Confession Tuesday

Happy Confession Tuesday! Need to unburden yourself? Tell us about it and we promise to do the same.

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See the plants growing out of the bowling balls? They belong to none other than Colleen Michaels, the Improbable Poet herself. She reminds me every day to look for beauty and poetry where I least expect it. And it is everywhere.

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It is hard for me to maintain any kind of momentum when writing in the summer, yet I've written two poems in the past week. (Woo hoo!) Both of which are worth revising. There's just no substitute for getting my butt in a chair and doing the work.

Blogging is the equivalent of stretching. Gives me a chance to limber up before I do the real work of writing poems. 

I've also accepted the fact that I will not write every day. Instead, I'm trying to read more, and stay open to unexpected situations or overheard conversations that will be the breadcrumbs to a poem or two. Laughter helps. Playing with the kids helps. I'm trying to maintain a sort of membrane with my writing where experience comes in, but the guilt, self-doubt, and rejection stays out.

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I thought for sure this poem was just about milk falling through a plastic sack--so I was irritated when I started reading it. But I was wrong.

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If you're looking for words of advice on manuscript submissions, check out the wise words of Florenz Eisman, managing editor at CavanKerry Press. She's reads every manuscript that comes in to CKP--I should know because she's read two of mine. Here's an excerpt:

"You may be talented, but that’s not enough. Whether you’re a first-time writer or even have some work behind you – going forward requires a lot of work. We want to see work that’s (almost) ready to go to press. Sometimes the process of creating the manuscript seems to have halted too soon. The writing signals that the writer hasn’t self-edited, reviewed, re-read, re-read and self-edited as often as necessary."

When I submitted the Misery Island manuscript, it wasn't ready. I ended up revising 40 percent of the poems, which, at the time, was a big blow to my ego. But I'm thankful for the chance to revise again because the manuscript is much tighter. I'm thankful to CKP for the support and tough love.