Welcome to the first ever interview in the new How D’Ya Do blogger interview series!
I am pleased to introduce Freya Pickard to you as my first interviewee in what I hope is a continuing series, to be posted the first and third Friday of every month. My intent is to feature bloggers who regularly host prompts and challenges for the rest of us prompt challenged writers. I have plenty of people in mind for this but if you are interested and maybe have a particular time that you would like to be featured, feel free to contact me. Expect the questions to be similar but not exactly like Freya’s as I would tailor them according to what I already know or what I would like to know.
Without further ado, Freya Pickard, how d’ya do?
I am Freya Pickard and I blog at https://purehaiku.wordpress.com and at https://dragonscaleclippings.wordpress.com
You can also find me at: –
https://www.facebook.com/FreyaPickardAuthor
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQEB3_wlAGM0_FY9w5NTrmQ
https://twitter.com/FreyasClippings
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/freya-pickard-1b775b106
https://www.patreon.com/posts/as-thank-you-to-22747580
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/freyapickard/
Describe your prompt. How do you determine the theme?
Twice a year I open my blog at Pure Haiku to submissions of classical haiku on a specific theme. I choose the theme that seems most significant to me at the time! Sometimes I’ll find myself writing haiku on a particular theme and realise that it has lots of potential. Other times the idea will just pop into my head and I’ll think – that’s an interesting word to explore …
What is the schedule for your prompt?
At the moment I open Pure Haiku in January for publication of haiku in March – April and also in September for publication in October-December. Each submission window lasts just under 3 weeks and is announced on the blog. After the closing date I read through all the haiku and choose the best for publication. I aim to get back to everyone with a reply before the haiku start being published. (I can only offer free exposure for the writers of the selected haiku!)
How long have you been hosting this prompt?
I created Pure Haiku in 2011 with the aim of promoting classical haiku and it slowly evolved into what it is today. I’ve recently created a video to promote the site – https://youtu.be/oVyWYIU3lww
What do you enjoy most about inviting others to take part in your prompt?
I love getting people to write classical haiku. I love getting people interested and excited about the theme I’ve proposed. And I absolutely love reading all the submissions at the end of the submission period – it is so inspiring and thought provoking!
What is most challenging about hosting this prompt?
Finding enough quality time to sit down at leisure with all the haiku in order to decide which are the best haiku to include on my site. Sometimes I can’t decide between haiku which can be frustrating!
When/ how did you first become interested in haiku?
I learnt how to write classical haiku in the English language when I was doing my English Degree at college. One of the lecturers who took part of the creative writing module was very encouraging about my haiku and they’re something I’ve always written, on and off since my early twenties.
What is it about this poetic form that appeals to you?
I love the brevity and the idea of depicting an entire picture/scene in just 17 syllables. It’s a real challenge and difficult to do, especially to make it read easily and conform to the way I prefer haiku to be written! But it’s a way of honing my craft, of getting me to describe something in only a few words instead of rambling on for ages about it.
Do you have a haiku pet peeve?
I get annoyed when people tell me something through a haiku instead of showing it – it takes all the magic away from the form.
What is something you have learned from hosting this prompt?
However many times I ask for certain things such as no images, only 5 haiku per submission etc etc you’re always going to get those who DON’T read the guidelines!
Describe or list any publications of yours, haiku or otherwise.
I have had haiku published in a number of magazines in the past. More recently though I’ve been publishing my own work, including haiku and have just published my 11th book! You can find a haiku at the beginning of every chapter in Vintrig’s Kingdom and Vintrig’s Throne. I have also published 2 e-books of poetry, Insides and My Mythology in which haiku are prevalent. And if you don’t like reading poetry in e-books, both these volumes can be found in my paperback collection, This Is Me.
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Freya begins posting the selected haiku for her most recent theme, “Emergence”, on Monday, March 4th through April.
Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
Come meet Freya Pickard! #Haiku
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Reblogged this on purehaiku and commented:
Thank you, D. Avery for inviting me to your interview!!!
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I am delighted to have you here! I appreciate your willingness to be interviewed.
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I’m a big PureHaiku fan! Hi Freya 🙂
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I too am a big PureHaiku fan! The fun readings Emerge Monday there.
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thank you Tina!
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Nice interview. 🙂
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For your reading’ pleasure! So glad you came by.
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Off to a great start with the interesting interview, D. I learned a lot about haiku from Freya. It’s a form of poetry I’ve never mastered, myself, as my poems tend to be almost as long as my books! 😀 But I’ll be exploring the concept more, for sure. 🙂
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I hope you also explore the idea of being interviewed. Who’s next?
You will see some fine haiku starting Monday at Freya’s site.
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I would love to be interviewed, D. I have about another week of back to back projects I’m working on, and then I’ll be caught up a wee biyt more, and will contact you. Thanks for the offer! 🙂
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A biyt is like a bit only with more byte. 😀
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that’s really encouraging to hear Marcia – I know what you mean by poems being as long as books! that’s why I like haiku – I have to be succinct!!!
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I’m glad to see your new feature, D. It’ll be interesting to learn more about the bloggers who host challenges.
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Here’s hoping I can rope some more bloggers in. There are so many that I am indebted to. I don’t aways respond but I always appreciate the prompt. Thank You for coming by.
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Yes, D. they’re so many out there and they do such a good job. There’re more than the time I have to participate.
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A great interview, and really interesting answers. I love reading and (trying) to write haiku and will certainly be checking out Freya’s PureHaiku. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and am looking forward to reading more in your series 🙂
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Thank you. I appreciate the comments. I am very glad to introduce you to Freya and her work and am pleased with the launch of this series.
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thank you, Sammi! writing haiku is very good therapy!
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I find often, not always, sometimes I get lucky, but I usually work harder at a haiku poem than much longer pieces. It is more challenging than the flash fiction that I usually write. Those few words in those few syllables have to be just right. They have to feel right. There’s still myriad ways to assemble and arrange the words within the constraints and each arrangement affects the tone and impact of the poem.
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