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Rae Stoltenkamp

I write therefore I am

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Zoo Nation

Eye to Aye with Poetry

April 10, 2020 by Rae Stoltenkamp Leave a Comment

Recently in my writing group we had a very interesting conversation about poetry and why so many people feel they are unqualified to comment on it let alone attempt writing it. Both myself and another very accomplished poet argued that poetry should be for everyone and the reason so many people are put off is because their introduction to it has been stultifying. We are made to feel that if we don’t understand form, method, metre, then we’d best step aside and leave it all to the professionals. But I believe we all intrinsically grasp poetry because it is first and foremost about the sound of words. Us humans relish rhythmic sounds. It’s why we listen to music, sing and dance. I stand by this opinion as I have to teach children about poetry and am met by their fear of it coupled with the idea it will be too difficult to understand.
In a classroom full of resistance to poetry I start with just one word. Your basic, everyday common noun. I ask them to list several objects: book, cheese, knife, snake etc. Then I show them how very easy it is to turn this one word into an image which we instantly recognise. At this point I ask them to choose a favourite word and turn that into a picture. Even the child who considers itself utterly uncreative is able to complete this exercise. Now I explain that this is an Image Poem and since each of them has created one, they are now, each and every one of them, bonafide poets.
By Flynn




Every time I do this exercise I watch my classroom assistants look at me with confusion. It must be a trick. It can’t be that simple. Yet I maintain it is. For me, poetry starts with just one word. 







I remember once being told that a poem is like a painting or drawing but instead of using colour and line, we use words. I think poetry helps us understand the texture and flavour of a word. Starting small is a beginning and we should always savour the good things in the world.


By Jojo




One word can then become three lines containing seventeen syllables and suddenly your budding poet has created a haiku. The journey through poetry has begun. I favour learning by doing. The more you do something, the more you hone the skill. Muscle memory for the brain.



By Rachel




I started writing poetry when I was about 12. The impetus was my English teacher at the time – Miss Donalda Patrick who always wore her hair in Princess Leia buns. She asked us to create an anthology of our favourite poems. Under each we had to state why we had chosen that particular poem. 






I didn’t have the vocabulary I currently possess to express how those poems made me feel. But this was when I realised I relished certain words for their connotations and the way they felt on my tongue and palate as I sounded them out loud. This was also when I began to understand the value of the spoken word – how a poem read to oneself took on a whole different timbre when read aloud by Miss Patrick. There was none of those hideous pauses at the end of lines when they weren’t warranted or the dum dee dum delivery I had been taught at primary school. It was magic.

Of course at the time my poetry rhymed. I was 12 years old. And surely, all poetry rhymes when you’re that age. Now I write and care not a fig for convention. I play with form, in so much as I understand of it. My knowledge is minuscule compared to other poets I know. The main thing is that I write because I feel the need to express myself and I write what is important to me. The rhythm of it, the sound of it pleases me. Of course I look for validation. Who doesn’t? But I don’t let my lack of knowledge stop me. I can learn all that stuff. That’s what reference books, courses and the internet are for. Right?
Coming soon…

A collaborative poetry collection told from the point of view of the animals. Some of their views are not exactly pretty.

FREE books for you, your friends & family


Filed Under: Bev Cross, collaborative collection, English Teacher, Eye to Aye with poetry, metre, Poetry, Poetry & Me, rhyme, understanding poetry, Zoo Nation

2019 & Beyond

January 26, 2019 by admin 3 Comments

I rarely make New Year’s resolutions as I’m so busy trying to finish off tasks already on the go. Everything tends to carry through to the next year, particularly when it comes to my writing. I know resolutions are meant to be about the personal but my writing and I are so closely linked that inevitably, it ends up being one and the same.


This year is no different. I’ve got several projects on the go. My plan was to publish a Robert Deed Collection last year which puts all the Deed books into one volume. Unfortunately due to a spate of migraines during November and December that plan didn’t quite pan out. I am however very happy to report that the e-version of this collection is now available for you to buy. Since you are a select bunch you get the opportunity to purchase it at a reduced price from 1 – 5 February. This is because February is my birthday month and I love to give presents as much as receive them. So here for you is the link for this limited offer. http://authl.it/aue
The paperback version of this is due out in April or sooner if I can sort out the tricky formatting issues I’m experiencing.
I’m still working on the sequel to The Lonely Dragon. The title of this is likely to be The Witch Adoption Project [WAP] I’ve started editing the first draft and aim to have it ready for publication this summer. For those interested in where this is going you can check out this EXTRACT. Also, if you have any children aged 10 – 14 then I’d be very happy to have them read the draft and provide feedback. Please email to state your interest. If anyone else would like to be part of my Advance Reader team please message me to let me know and I’ll add you to that list.


Alongside the WAP edit, I’m also working on Memoirs of a Feline Familiar. [MFF] This has stalled somewhat as I’ve been so busy bashing out the first draft of WAP. It is now back on track and I aim to have that finished as soon as possible and offer it as a free read for all you lovely lot.
Finally, I’m working on a collaborative poetry collection with Bev Cross, a long time writing friend who is based in Sheffield. We’re probably going to call the collection Zoo Nation and it will contain approximately 20 – 24 poems from the point of view of various animals. The plan is to have this ready for publication by Easter. We’re also hoping to convince Nell Farrell to write the foreword.
Other than writing, I’m still reading. This year is a little different. I only plan to read 60 books but they must conform to a very specific set of criteria. I got this idea from Chantelle Atkins, another Indie author, and decided to run with it. Let’s see how well I do. Have managed to read 3 books which match my criteria so far. If anyone would like to join me in this challenge please feel free to ask me for a list of the criteria.

Filed Under: 2019, Chantelle Atkins, Memoirs of a Feline Familiar, New Year's Resolutions, The Lonely Dragon, The Robert Deed Collection, The Witch Adoption Project, Zoo Nation

2019 & Beyond

January 26, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

I rarely make New Year’s resolutions as I’m so busy trying to finish off tasks already on the go. Everything tends to carry through to the next year, particularly when it comes to my writing. I know resolutions are meant to be about the personal but my writing and I are so closely linked that inevitably, it ends up being one and the same.


This year is no different. I’ve got several projects on the go. My plan was to publish a Robert Deed Collection last year which puts all the Deed books into one volume. Unfortunately due to a spate of migraines during November and December that plan didn’t quite pan out. I am however very happy to report that the e-version of this collection is now available for you to buy. Since you are a select bunch you get the opportunity to purchase it at a reduced price from 1 – 5 February. This is because February is my birthday month and I love to give presents as much as receive them. So here for you is the link for this limited offer. http://authl.it/aue
The paperback version of this is due out in April or sooner if I can sort out the tricky formatting issues I’m experiencing.
I’m still working on the sequel to The Lonely Dragon. The title of this is likely to be The Witch Adoption Project [WAP] I’ve started editing the first draft and aim to have it ready for publication this summer. For those interested in where this is going you can check out this EXTRACT. Also, if you have any children aged 10 – 14 then I’d be very happy to have them read the draft and provide feedback. Please email to state your interest. If anyone else would like to be part of my Advance Reader team please message me to let me know and I’ll add you to that list.


Alongside the WAP edit, I’m also working on Memoirs of a Feline Familiar. [MFF] This has stalled somewhat as I’ve been so busy bashing out the first draft of WAP. It is now back on track and I aim to have that finished as soon as possible and offer it as a free read for all you lovely lot.
Finally, I’m working on a collaborative poetry collection with Bev Cross, a long time writing friend who is based in Sheffield. We’re probably going to call the collection Zoo Nation and it will contain approximately 20 – 24 poems from the point of view of various animals. The plan is to have this ready for publication by Easter. We’re also hoping to convince Nell Farrell to write the foreword.
Other than writing, I’m still reading. This year is a little different. I only plan to read 60 books but they must conform to a very specific set of criteria. I got this idea from Chantelle Atkins, another Indie author, and decided to run with it. Let’s see how well I do. Have managed to read 3 books which match my criteria so far. If anyone would like to join me in this challenge please feel free to ask me for a list of the criteria.

Filed Under: 2019, Chantelle Atkins, Memoirs of a Feline Familiar, New Year's Resolutions, The Lonely Dragon, The Robert Deed Collection, The Witch Adoption Project, Zoo Nation

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