Jilly’s January Challenge – Casting Bricks to Attract Jade

Casting Bricks to Attract Jade

Jilly’s January Challenge! 

We begin a new year and we begin a fresh month of Collaborative Poetry.  Looking back, December was a bit sluggish to start, but then, celebrations and vacations fill up our lives in that most festive month of the year.  As we approached Christmastime, the December Challenge gained momentum and we caroled our way into New Year’s Eve.

Again, it my pleasure and honor to be your host for Casting Bricks to Attract Jade.  The Chinese tradition and idiom that sparked Jilly’s monthly challenges holds the spirit of collaboration and of working within the realm of the genius of our fellow poets and writers.  I ‘cast a brick’ – a challenge poem, hoping that you will come forward with something far more valuable than the brick – that what you write will be as jade.  During the past six months we have seen many half-poem challenges presented and completed by poets from all around the world.  We also delve into the Renga format; more about that below.  I hope you will present a Challenge poem for others to complete and also find a challenge that you would like to turn into purest jade! 

Here’s how it works:

1. Write a half poem and post it to your blog with a link or tag back to this page (Jilly’s January Challenge). If your Challenge poem is a form (sonnet, quadrille, etc.) please state as such and give a quick review of the form or a link to a site that does that for you.

2. Stop by here and add your Challenge link to our Mr. Linky.

3. Find other Challenges that you would like to complete.

Write the 2nd half of their poem and post the entire poem to your blog.

Return here to our Mr. Linky again and post the link to that completed poem.

You may also want to put a comment on the other person’s original Challenge post to let them know you have accepted their challenge. Also, take some time during the month to stop back here and read some of the other completed challenges.  You will be amazed at what is built by bricks.

4. Spread the word. Extend the invitation to your other poet friends to join us. We are creative, friendly and quite often, a madcap group of poets!  Everyone is welcome here!

NOTE:  In order to keep the links for Challenges (your half poem) different from the links for the Completed Poems, I suggest the following:  When posting your Challenge half poem, post the name you would normally use along with the word ‘Challenge’ behind it.  ex: Jilly Challenge.

When posting the link for a Completed Challenge, post your user name & the name of the person whose Challenge you completed.  Ex: Jilly / Colin (if I am completing a challenge put out there by our good friend Colin Lee.)

There is no expiration on our Mr. Linky, so feel free to post new challenges and complete challenges throughout the month.  Complete as many or as few challenges as you feel comfortable with.   Most importantly, have fun & flex your poetic muscles!

RENGA Challenges:  Renga is a Japanese collaborative poem that involves two or more participants. The idea was suggested last fall by qbit at The Quantumverse and has been great fun!  If you choose to kick off a Renga, include the word ‘Renga’ after your name (qbit – Renga Challenge).  It will be up to you to assign volunteers to work on a Renga Challenge.  I am linking you back to qbit’s explanation from September on this for guidance.

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know through the Comments or Contact me directly.  Cheers!  ~ Jilly