Erin's Poetry tips #'s 1 - ?

I have been writing poetry tips. I read them and they seem like blather, but everything I write seems that way to me. Others are apparently finding them helpful, and worded simply enough that they're easily understood. This is a good thing I suppose. I worked on one for nearly 2 hours tonight. I am completely unsatisfied with it. Everyone else always appreciates my writing more than I do. I have begun to judge my work by other people's opinions at times though - and that is a frightening thing.

I have to work on that.

I wrote an article a long time ago that I posted as one of my tips - it was about internet poetry forum politics. One of the things I didn't stress as much as I probably should have is the way familiarity and friendship causes people to be less objective, to forgive some things based on a poster's personality or past or style. I think that has happened for me at Moontown. They are family. I would never trust my sister/mother/brother/friend's opinions of my poetry in real life - no objectivity. Same applies here, they love me too much to tell me I suck.

Vickie is normally honest with me about my mistakes and weaknesses. I appreciate that very much. But when she says she had to work to find a problem, well, I still feel as though 4 1/2 years with the same peer group has vaguely tainted the level of critique I'm going to get. Besides, even if she isn't biased, the rest are. So I posted at Wild Poetry Forum, to get an outside, unbiased, completely objective crit.
Then their damn site went down.
Just my luck.

I have no interest in finishing my web site. I forget how time consuming it can be - particularly when I'm so out of practice with Dreamweaver, (not to mention that what I have now is 2 versions newer than what I was used to) and any knowledge I once had about HTML has left me.

I think if I lived closer to Erin, it would make for a very interesting life
I keep trying to tone it down for fear of freaking her out, and she says the same thing to me.
We fear alienating each other. If she were my neighbor, she'd be sick of my face. I think though that we'd have one helluva time getting to that point ;)

I was afraid I'd be worried about MTCers finding this blog. That I'd be so uncomfortable saying all the inner ugly things that needed expression. I was wrong. I'm glad my friends have found me, and know the things that matter about me now. I have to admit - that post about my past wasn't easy, but at least it isn't some creepy weird skeleton in my closet.

Dance bitch DANCE!

Oh there are probably more in there, but they're quiet for now.