So, I’ve been writing for Medium, and writing a lot of haiku lately.
I’m not going to lie. The primary reason is they’re simple and I can write them quickly.
I’ve been traveling a lot lately. Some days I’m slammed and don’t have much time because I have to drive. I can crank out a haiku of multiple stanzas in less than 15 minutes, find a picture, and post it.
Thus my daily commitment of posting to Medium has been met.
Now that I’m trying to get some attention in publications, haiku serves an even more vital purpose in that I can get a piece out there immediately, while waiting to see if a much longer piece will be accepted. And it will be some days before I find out, and before that piece will be out there.
American Haiku will either ride or die within hours. I just found them. Wish I’d known about that publication earlier.
Anyway, I digress.
An unexpected benefit has arisen from writing haiku. I found out that it’s good therapy.
What surprised me the most was that writing haiku made it easy for me to let go.
The precise rules of the 5, 7, 5 syllable count forced me to streamline in a way that my verbose self doesn’t come to naturally.
It’s a relief to write with such precision. It’s actually kind of addictive.
I can write haiku even when I can’t concentrate fully because the process doesn’t require much time or effort.
Having gone through a breakup recently, I have a lot of pent up rage and thus, my attention span suffers.
I’m livid with my ex, but that pales in comparison to the anger towards myself— for staying in a dead-end relationship for too long, for abandoning my values, and betraying the principles I hold dear by being in partnership with somebody who is the anti-thesis of everything I love.
So yeah, there’s lots of feelings, and haiku creates a discipline — whether I want it or not — to focus and whittle and get straight to the point.
From a selfish perspective, I also figured out that other writers will generously read haiku pieces because they know it won’t take more than seconds, yet they still get credit for reading and clapping for other writers.
I wonder if this is a great way to introduce my fiction, and my fictional characters. Maybe I will entice a new audience to my actual work of writing novels.
Here is the haiku I did of Ella Bandita. I must say it would make an excellent synopsis on the back. Would probably sell that novel more than the one that’s already there.
