Remember the Dream.

Game Plan.

I’m 75% done with the truth handbook. My estimate - I’m 10-12 poems away from being finished with the first draft. It’ll probably take me writing 20-25 poems to get to those 10-12 that actually fit with the rest, but so be it. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, I’m almost at the finish line, insert appropriate cliché, etc. My goal is to have the manuscript tight and refined by April or May – then I’ll have two poetry manuscripts to throw at the book competitions and open calls for submissions. Plenty of unpublished material to submit to lit mags and contests as well. After that, I want to rededicate myself to writing fiction for the remainder of the year.

When putting together my first (still unpublished) book, My Own Brand of Blues, I used to just write poems that were eventually drawn together into a manuscript. Now I'm writing poems to go into a book - though of course not just for the book, but in large part, most of the new pieces I’m composing will go into it. I find this somehow focuses me...even if there's not even a chance anyone will publish these manuscripts at all. Sigh.

The Beauty of Feedback.

Lit mag editors who give constructive criticism with their rejections do a great service to the writing community. I realize time constraints prohibit most from giving feedback aside from pre-written rejection slips or emails, but when a writer sees why his/her piece didn’t make the cut, it is enlightening.

For example, I recently received response back from an online journal that rejected several of my works. However, included were responses from the editorial staff that gave me insight into why my poems weren’t up to their standards. Some suggested changes that I think would damage the original creative vision of the poem. Others made suggestions of cutting out fluff that wasn’t needed – edits I agreed with and did right away. Instantly those pieces became stronger because of those comments.

Even if I disagree with an editor’s opinion, it’s enlightening to see how my writing is perceived. For example, one poem did contain a commonly used phrase, but I had employed some wordplay that I felt took that phrase away from its clichéd meaning. However, the editorial staff instantly stamped this phrase as hackneyed. Have I eliminated the line from my poem? Not yet – I still feel the wordplay is slick, and I’d have to come up with a line better than it before I just give up on it. But their comments have me thinking about it, revisiting its structure, trying to find a way to circumvent the cliché.

That’s where feedback helps – I wouldn’t be thinking about this line it wasn’t for the comments. Now I have a chance, whether today or a week from now, to take an idea from a brainstorming session and see if it “fits” in this poem to replace the (perceived) cliché. Their comments moved this poem from “finished” status in my mind and challenged me with the notion that it still may need work.

Does this happen for every piece that an editor may comment on? No, there are some comments that I’m admittedly just too pigheaded to accept. But the fact that the right criticism might spur a writer to refine a piece is priceless. It makes writers better at their craft and their next submission more polished, so editors can have a stronger pool of work to review and, in turn, create a superior publication/literary journal. It’s a win/win, in my view. There is only so much we can get out of peer reviews – it is the opinions of editors that really matter.

Editors, I know your time is precious. But when you do have the time, even if it is just for one poem or story, please let us know what didn’t work in our writing. We all want to get better to make your job easier and only submit pieces that are publishable. I appreciate the comments, even if I don’t always agree. I’m sure other writers do as well.

Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is not just a three word phrase to describe the melancholy feeling that the snow covered, insanely frigid, daylight deprived winter months bring. It is also the title of a newly published poem of mine.

Seasonal Affective Disorder appears in the Winter 2009 edition of Main Channel Voices, a print literary magazine based out of Winona, MN. Lucky for me (being the attention whore that I am), the editors chose my poem as one of the sample poems that can be viewed online – click here to read it. After that, look around at some of the other fine works in this edition, and maybe even contemplate buying a copy of Main Channel Voices.

Stay warm, if you can. :)

First Post of 2009.

Meant to post this yesterday, or the day before that, but my truncated attention span got caught up with going places and watching football and and work other minor diversions.  Sigh.

Rather than bore you with the typical clichéd “what I did and didn’t do right in 2008” self-absorbed writer’s blog babble, I’m just going to say last year was good, but I am looking to grow - both as a writer and a person. I want to get my poetry manuscript in the hands of someone who wants to publish it, finish the second poetry book that I am approximately 75% done with, and start back to writing more short fiction. Oh, and get a little more reading time in, since I feel like I’m a much better writer when I’m a more active reader. All of those things seem like accomplishable goals, if I put my mind to it. I can raise the bar to unachievable levels later, there’s plenty of time left in this year to shatter dreams and create doubt.

2009 - A glorious new year of opportunity. Or the same shit in a different toilet. Either way…Happy New Year to all of you.

Runner Up.

Just found out my poem After the Funeral earned second place honors in the 2008 Burning the Midnight Oil Poetry Contest, an annual contest put on by The Write Helper. I always strive to be number one, but no one can scoff at a solid second place finish, especially in the fiercely competitive writing world. Many thanks to Amy Harke-Moore at The Write Helper for providing this great opportunity to compete for writing accolades.

Stone’s Throw Magazine

Stone's Throw, a literary magazine based in Montana featuring writers and artists from around the world, is now online. My poem Prophecy is one of the works featured in this edition. Big thanks to poetry editor Tami Haaland for giving my work a chance to shine in this publication. Click here to read Prophecy, then check out the rest of the great literature and photography in Stone’s Throw.