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Weekly Geeks 2011-01

I have been MIA where Weekly Geeks is concerned, a meme started by Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf .  I used to this every week when Dewey was alive, and her passing left me shell-shocked for a long time.  I love the questions and activities this meme often comes up with, though many weeks I’ve run out of time to do them.

So here I am, back in business, so to speak, and hopeful that I can continue this meme each week.

This weeks activity; you can choose to do one or both:

Option 1: Write a post (or leave a comment) with suggestions for future weekly geek topics! Share as many ideas as you’d like! Be as creative as you want. Or if you can’t think of any “new” topics of your own, consider listing your top five topics from the past, from our archives.

Option 2: Write a post about your genre prejudices or your genre allergies. (I tend to be allergic to westerns, for example.) Are there genres that you haven’t read that you avoid at all costs? Are there genres that you don’t take seriously? Would you be willing to try something new? (Or someone new!) Consider asking for recommendations and challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone a bit. Alternatively, you may want to write a post about one of your favorite genres and recommend titles to newbies. Which books would you recommend to those readers who are new to that genre?

Ok, I decided to both of these activities, so under option #1, here are my five topic ideas for upcoming Weekly Geeks’ posts.

1.  Feature one poem that you’ve loved or a poem you’ve written.

2.  Video yourself reciting a poem and post it or find a YouTube video of a poem being read and post that.

3.  Profile a favorite writer or poet and include a little about their education, writing, and lifestyle.

4.  Write up a post about a poetic form and why you enjoy reading it or writing it.

5.  Share a nursery rhyme you remember or one you have a hard time remembering and explain why you remember it or why you have trouble remembering it.

For option 2:

I’ve already talked about poetry books I would recommend for newbies, so this time around, I’m going to talk about my genre prejudices.

I do not like to read westerns or romance generally because they often are very formulaic and predictable.  It’s very rare when you find one that isn’t.  I’m looking for fresh characters, not caricatures of real people.  Cowboys, I’m sure, were more than just macho and bent on saving the lady in distress, and women in romance novels could be more than damsels looking to be saved.  I also don’t like self-help books or nonfiction that is written more like a textbook.  In terms of memoir, they have to be stories that are more than woe-is-me, and look at how hardship changed me, etc., etc.

How about you join the bandwagon and talk about your genre prejudices or what you’d like to see covered in the next Weekly Geeks.

Comments

  1. Dawn - She Is Too Fond of Books says

    I love the suggestion #2, about video-recording you (me) reading a poem! What a great experience/confidence booster, if only in the confines of your own home. Oh, you want people to post it, too!? That takes more confidence! 🙂

    Hope you and little miss wiggles are doing great!

  2. Seems that our genre preferences are pretty much the same. I don’t mind romance in a book but there has to be something more to it than that.

  3. Westerns and Romances baffle me…as do Mysteries.
    Poetry is definitely something I need MORE of in my life however. I would love to see a WG with any of your suggestions 🙂

    • Kimberly, thanks. I’m glad you like my suggestions, and feel free to join my Fearless Poetry Reading Challenge where you only have to read one book of poetry by the end of the year and check out the 2011 Indie Lit Awards and the poetry genre — I have a running list of books published this year in the sidebar — just click the Indie Lit Awards Poetry icon.

      I’ve also reviewed a bunch of poetry books already this year, feel free to peruse those reviews using the review button in the navigation bar and go to poetry.

  4. I like your listing for new Weekly Geeks posts. Anything poetry related is SO welcome.

    And I do agree about self=help books. I can’t stand those!

    • I’m glad that the poetry suggestions are welcomed. I’d love to see some on the net.

      I’m glad to get back into this meme. I’m going to start posting every Sunday.