Home of Monty Vern
Gustatory Imagery allows the readers to imagine the sense of taste while reading a poem or text.
literarydevices.net
Yummy! I’m going to pull out an example from the archives. The below very short story was originally published in Monty’s Very Short Shorts, which is a compilation of illustrated very short stories and poems based on the #vss365 prompt from Twitter back in 2020. This was my first writing project.
Be well,
On this anniversary of my first A to Z challenge, I’m posting each of the illustrated “seriously silly poems” from my book Apples Eating Zebras and other seriously silly poetry — a carefully edited and polished compilation of my A to Z posts from last year. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more silly poetry from A to Z!
Pick up a copy of this silly collection dedicated to the child in all of us and enjoy with a loved one. Or stick around as I’ll continue posting each illustrated poem one letter at a time throughout the month of April. Have fun and stay silly!
Be well,
Monty
Fiction encompasses stories that are created, invented, and made-up by the writer.
literarydevices.net
I was an avid creative writer of fiction when I first started writing in grade school. I specifically remember what I probably inaccurately describe as my first story being about a magic pebble. However, since coming back to writing as an adult (or sorts), I’ve been strongly pulled in the direction of memoir/autobiography. But I greatly admire the ability to develop characters and weave a compelling story from pure imagination. So let’s give it a go!
The Village Stone
The towering carved stone stood at the center of the village. Moss covered and ancient looking, it had been the source of wonderment for generations. What was this stone for? Who carved it? How did it get here (there were no stones of it’s nature within 1000’s of miles)?
The village grandmas’ used the stones mysteriousness to weave tales of spirits that lived under the stone and would come out to punish misbehaving children. A convenient misdirection that depending on the grandma’s story telling skills either terrified the children into obedience or was to no effect and dismissed as lame.
At the tavern, talk of the stone was a regular pastime. Conspiracies abounded from alien technology to government surveillance (and of course the requisite theory that aliens had take over the government and were surveilling the village folk). As with most bar talk it wasn’t that long into the night before the tone of the discussion turned from conspiratorial to confrontational with the right-wingers accusing the lefties of being stone worshiping pagans and the lefties accusing the righties of being idiotic wing-nuts. The lefties had a point, but as usual they acted way to superior about it all. But as the beer and whiskey continued to flow the lefties and righties were soon standing side-by-side pissing on the stone before going home. Some said it was for good luck. Other’s said it was to ward off evil. The village sherif said it was public indecency but held a blind eye on the nightly ritual.
Alexis had grown up hearing the stories. Her Grandma was one of the more skilled story weavers and often had her on the edge of her seat in horror as spirits bit off the toes of naughty children or worse, told Santa on them. But that was over a year ago when she was little. She wasn’t little anymore. She was going on ten and would be in fifth-grade, the top of her school, in the fall. And she had big plans for this summer. Plans that would definitely put her on the naughty list. But she wasn’t scared. She didn’t believe in toe-eating spirits. And she was pretty sure Santa wasn’t real either. She was a scientist and this summer was going to be her big discovery. A breakthrough that would make her famous and, certainly, win her the first place prize in the fifth-grade science fair.
– – –
“Hey, where are you going?”, whispered Eli from the other side of the bedroom.
“Shh!”, Alexis whispered back with an internal groan. She was ten years old. Why did she still have to share a room with her baby brother? He is only seven and so annoying.
She saw his little chubby cheeks glowing in the yellow light of his Winnie-the-Pooh nightlight. Darn-it! She’d thought he was already asleep. Now what should she do? There was no way she was going to be get away to do her experiment if that little brat told their parents on her. Shrugging off the unplanned inconvenience, she grabbed her back-pack from under the bed and told Eli to get dressed because they were going on an adventure together.
“Where are we going?”, he asked excitedly.
“To the Stone”, she whispered equally excited. “There is something I want to show you.
“To the Ssssttttone?” Eli stuttered? “But, I like my toes.”
“Don’t worry! As long as your quiet don’t tell anyone about this I’ll protect you. But if you make a single peep, I’ll let them eat both of your big toes and your little ones too!”
Eli quickly got dressed. Not as quietly as Alexis would have preferred but the house stayed dark. As they snuck out of the room to head downstairs, neither or them noticed Winnie-the-Poohs head swivel as it followed their exit. A dull red light now glowing from his big honey-colored belly. Nor did they, or anyone else in the village, notice the slightest of hums now emanating from the village stone.
To be continued…
That was quite a different write from anything I’ve done before. It was fun to try. There is still a lot more work needed for character development and, of course, the story would need to be fleshed out, but I think I managed to illustrate fiction well enough. What do you think?
Be well,
April is here again and that means its National Poetry Writing Month and for my second year I’ll be joining the 30 poems in 30 days challenge hosted by napowrimo.net. For this challenge, a poetry prompt will be provided daily during the month of April and if I can keep on track I’ll achieve the 30 poems in 30 days goal. So enough chatter…let’s go! It’s time for NaPoWriMo!
Write a poem that plays with the idea of a list.
napowrimo.net
Perhaps this may be more of a philosophical point, but I will say it’s a philosophical point made in the form of a concrete poem.
Be well,
Monty
On this anniversary of my first A to Z challenge, I’m posting each of the illustrated “seriously silly poems” from my book Apples Eating Zebras and other seriously silly poetry — a carefully edited and polished compilation of my A to Z posts from last year. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more silly poetry from A to Z!
Pick up a copy of this silly collection dedicated to the child in all of us and enjoy with a loved one. Or stick around as I’ll continue posting each illustrated poem one letter at a time throughout the month of April. Have fun and stay silly!
Be well,
Monty
Elegy is a form of poetry that reflects on death or loss
literarydevices.net
For those that have been following me regularly, you know that I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity to write a number of elegiacal poems of late with the passing of loved ones. I don’t have the strength to write a new one at this time. We are still in the mourning period for my parents-in-law and the pain remains raw. Here is an elegy I wrote last year, originally published in my book From Here: poems inspired by poetry.
Dancing to the Blues Upon the Morning’s Light
For John and all those that love him
He did not hear the sun set.
Did not see the musical sounds of evening.
Or feel the moon’s light upon his gently shut eyelids.
Or return the touch of love upon his heart.
Or so it would seem to an observer’s eye.
Through the lens of love we witness
Him dancing to the blues upon the morning’s light;
Lifting his face to feel the warmth of a new spring;
Fiercely protecting his loved ones in an eternal embrace;
And smiling while saying “Ho-hum”
To the wonder and beauty of the moment.
Be well,
On this anniversary of my first A to Z challenge, I’m posting each of the illustrated “seriously silly poems” from my book Apples Eating Zebras and other seriously silly poetry — a carefully edited and polished compilation of my A to Z posts from last year. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more silly poetry from A to Z!
Pick up a copy of this silly collection dedicated to the child in all of us and enjoy with a loved one. Or stick around as I’ll continue posting each illustrated poem one letter at a time throughout the month of April. Have fun and stay silly!
Be well,
Monty
Dialogue refers to spoken lines in a story.
literarydevices.net
I’ve used very little dialogue in my writing up till now. Dialogue feels quite daunting. Perhaps because I often feel self-conscious in conversation in my daily life? I’ve always been very impressed by other writers that seem to have mastered dialogue that flows naturally yet also advances the story well. It’s certainly a skill set that is worth developing as a writer, though, so here I go.
Unspoken Verse
Write a verse, she said, compare me to a flower.
Like a thorny rose? I ask silently. The perfect combination of strength and beauty? Stained by the bloody fingerprints of those that didn’t handle you with care? Watered by the tears they shed when they realized the’ll never embrace you without fear?
Write a verse, she said, A love poem will do.
About you? I ask silently. The woman that has taught me that love is forever? Like an enduring stone, heavy with no way to escape from under it’s suffocating weight? A lifetime affair of gasping for air?
Write a verse, she said.
Shall I compare you to this knotted rope? I ask silently. Enwrapping me as I teeter upon the edge of this chair? It’s itchy rough texture urging me on? And the bright shiny stars I see when it suddenly tightens?
Write a verse, she said.
Will this do? I ask silently, Will this do?
That will do, she said. That will do.
Well that was dark! I do find it interesting that I chose a ‘silent’ dialogue in this piece. I guess it feels more akin to the self-talking that I do in my mind vs. the social conversation that I have anxiety about.
I do think I will explore more use of dialogue in my writing moving forward. It allows me to introduce different points of view.
Be well,
On this anniversary of my first A to Z challenge, I’m posting each of the illustrated “seriously silly poems” from my book Apples Eating Zebras and other seriously silly poetry — a carefully edited and polished compilation of my A to Z posts from last year. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more silly poetry from A to Z!
Pick up a copy of this silly collection dedicated to the child in all of us and enjoy with a loved one. Or stick around as I’ll continue posting each illustrated poem one letter at a time throughout the month of April. Have fun and stay silly!
Be well,
Monty
April is here again and that means its National Poetry Writing Month and for my second year I’ll be joining the 30 poems in 30 days challenge hosted by napowrimo.net. For this challenge, a poetry prompt will be provided daily during the month of April and if I can keep on track I’ll achieve the 30 poems in 30 days goal. So enough chatter…let’s go! It’s time for NaPoWriMo!
Write a triolet — an eight line poem, all lines iambic tetrameter (8 syllables per line); 1st, fourth, and seventh lines are identical; 2nd and with lines are identical; rhyme scheme ABaAabAB
napowrimo.net
This seems especially challenging. How to make the repetition work for the poem vs. just come off as repetitive? This may take more craft then I have. Let’s give it a go, though, shall I?
A Conversation with My Muse (Corrected)
How to write poetically?
The answer’s flying in the breeze;
I’ve asked and asked repeatedly
How to write poetically.
I’ve answered you repeatedly
Will you listen to me once please;
How to write poetically;
The answer’s flying in the breeze!
This was very difficult. After publishing I realized I had missed one of the required repetitions. So I’ve come back to “correct” the form. I’ve left the original below, just for reference. I prefer the corrected form actually, so glad I came back to it.
A Conversation with My Muse (Original)
I’ve asked and asked repeatedly;
The answer’s flying in the breeze;
The answer’s still a mystery;
How to write poetically?
I’ve answered you repeatedly
Will you listen to me once please;
How to write poetically;
The answer’s flying in the breeze!
I made a few attempts and finally landed on this conversation approach were I could create a different meaning from the lines when repeated. What do you think?
Be well,
Monty
Monty’s Blahg