexier than a poem that speaks to us on such an intimate level.

Author, lecturer and occasional performance poet, Ashley R Lister, is looking for your best pieces of original poetry, erotic verse, risqué rhymes, cheeky cinquains or saucy sonnets. The collection will contain a broad range of quality erotic poetry submissions, from the rude, ribald and vulgar through to the suggestive, sensuous and sensitive.

Standard Rules apply: No underage, no non-consensual, no scat, incest, or necrophilia. Any pairings or groupings accepted and encouraged.

Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2015.

Send poems double-spaced, 12 point font (Times New Roman or Georgia) in .doc or .rtf format to me@ashleylister.co.uk, with “ATTN: Coming Together, your pen-name, your story title” in the subject line. Indent the first line of each paragraph, do not add extra lines between paragraphs. British English grammar please. Double quotes around dialogue.

Only submit your final, best version of the poem; do not send multiple versions of the same piece. Up to three poems will be considered from each author. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable and be clear which one is which), mailing address, and up to 250 word bio. You will be notified as to the status of your poem by no later than November 1, 2015.

This is a charity anthology. Contributors will receive ebook copies of the publication. Additional compensation is likely to come in karma and tax-write offs. Hope for Paws will benefit from all proceeds. Hope for Paws is a non-profit animal rescue organisation. They rescue dogs (and other animals) who are suffering on the streets and in shelters. Their goal is to educate people on the importance of companion animals in our society. Find out more at hopeforpaws.org

Read more...

Writing Exercise - canzonetta

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 The canzonetta is a lyric poem. It contains varying line lengths, varying metrical patterns and a refrain.

A typical canzonetta consists of at least two octaves. Each octave should use a series of alternating couplets and the last line or phrase of a stanza is repeated in each subsequent stanzas.

The rhyme scheme is:

a b a b c d c D 

or

a b a b c b c B

Note that the capital letter indicates a repeated line. Does this sound complicated? Would it be better illustrated with an example?

I think it’s time we played a game
A game you’ll know from way back when
Get naked and embrace the shame
Although you’re in the lion’s den
You’ll touch your toes, spread both your cheeks
Conclude your prayer and say, “Amen.”
In my domain no other speaks
So close your eyes and count to ten

You hold your breath and worry hard
Because it’s time to play again
You fear your backside might get scarred
As once perhaps it did back then
You wonder what’s about to come
A sigh of leather and you ken
The pain is aimed right for your bum
So close your eyes and count to ten

You’ll notice here that I’ve gone for the a b a b c b c B rhyme scheme. My refrain, ‘So close your eyes and count to ten’ will continue to work through this poem if I go on to develop it into further stanzas. 

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - Tankas and Somonkas

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 Since we started looking at poetry as a writing exercise we’ve considered various syllable forms. The most famous of these is the haiku, usually interpreted in Western writing as three lines containing 5-7-5 syllables.

As I’ve said before, I enjoy the discipline of syllable forms because it forces us to approach words from a different angle. We’re counting syllables as well as considering the perceived denotations and connotations of potential synonyms.

There are other variations on this syllable-counting theme. One of the more popular is the tanka.

The tanka is similar to the haiku except it’s longer in that it’s usually five lines and interpreted as 5-7-5-7-7 syllables. Given that it’s almost double the length of the haiku, the tanka can still be surprisingly restrictive.

However, this month’s form is not the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable tanka. This month we’re looking at the somonka.

The somonka is made up of two tanka-sized stanzas presented as an exchange of love letters.

Note to my master
I come to you on my knees
Ready and willing
My bare flesh is yours tonight
Do with me as you see fit

To my submissive
Thank you for your love letter
It was not needed
Your bare flesh is mine tonight
But only if I want it

Does that look simple enough? Two tank-sized stanzas (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) presented as an exchange of love letters. 

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - little willies

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 In the drinking-well
(Which the plumber built her)
Aunt Eliza fell,
We must buy a filter.

Col D Streamer,
Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes

The original Ruthless Rhymes (Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes or check out the ruthless rhymes web page) were written by Col D Streamer, pen name of Harry Graham. These were published in the early 1900s at a time when dark and sinister humour was prevalent in the pages of published works. Graham is also the name most commonly associated with the poetry phenomena of Little Willies. Little Willies are poems that catalogue the dark catastrophes and grim activities surrounding the eponymous Little Willie.

Little Willie from his mirror
Sucked the mercury all off,
Thinking, in his childish error,
It would cure his whooping-cough.

At the funeral, Willie’s mother
Smartly said to Mrs. Brown,
”T was a chilly day for William
When the mercury went down.”

Samuel Reynolds Hole
A Little Tour in America

Poetry pages soon became replete with Little Willies, produced by a broad variety of authors and written to varying degrees of success. These set a precedent that paved the way for the line drawings and memorable couplets of Edward Gorey with works such as his delightfully deviant Gashlycrumb Tinies.

A is for Amy who fell down the stairs
B is for Basil assaulted by bears…

Edward Gorey
Gashlycrumb Tinies

What does any of this have to do with writing erotica? Well, that’s your exercise for this month. Produce quatrains or couplets that are delightfully deviant. Write something that blunders into rhyme and tells a cold and brutal story in the shortest and most simplistic manner. Dare to be vulgar and write something about little willies.

They climbed the hilltop just to have sex
Did the nursery rhyme Jackie and Jilly
But she pushed him down and made him her ex
Disappointed by his little willy.

I won’t write any more here this month. I’ll simply end by asking you to share your little willies in the comments box below.

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - the minute poem

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 The Minute Poem is a form that follows an 8, 4, 4, 4 syllable count structure. It usually has 3 stanzas that are exactly the same: 8, 4, 4, 4;  8, 4, 4, 4;  8, 4 , 4, 4 syllables.

A traditional Minute Poem has 12 lines in total. It is written in a strict iambic meter. The rhyme scheme is as follows: aabb, ccdd, eeff.

In this traditional example I’ve included both the rhyme scheme (aabb, ccdd, eeff) and the syllable count (8,4,4,4 for each stanza).

You come to me in saucy mood

You’re feeling rude

You want my dick

You want it quick

At first we cuddle, then we kiss

It feels like bliss

Our passions soar

We both want more

It’s all over too fast for you

What can I do?

Speed’s in my plan:

the minute man

Alternatively, there’s also a non-traditional minute poem. This adaptation doesn’t have to rhyme but it should follow the established syllable count.

Our naked bodies give shared warmth

they entertain

arouse, inspire

and so much more

We’ve been together for so long

It feels just like

eternity

but I want more

As long as our shared pleasures please

I’ll always try

to be with you

and give you more

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - the rhyme royal

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

James I of Scotland

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

The rhyme royal (sometimes called the rime royale by those who prefer to spell things incorrectly) is a fairly straightforward poetic form.

It refers to a stanza of seven lines, each line containing ten syllables, and the whole poem following a rhyming pattern of a b a b b c c. The form, according to the Poetry Foundation, was popularized by Geoffrey Chaucer and termed “royal” because his imitator, James I of Scotland, employed this structure in his own verse.

Here’s an example of one I wrote earlier.

We talk about our plans for this evening

Things we’d love to do when at our leisure

I long to give your sexual bells a ring:

Thrill you with a night you’ll always treasure.

In return you give a choice of pleasure

But I care not if you swallow or spit

I’m happy if you put your mouth round it.

Note that there are ten syllables per line. This isn’t iambic pentameter. This is merely ten syllables per line. Writing in iambs might make for something more profound but, as regular readers of these exercises will be aware, I am an exceptionally superficial poet.

One of the many fun things about this form is that the stanzas can be used to form verses in a longer poem. This is the way Chaucer used it in his work and we can see examples of this in Wyatt, Auden and many others.

I pluck your pubes from twixt my teeth and smile

The taste of you still lingers on my lips

Your scent’s a mem’ry that’s made to beguile

I yearn to squirm beneath your fingertips

And play with toys like canes and crops and whips

And savour pleasures borne beyond belief

Then pluck more pubes from in between my teeth

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - the villanelle

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 The villanelle is a nineteen-line poetic form consisting of five tercets followed by a quatrain. There are two refrains and two repeating rhymes, with the first and third line of the first tercet repeated alternately until the last stanza, which includes both repeated lines.

This is a complex form – but it’s worth persevering.

The villanelle has been used for such memorable poems as Dylan Thomas’s ‘Do Not Go Gentle into that Goodnight’, Theodore Roethke’s ‘The Waking’ and Sylvia Plath’s ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song.’ Writing a villanelle is not easy but, once you’ve accomplished it, you’re in good company.

You may do me, and I will owe you one

Or until then I shall owe one to you

This lovers’ trade is really not a con

I guarantee it will be lots of fun

For me, at least (which might be nothing new)

You may do me, and I will owe you one

We shouldn’t start a sexu’l marathon

I know we’ve both got other things to do

This lovers’ trade is really not a con

But I’d like it if you could get me done

I don’t care if you suck or if we screw

You may do me, and I will owe you one

We’d celebrate with chilled Dom Perignon

I’ve brought a demi and champagne flutes: two

This lovers’ trade is really not a con

To get me off we’ll have to get it on

My need for satisfaction’s overdue

You may do me, and I will owe you one

This lovers’ trade is really not a con

There is a formula:  A¹ b A² / a b A¹ / a b A² / a b A¹ / a b A² / a b A¹ A². Here the letters (a and b) indicate the two rhyme sounds. The use of upper case letters indicates a refrain. And the superscript numerals indicate the different use of refrain one and refrain two.

Would another example help to illustrate the form better?

You ask me if I’d like to be restrained	A1
You think our love could flourish with me bound	b
You claim you want to see me being chained	A2
This interest in restraint is unexplained	a
And I think our relationship is sound	b
You ask me if I’d like to be restrained	A1
You say I should be physically detained	a
Or tied up like some safe/secured hound	b
You claim you want to see me being chained	A2
I say, “Perhaps I might like being caned?”	a
Your eagerness does not get off the ground	b
You ask me if I’d like to be restrained	A1
You say my problem is that I’m untrained	a
You bring out rope next time we fool around	b
You claim you want to see me being chained	A2
We tried it way back once and I complained	a
But with a gag I didn’t make a sound	b
You ask me if I’d like to be restrained	A1
You claim you want to see me being chained	A2

The villanelle is a lot of fun to work with. It is a complex form but I figure those who’ve been reading these columns over the past year or so will be ready for the adventure of a greater challenge.

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - Ottava Rima

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 We vow tonight will be an early night

We both have work to do tomorrow morn

But now, before I kill the bedroom light

I plead for you to tend to my hard horn.

The mood is set. The time seems very right.

We’re both fired up from watching hardcore porn

I do those things you tell me you adore

And then I stop ‘cos you’ve started to snore.

The Ottava Rima describes eight lines of poetry set out in the form: a b a b a b c c. These eight lines can represent a single poem or a collection of these stanzas can make up a longer work.

Originally, when it was brought to us from the Italian language, the Ottava Rima had 11 syllables per line. Because this form was then appropriated by English speakers in the 16^th century, when iambic pentameter was all the rage, those 11 syllables were reduced to ten. In the following you’ll note that I’ve used some lines with ten and some with 11 syllables.

We did it whilst you cooked a sweet ‘n’ sour

We did it on the table in the kitchen

We did it whilst I read King’s The Dark Tower

We did it whilst you sewed and did some stitchin’

We did it in the bathroom in the shower

We did it even though your crotch was itchin’

On that morning we earned a world renown

To kill time whilst our ISP was down

The Ottava Rima is a lot of fun. It’s been used for a variety of disparate purposes including religious verse, comedy, troubadour songs and dramatic narratives. It’s been used by a host of impressive names including Fairfax, Byron and Burgess. As always, the challenge this month is to use this form to present something erotic.

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Writing Exercise - the Quatern

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 The quatern is a sixteen line French form composed of four quatrains (four line stanzas).

The quatern has a refrain (a repeated line) that is in a different place in each quatrain. In other words, the first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, the third line of stanza three and the fourth line of stanza four. It’s surprising how much this affects the meaning of the words in that refrain.

A quatern should have eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme scheme.

I don’t know why you won’t undress

Your clothes are getting in my way

I say this to you night and day

It leaves our love life in a mess

And so I tell my therapist

I don’t know why you won’t undress

It stops me trying to caress

The parts I think you needed kissed

But he tells me to give you time

He says you don’t need my duress

I don’t know why you won’t undress

I worry you’re no longer mine

I hear my therapist confess

He’s seeing you: You’re deemed a slut

He wants some advice from me but

I don’t know why you won’t undress

I have to admit, I love poems that work with refrains. All poems get us thinking about words and the way we use them in different fashions. The use of a refrain, especially with such a didactic placement as the one in the quatrain, makes us think more about our selection of choice phrases.

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...

Call for Submissions - Coming Together in Verse

One or two helpful authors have pointed out that there was some ambiguity in my previous call for submissions, so I've removed the parts that were causing confusion.

I'm asking for your best poems. 

Coming Together: In Verse  will be a collection of erotic poetry and risqué verse edited by Ashley R Lister. Sales proceeds benefit Hope for Paws.

Erica Jong said, “Poetry is what we turn to in the most emotional moments of our lives – when a beloved friend dies, when a baby is born, when we fall in love.” Wallace Stevens said, “A poet looks atthe world the way a man looks at a woman.” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” Most of us agree, when it comes to expressing passion, there is nothing more effective than poetry.

Whether it’s blank or free verse, or a rigid rhyming metrical form, well-written poetry can touch us in places deeper and more personally than any fiction. There's nothing sexier than a poem that speaks to us on such an intimate level.

Author, lecturer and occasional performance poet, Ashley R Lister, is looking for your best pieces of original poetry, erotic verse, risqué rhymes, cheeky cinquains or saucy sonnets. The collection will contain a broad range of quality erotic poetry submissions, from the rude, ribald and vulgar through to the suggestive, sensuous and sensitive.

Standard Rules apply: No underage, no non-consensual, no scat, incest, or necrophilia. Any pairings or groupings accepted and encouraged.

Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2015.

Send poems double-spaced, 12 point font (Times New Roman or Georgia) in .doc or .rtf format to me@ashleylister.co.uk, with “ATTN: Coming Together, your pen-name, your story title” in the subject line. British English grammar please. Double quotes around dialogue.

Only submit your final, best version of the poem; do not send multiple versions of the same piece. Up to three poems will be considered from each author. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable and be clear which one is which), mailing address, and up to 250 word bio. You will be notified as to the status of your poem by no later than November 1, 2015.

This is a charity anthology. Contributors will receive ebook copies of the publication. Additional compensation is likely to come in karma and tax-write offs. Hope for Paws will benefit from all proceeds. Hope for Paws is a non-profit animal rescue organisation. They rescue dogs (and other animals) who are suffering on the streets and in shelters. Their goal is to educate people on the importance of companion animals in our society. Find out more at hopeforpaws.org

Read more...

Writing Exercise - the tritina

As some of you may be aware, I’m currently compiling an anthology of poetry, Coming Together: In Verse.  The call for submissions is listed here: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

For those of you wanting to submit, but lacking inspiration or ideas, below you’ll find one of the poetry writing exercises I’ve previously shared on the blog for the Erotic Readers and Writers Association (http://erotica-readers.blogspot.co.uk). I'm going to try and share them here on a weekly basis until we reach the deadline date.

 Whenever I teach poetry, there will often be a student arguing against rhyme or railing against the discipline of meter or battling the regimented notion of syllable counting. My usual response, that the practice of poetry is assisted by working to the structure of established forms, often seems like a poor comeback. Oftentimes, as a compromise, we’ll end up working on the tritina.

The tritina is a ten line form of unrhymed poetry, broken into three tercets (three-lined stanzas) with a final, solitary, line.  The device that makes the tritina remarkable is its use of repeated words, once in each line, in the pattern of A B C, C A B, B C A. The final line of the tritina includes all three of the A B C words.

Kisses, Crops and Canes

For years they met and shared their kisses
Sating a passion for crops
Exploring a passion for canes

They learnt each other's favourite canes
Then chased each stripe with tender kisses
And chased each kiss with cruel crops

Eventually they outgrew crops
Their need for pain outgrew the canes
But never once did they eschew kisses

Kisses do so much more than crops and canes

You’ll notice here that the ABC words kisses(A), crops(B) and canes(C) are repeated at the end of the lines in the aforementioned pattern: A B C, C A B, B C A. In the final line it doesn’t matter about the order of the three words as long as they’re all there.

Kneel and Worship

When we meet you insist that I should kneel
(before we undress, touch, or kiss) and
you insist that at your feet I worship

It helps that you’re so worthy of worship
and that I need to kneel
at your feet and

remain there paying homage and
promising other forms of worship
that I might still do whilst I kneel

How I love to hear you whisper: “Kneel and worship.”

There is no fixed meter, although the poem appears to work best when each line contains a similar number of syllables. In this one you’ll notice that the ABC words kneel(A), and(B) and worship(C) are repeated (again) in the aforementioned pattern: A B C, C A B, B C A. I’ve managed to get my ABC words as the last three in the final line – although this isn’t a necessity.

If you do want to submit to the current anthology, information can be found on: http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-for-submissions-coming-together-in.html

Read more...