I participated in The Poetry Marathon in 2015, shortly after finishing my Creative and Professional Writing degree. I could already feel withdrawal symptoms from the intensity of my course and the marathon was a perfect quick fix.

There is something liberating about writing to a specific deadline, it forces you to stop worrying about perfection of every word and just get on with it. And sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to make the magic happen. The Poetry Marathon is an extremely fast paced version of it, as the deadlines are hourly. But at the same time there’s no fear of missing the deadline, as nothing bad will happen if you do. It gives all the positive aspects of that “last minute” inspiration and none of the negativity that usually comes with it.

I can’t say I wrote 24 brilliant poems during the marathon. I hated some of them with a passion. But there were 5 that I loved just as much. And those 5 I still do. Some others I might get back to and dedicate more time into editing. And even among the hated ones, some were a really fun challenge that I don’t regret taking on.

In addition to all that, I know what I’ll miss most from my studies is receiving meaningful and constructive commentary on my creative work. I had plenty of in-depth feedback on my poems during the marathon, and I made some friends that I can still rely on to honestly and constructively comment on my work. And that alone is priceless.

You can read more of her writing at https://ravenfiction.wordpress.com/