# I came for April



## EllaLouis (Mar 17, 2016)

Hello, 
I found you by googling poetry forums for National Poetry Write Month.
Hoping to share the fun and agony of a poem a day here.
Now off for a quick look round.

EllaL


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## PrinzeCharming (Mar 17, 2016)

Hey Ella, how are you? I'm Anthony. Welcome to Writing Forums! I hope you stay beyond April. We have a lot of resources available for you to pursue all your poetic endeavors, including poetry competitions. Look around, meet some new people, and lounge in the casual threads. I am looking forward to seeing you around. If you need anything, let us know. We're here to help! 


- Anthony


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## EllaLouis (Mar 17, 2016)

Thanks! That was quick :smile:


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## PiP (Mar 17, 2016)

Hi Ella,

Welcome to our creative community! Yes, we are hosting a NaPoWriMo challenge for members and have a dedicated NaPoWriMo forum. Once you have made ten valid posts you can share your poems here. Please stayed tuned for more information. 

Any questions please do not hesitate to ask.


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## EllaLouis (Mar 17, 2016)

Ok, thank you! better get posting my valid posts before April 1st then!


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## Harper J. Cole (Mar 17, 2016)

Welcome, *EllaLouis*! You've come for April, but I hope you stay for May!


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## aj47 (Mar 17, 2016)

Welcome!  The Prinze has already mentioned our challenges.  We just wrapped up the writing phase of the March challenge and you can vote on your favorites now. If you choose to do that, please read the voting guidelines carefully. If you have any questions, ask a staff member.  Especially the folks whose names are purple. Those are our Mentors and are sort of like our Welcome Wagon. 

I'll be hosting the WF NaPoWriMo challenge and there will be information about it posted as April approaches. I'll be getting my fingers inky, too--I've actually managed a-poem-a-day one year, but it wasn't here.  

You do need to level up and get your ten posts, but there are lots of places to do that. In addition to offering feedback in our creative areas, you can join or open a discussion in one of our discussion boards.  You can play games, too, but those don't count toward your ten-post goal.

Again, welcome to our community!  We're glad to have you.


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## EllaLouis (Mar 17, 2016)

Harper, Thank you, I may -- :icon_compress:


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## EllaLouis (Mar 17, 2016)

Astroannie, Thank you for the helpful info! I will wander around and try and get to my ten posts -- sounds like a fun place :razz:


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## PrinzeCharming (Mar 17, 2016)

EllaLouis said:


> Astroannie, Thank you for the helpful info! I will wander around and try and get to my ten posts -- sounds like a fun place :razz:




Ella, please tell us more about yourself! What do you enjoy reading or writing? Do you have any favorite genres? Do you have any favorite poets?


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## EllaLouis (Mar 17, 2016)

Prinze, If I hang around and post a poem a day through April, you people will get well bored with the things I let slip about my dreary life in the chit-chat above the poem (unless you dont allow personal talk in the Poetry threads?) 

I love most poets, depending on my mood -- I tend to write observer poems more than internal imagination stuff.
Look forward to exploring this place further.
EllaL


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## PrinzeCharming (Mar 17, 2016)

EllaLouis said:


> Prinze, If I hang around and post a poem a day through April, you people will get well bored with the things I let slip about my dreary life in the chit-chat above the poem (unless you dont allow personal talk in the Poetry threads?)



Ella, trust me. We have threads for all discussions from writing to living. We have the Living Areas for a reason! Whether you want to talk about life or procrastinate from writing, we have everything at your fingertips. So, there's no need to spill it all in the poetry area. If you want to expand on how you feel, we even have Mentors (such as myself) for assistance. We're almost like car, auto and home insurance, but even better. We got you covered! 



EllaLouis said:


> I love most poets, depending on my mood -- I tend to write observer poems more than internal imagination stuff.
> Look forward to exploring this place further.
> EllaL



I love your enthusiasm! It'll be extremely useful around here. Have fun!

*Edit: 
*
In case you're interested, you may even create blog entries about your life as well when you feel comfortable. We have that feature available to you.


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## EllaLouis (Mar 18, 2016)

Hi again, Prinze --
"We're almost like car, auto and home insurance, but even better. We got you covered!"

I like that!

"I love your enthusiasm! It'll be extremely useful around here. Have fun!"

Thank you! I was wondering if a possible theme for NaPo would be sparking my poem off a much better one by a published poet -- to read and share great poems as well as be inspired to write my own. 

Off to find some posts to comment on 

EllaLouis


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## Aquilo (Mar 18, 2016)

Hey, Ella, we've got some great things coming for April and the details will be coming in the next week or so.  I really hope you stick around for after April, as you can enter the monthly poetry challenges to be in with a chance for an invite into the Annual Poetry comp for next April's National Poetry Month. There's cash prizes plus a chance at publication in an anthology. This year's is set to kick off in April, and although you've just missed a chance to be entered by winning a monthly challenge, there's a People's Choice Award that you can vote in to help fellow peers.  

I hope you enjoy National Poetry Month with us!


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## EllaLouis (Mar 18, 2016)

Aquilo,
Thanks! Will watch developments then -- I just looked at your NaPoWriMo last year, lots of people got involved.

 I look forward to April -- NaPo is fun, but your monthly Challenges sound equally exciting=D>=D>

I am looking around -- this is a big place!  Trying to see if there is a challenge for March I can vote on. (Edited: need to get my 10 posts quick for that!)

EllaL


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## aj47 (Mar 18, 2016)

Whee!  You've leveled up!

Now, you can see the secret areas where we workshop things.  Safe from the prying eyes of Web search engines, work posted there is not considered "published" because only members can read it.  This means you retain your first rights.


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## EllaLouis (Mar 18, 2016)

Yippie!!
Problem is, I haven't written anything much for several months -- NaPo is supposed to fix that. Meanwhile let me comment a bit, crit lightly, ease back into it.


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## Gumby (Mar 18, 2016)

Hi Ella! So glad you found us and welcome to the site!


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## EllaLouis (Mar 18, 2016)

Thank you, gracious Gumby! Finding my feet slowly.


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## Tiashe (Mar 19, 2016)

Welcome to the forums Ella!



astroannie said:


> Whee!  You've leveled up!
> 
> Now, you can see the secret areas where we workshop things.  Safe from the prying eyes of Web search engines, work posted there is not considered "published" because only members can read it.  This means you retain your first rights.



What are first rights?


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## jenthepen (Mar 19, 2016)

Hi Tiashe, 'first rights' is short for 'first publication rights' and this matters if you plan to try to get your stories or poems published by a traditional publishing house or a magazine because they usually don't accept anything that has been published somewhere else first. In a publishing contract you will usually agree to sell the first rights to the publisher - this is your guarantee to them that it has not been published before. You would still retain the copyright to your work and would be free to publish it elsewhere AFTER the publisher has published. You could also sell 'second rights' to other publishers but, in practice, not many publishers are interested in second rights.

Of course, first rights are not important at all if you plan to self-publish your work. 

Hope this helps.


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## Yumi Koizumi (Mar 20, 2016)

If you come for April, would you stay for May-or the whole summer? I mean, what with the April showers & May flowers... why not?


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## Olly Buckle (Mar 20, 2016)

> I will wander around and try and get to my ten posts


Hmm, 59 posts, 51 'likes', pretty successful so far and it is not April yet. Hope to still be seeing you in September


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## Yumi Koizumi (Mar 20, 2016)

> I came for April
> Hello,
> I found you by googling...



Wait. Is it possible you are looking for someone _named_ April? 

Nobody guessed that one yet!


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