I seem to be devoting more time to tweeting than to blogging lately. Perhaps because it’s so quick and easy to tweet, and so far (still novel) I’m finding it fun and challenging to put as much as possible in as few words as possible (kind of like haiku). In fact, one of the appeals of Twitter is that tweets are the perfect size for haiku, as many haiku addicts have discovered. Hashtags like #haiku and #haikuchallenge also enable people to share haiku and challenge eachother to create haiku on specific topics (somewhat kindred to the original Japanese tradition of haiku as socially created linked verse). Here are some Twitter haiku samples:
Note: reading from the bottom up, the first challenge was to write a haiku using the words 1. crow 2. hole 3. roof, while the second challenge was to use the word “wolfish.” Fun, I thought (the Internet once again distracting me from work on my novel). Btw, my Twitter moniker: Jacquieink
Tags: haiku, summer haiku, twitter
July 5, 2009 at 4:55 am |
I’ve resolved that I won’t be drawn inro Twitter but as you know I love haiku, perhaps this is a conumdrum for me….
July 5, 2009 at 4:55 am |
oops, spelling errors, i meant of course ‘into Twitter’ and ‘conundrum’
July 5, 2009 at 9:56 am |
Although I enjoy Twitter, it is addictive and takes up time which may be better spent on other things. Reading one tweet or link leads to another which leads to another which leads to another…. If you have strong will power you could just post your own haiku, read a few others, then get off.
I should also mention that on Twitter you will find some good haiku, some off beat haiku (even some “zombie haiku”), and you will also find a fair amount of bad haiku. Some people post without really knowing what haiku is, while others follow the 5-7-5 syllable rule and nothing else. For example, one person posts “accidental haiku” formed from what sounds like random blog or Twitter posts (was amusing at first, but gets annoying when there are too many of these in a row).
So, if you are happy with blogging and the interaction you get with people in the blogsphere, I’d suggest sticking with that. However, if you’ve got the self control to only spend the time you want to on Twitter, then you can always try it out and even use it to invite more readers to your blog.
July 5, 2009 at 10:02 am |
P.S. Juliet, if you’re reading this, I’m not trying to lure you to Twitter, but if you joined I’d look forward to reading your haiku there. That said, I might have to force myself to stay off Twitter soon (and the Internet in general) if I don’t start getting more of my novel written!
July 9, 2009 at 3:44 pm |
I am having a hard time with Twitter.. I never know what to say. I like blogs better because there is a bit more room to express thoughts. I also find that too many people TWEET a million times a day. I keep having to unfollow people. I do love the links people put up on twitter though.
July 9, 2009 at 4:16 pm |
I like the forced brevity for myself, but I do have objections to the way media in general is becoming more and more fast-food style with less and less attention to quality of content. I like the connections that are made on Twitter, but their are a lot of people Tweeting about nothing or Tweeting to be part of a trend or to market something or, as you mention, just Tweeting way too much!… In fact, Twitter really is one more distraction I don’t need (I seem to have poor self-control when it comes to the Internet).
July 19, 2009 at 3:30 pm |
I love twitter too! I have more than one website to maintain.
Visit my haiku website if you like
Raquel, Founding Editor
Lyrical Passion Poetry E-Zine
July 19, 2009 at 6:49 pm |
Hi Raquel. I enjoyed reading the haiku on your website. Some inspiring contests there, too!
Jacquie