What else should I strive for this year?
- Write something every day. This does not, repeat NOT include blogging. OK, so I've failed at this so far but however...Even 10 words. Really. 10 words will do it. Because if you start, you may do a bit more.
- A negative one, don't bother with competitions, (unless it's free e.g. RTE Francis MacManus, Feile Filiochta) as I don't write the type of poem that wins. Concentrate on publications. Possible exception, Patrick Kavanagh. We'll see.
- Go to at least one reading every month. And use it to network. Whatever your job, networking helps. Plus it may be interesting. I often come away with pages of notes/inspiration from such events. Not sure I can afford to buy a book at every one though.
6 comments:
Competitions are necessarily subjective, and it's dispiriting to know that good work can get overlooked. They're like the lottery - if you're luck's in, you get catapulted into the literary limelight - but the odds are stacked against it.
Dot @ http://writingtherapyblog.blogspot.com/
Writing everyday is a tough one to keep. Especially if you're writing a novel or poetry - articles it can be done easily.
You should try out onetwofiver.com it really helps me when I'm struggling to get my thoughts on paper when trying to write poetry.
www.markcoughlan.com
I think there are such a thing as 'competitiony' poems. And I don't appear to write them either. They are usually long, have a narrative, and are about the poet's father/homeplace/children/nature. They often have a 'wrap it all up' ending. Write one of them, and you'll be in like Flynn!!
"...as I don't write the type of poem that wins..."
Isn't that a bit of a defeatist attitude? Also, writing every day is a difficult task, and I'd argue that blogging does help with that, if anything to clear the mental clutter when you can't focus.
J.
I agree that the writing something every day is a good thing to strive for, even if sometimes it mightn't be achievable. If there's a voice in your head telling you that you really should write something, then there's really only one way of shutting him up.
Thanks for your thoughts. Like WRW I do believe some poem types are more likely to win competitions than others. And I'm not going to try to write to order. So I won't send out to competitions I'm pretty sure I won't win/get placed (unless they're free!) I don't think this is in the least defeatist, just practical, based on experience.
I agree about the deadlines too. I'm terrible for last minute submissions.
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