25 Christian Poets (and a poetry workshop brainstorm)

An idea for you and a questionnaire. Help, please?

Christ Church Cathedral Victoria, British Columbia, July 2024 j.l.collins

At the beginning of the year, January 5th to be exact, I mentioned that I’d be taking a break from my weekly writing rhythm to attend to other pursuits, like editing and coaching folks in self-publishing¹ as well as other poetry projects.

Well, that certainly didn’t preclude new folks from signing on to Poetry & Made Things. What a surprise. Twenty new subscribers in the last 30 days, through the wonder that is Substack Notes, Recommendations and in person connections as well. I am thrilled.

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When you became a Subscriber you received a welcome email that included a free download, “Five Things That Surprised Me About Poetry.” (Betcha just hit that little trash can when the email came… I do the same thing.)

So, to redeem that possibly trash-canned message, I made something for you that will replace that written offering. Truth is, you’re probably not totally surprised by poetry, maybe just puzzled, needing inspiration, and would like a list of Christian poets to read. The words ‘Christian’ and ‘poets’ can definitely go together.

You’ll find the complete list below accessible via a handy button, allowing you to download and print out at your leisure. Not familiar with a name on the list? Search away and be inspired!

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So, about that workshop idea; here’s what’s been percolating.

When I tell people I've been writing poetry for the last several years, many folks often say, “How do you write a poem? Like where do you begin?”

I’ve written about the process in several posts here on Poetry & Made Things available via the “Poetry & Writing Resources” tab. ((Click through the link and poke around a bit!))

But talking in person-ish (well, virtually) to share what I’ve learned in the process of writing and publishing my two poetry books² could be fun. Video is a wonderful medium for that so I’m crafting a video workshop of Poetry 101, discussing vocabulary, what poetry IS, what it IS NOT and some how-to’s of where to begin writing your own poetry.

How to Think Poetically will be an evergreen offering (available at anytime) as a paid workshop, read not a workshop to sign up for at a specific time, but something to watch at your leisure. The price point should be around $20 ish for a 45 minute workshop. That's a screaming deal of course but this will be my first endeavor in the heart of video teaching, so it made sense to price it that way.

My goal is to have the workshop available around April 1st for downloading anytime to commemorate the occasion of April being National Poetry Month.

There will also be an optional add-on for a live Zoom gathering to share our poems together at a later date. The Zoom gathering will be an added fee and limited to 10 people.

Of course many of you are already writing poetry which inspires me. I am no expert, but I’ve learned a lot in the last several years and want to share. To that end I’ve crafted 10 questions for you to let me gauge interest in my little idea.

HERE’S WHERE YOU COME IN

Will you take 10 minutes to answer the questions in the attached questionnaire? Simply click on the button below to access the document and record your answers.

I’ll keep the responses open until Candlemas—February 2nd. I’m excited to see what God might have for us.

Thanks in advance!

Jody

P.S. Got questions? Please leave a comment below.

1. Shameless Self-Promotion: Writing is the way I process my days, but one of the things I love doing most is helping y o u r words find their way into the world. If you are an aspiring author and have ever envisioned your words in print, I can help. After 12 years in the online writing community and publishing three books (two indie and one traditional), I would love to be your companion and coach to assist you in your pursuits.

HOW I CAN HELP

• Why you need an Author Website AND an email list before your Book appears

• Book Proposal edits

• Manuscript reviews

• Editing for your Work in Progress

• And my favorite, SELF-PUBLISHING

OFFERING WRITERS

• A FREE 12 month self-publishing checklist, including where to begin, what to know and how to get from brainstorm to book launch. I offer guidance through each step. Download your checklist HERE.

• 5 Things to Know Before you Write That Book—FREE download.

• Editing services: Big Picture Assessment, Developmental Editing, Content and Copy Editing

It would be my joy to help your words find their way into the world. You can contact me HERE - I’d love to hear about your own brainstorms, dreams, writing ideas. Here’s why you can consider working with me—read what others have said by clicking HERE.

2. Order either of my books Mining the Bright Birds or Hearts on Pilgrimage by clicking this button below.