We had a LOT of fun with this last time we did it, so it’s time to try it again.

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE!

Haiku Edition

What is a haiku and why do we want to write one?

To stretch some new writer muscles of course! And because it’ll be fun. Probably. Or at least funny. And since we’re all gonna play, it should be a kick.

YOU can HAIKU

But… do you want to?

Sure! It’s easy and fun. But first an ad for my writing contest:

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Hey, I’m having a WRITING CONTEST this month – wanna enter?

• Get valuable FEEDBACK on your writing

• Possibly win a share of $400 in PRIZES

• Be the envy of your friends with MASSIVE BRAGGING RIGHTS

• Cool e-ribbons you can proudly display if you win

Check it out and enter by clicking HERE.

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(You really should enter that. Now back to Haikus.)

Well, first things first: what the heck is a haiku?

The Japanese invented it, according to Wiki, sometime before they got into the automotive and electronics business. It’s a “poem”  (apparently a non-rhyming one) done in a specific pattern of syllables. Don’t ask me why.

17 total syllables in the haiku, done in three lines, 5-7-5 format:

• five syllables in the first line
• seven syllables in the second line
• and five syllables again, in the last line.

Simple, right?

And it’s a poem, but it doesn’t needs to rhyme.

(I guess you get extra points if it does.) 

EXAMPLE 1: provided by a friend who used to teach poetry! She knocked this out in like ten seconds.

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Red wine in my glass

Shimmering under the lights

You get me wasted

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Is that cool or what? Ten seconds!

EXAMPLE 2:

(I gave her a random topic of shoes)

White and blue sneakers

Inappropriate for work

Wear them anyway

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EXAMPLE 3:

(To stump her, I gave her a word that’s hard to rhyme: oranges)

Juicy in segments

Tropical citrus delight

Burns my papercut

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Okay, they can’t all be winners.

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Now, what are we writing this haiku about? Aha, that’s the even more fun part. I don’t know.

You’ll use a random topic generator to decide what your haiku is about.

It should give us some very interesting stuff!

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CLICK HERE for your random topic.

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Here are THE RULES

1. Go to the random topic generator, select it one time, and you HAVE to write a haiku about that. No cheating.
2. Post your haiku on your blog.
3. Tell your readers what your random topic was so they don’t think you’re having a stroke.
4. Reference us on your blog, further clarifying to your readers that you are definitely not having a stroke.

5. Post your haiku (and or a link to your haiku) in the comments section, below.

6. Brag to friends at parties about how versatile a writer you are.
7. You have 48 hours from when you read this! LIKE the post so I know you read it and that will start the clock, so to speak. There’s not really a clock. Or a deadline, Jenny.
8. Extra points if you do it drunk.

9. ENTER AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE! More is better. And funner.

10. And yes I know that’s not a word.

READY?

SET?

GET TO IT!

ARIGATO!

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Dan Alatorre is the author of several bestsellers and the hilarious novel “Poggibonsi: an italian misadventure.” PRE-ORDER THE FUNNY, SEXY POGGIBONSI HERE FOR $0.99 LIMITED TIME. Price goes up to $2.99 on April 20.