Monthly Archives: April 2010

Friday Wrap-Up

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I’m typing this blog post on my new and IMPROVED netbook. We had full versions of Windows 7 and Office so K brought home a DVD drive from work and now I’m all upgraded upgraded. Yay for being able to compute!

  • Submitted: 4. One of each thing I’m working on: an essay, a set of poems, a copy of my newly revamped 2nd full length poetry book and a story.
  • Accepted: YAY! 4 poems total. An online journal took 3 and a print journal took one.
  • Rejected: one short story.

I also have a new short essay on another poetic form at Form21 this time on Sestina’s. I’ve written quite a few articles over there now and if you want to learn more about forms, my interaction with them as well as video etc links to examples of forms stop by and take a look. There are also articles by other poets and writers on a variety of topics regarding Form including writing for Twitter.

Each each I look back and see how I am settling more and more into a simpler lifestyle. Or so I hope. I like moving to the netbook because I am more conscious about just doing a few things at a time instead of clogging up the screen with multi-tasking nightmares.

My plans for today have changed so looks like I will be spending some time finishing up house stuff and then reading through a friend’s manuscript. Oh wait, and probably should do more of that whole job hunting thing….online teaching anyone? anyone? Bueller?

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I think some grilling out is in m future.

As always feel free to comment and especially leave any of your numbers regarding the road to publication.

Video Wednesday

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I don’t know how often I will be doing video round-ups anymore. 1 – because I’m just not using YouTube as much as I used to so, ya know, I can get more actual writing done 2 – I just don’t have as much of a desire to make videos as I used to and the previous issues with software, hardware etc to make videos happen. But, since there are some good vids still noted in my Evernote account I have to go ahead and share what is pending!

First up is a really neat video by one of my favorite YouTubers, Ruth, aka Ghostwritten87. Ruth has written a story and then tells it with the help of a white board. Love it!

Next up is one that is making the rounds of the web and while it is not hysterical the scenario is pretty funny: poet Paul Muldoon discussing the “singer” Ke$sha:

And the third is one I took, a clip, from the last Charlotte Writer’s Club meeting where long time poet and teacher Irene Blair Honeycutt gives some really good advise about the act of writing poetry that really can apply to all writers so take a peek. Under 5 minutes!

I am wearing out the free McAlister’s Deli wifi and my new netbook. Can it handle me? :)

Take Rejection

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Sorry video Tuesday is on hold. I am going to work on a video today but I know it will take a while to make and then the time to upload is always long so hoping to have Video Wednesday.

Instead, today, I am pulling from the back of my writing journal. The nugget for today was: TAKE REJECTION

I decided to think about this topic today because I had several poems recently accepted for publication but one of the titled “At 13″ took a LONG time to find a home.

As I went back to research my submit logs I found the poem was previously titled “Riverspree” and was first submitted on 6-7-2007. Now if it had other titles or if it was sent out a little earlier than that I’m not sure but I’m pretty sure that this June submission is accurate because I believe I workshopped the poem while I was an MFA student sometime early in 2007.

The poem was sent out 11 times over the course of three years before it was published.

It changed shape some but not a whole lot. It was even originally in my thesis and early drafts of Paper House. I have plans for it to be in my second book.

“At 13″ had quite a journey but I can’t wait to share it with you when it is live on the online journal that accepted it.

I believed in this poem and it did finally find a home. It is strongly set in where I grew up and when I read that poem to students at the community college there they could tell. Interesting that having that satisfying moment where people “got” the poem was followed within weeks but it finally being accepted even though I didn’t change a word of it over the last year.

You just never know.

So if you are joining the publication game learn to take rejection. It can take time because there is an overwhelming amount of poets trying to get published and the whole process is so very subjective.

But it can happen!

Monday Shout Outs

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What no posts all weekend? Yeah, sorry! Did you guys miss me? I had a reading and then spent time with family. Barely even had time to check in on email and all so I have LOTS to do today to catch up but it wouldn’t be Monday without a few shout outs would it?

  • This week I don’t have any formal events which is a nice break but I do want to participate in the Open Mic at The Green Rice Art Gallery in Charlotte. 7pm. Normally they have featured readers and the open mic to follow but this is an all open mic to finish off National Poetry Month. And possibly Revolution Pizza before? Yeah. Definitely possible!
  • Next up is an unusual shout out for me. I actually don’t watch a lot of TV but what I do watch is recorded on the DVR for future viewing. K and I are caught up on one of our new favorite shows Justified. The show is based on a story by Elmore Leonard who serves as an executive producer which really seems to keep up the quality of writing. If you haven’t watched it check your FX listings or any of those hulu type sites to see if it is available.
  • Couldn’t remember if I mentioned this new site where I was interviewed about book marketing, but check it out!
  • And how would you like to rediscover The Great Gatsby in short comic strips? Too funny!
  • And finally Book Spine Poetry.  I saw this on a few different sites and I want to try it!

Monday already seems to be going by too fast! I heard the dryer ding which means I need to get those wonderfully warm clothes out so more can dry. Hoping to keep my head above water and have some good posts for you this week! Have a great week everyone!

Friday Wrap-Up

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This week was a week of recovery from being out of town last week with family and the book touring. I did manage to get a few submissions out the door and I worked on some old and new material. yay!

  • 3 – 2 sets of poems and 1 essay. All to online publications this time. hmm..is this a trend?
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  • 6 – 3 of these were assumed ones from October of 2009. *sigh* one rejection had ink to send more – YAY! – and the last rejection was for my 2nd full length manuscript.

I had always told myself after the first rejection I’d go back and re-read the manuscript. I used this as an opportunity to really wipe the slate clean as I moved more and more poems into retired folders. These are poems that either aren’t working, are just plain bad or that I look at and go – So What?

As I am trying to move forward on a 2nd manuscript I find myself expecting a lot more out of myself. I narrowed down my pending published and non-published poems that weren’t already in other themed documents to 67 poems and tried to wrangle them to little success but then this morning (after a not so well slept night) I thought of an organizing principle (4 sections) that I previously tried on this manuscript that might work on a new revision.

So here I am again, re-visioning. Does it ever stop? Maybe not but planning does help me open myself up to writing new material which I am ready to do again.

How did everyone else’s writing and reading go this week? Love to hear about it. Get to hear poet Tracy Smith read tonight in Columbia, SC where I can also hang out with a dear friend of mine from junior high! And tomorrow I get to read with the wonderful fiction writer and poet Maureen Sherbondy in Kernersville at 1pm. Please send people our way who are in the Greensboro/Triad area of NC.

Have a great weekend everyone. If I can keep my head above water I’ll still be blogging this weekend too :)

Thursday Poem Share

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I confess, I have not been writing many new poems. I also confess I haven’t kept up with revising a poem a day, but I also confess neither of those things bothers me right now.

I am in the running for Poet of The Blogosphere. I think I am in 5th place and I have no way of winning but if you want to throw a vote my way, I’d definitely love it!

What else have you guys been doing for National Poetry Month? I think I’d like to do a mini-review/shout out of a chapbook I just finished The Cleft of the Rock by Felicia Mitchell. I don’t want to take one of the poems and post it because the chapbook is the property of Felicia and Finishing Line Press but I will link you to an excellent review on Scott Owens’ blog that gives some terrific examples. One of my favorite poems from the chapbook Household Magic is available online. Felicia has a beautiful meditative writing style. The way she sees and then shapes the natural world is just astounding. And I love when I can also say Felicia is just a really great person in person as well as I did get a chance to meet her at Poetry Hickory a while back. If you were looking for a new chapbook give Felicia’s a chance over at Finishing Line Press.

And here is a poem that I wrote yesterday. First draft, ya’ll! Feel free to comment.

[thanks for your comments guys!]

As always I welcome your thoughts, your poems, your links and especially feel free to share a poet you have been reading and enjoying lately. Now back to my humble scribbling :)