Where Have I Been? Writing, Submitting and Setting Goals

     What a crazy time it has been! I haven’t posted due to time restraints, as well as trying to stay focused on personal writing projects I have been working through. Oh and frying one of my laptops and having to transfer files to a new one!  I am also traveling for my job but at least I have time to write while away (as I am at this moment).

Goals achieved:

I had been slowly yet surely typing onto a document about 25 years worth of hand-written poetry. Talk about something that conjures up memories, brings your mood down a notch and makes a girl grateful she’s turned over a new leaf…Yes, that would be reading all of this girl’s old, emotional poetry. But TAH Done!! YAY!!

On another bright note, one of the books I started writing over a year ago in also coming along nicely. It is my own testimony so I think that trip down memory lane pushed me to simply purge. It has come out on it’s own, organically. One thing I don’t do is push myself to write chapters in order. I have a beginning; an introduction of sorts mostly completed last year. What I wrote recently was an entirely different chapter which I think will be finished soon.

A First: Submitting Poetry

Not only did I finish typing the poetry (although, I did find some more recent pieces I need to type) I also found a chapbook competition to enter; at the eleventh hour I put together a manuscript of 40 pages worth of poems. Themed at that!  It is a first for me, submitting my poetry for publication, so I was selective about where it went to be read (more on this in a different post).

I am actually really happy I have finally let go of all of that STUFF enough to share it with the world. I mean, why else did I write it but to keep it stuffed away in a box? Not hardly. So, off it went. Even if I get a mention i’ll  be content–it’s my first time out. Not that I don’t believe most of it is winning material, I do, but it’s now in the hands of the judge. (Pick me, pick me, please!)

I also submitted a single piece to a well-known, themed, book series and am keeping my hopes up but not enough to want it; not up enough to care if I’m not selected. I took a risk by submitting the poem I did. It was just sitting there, speaking to me, so I submitted it without remorse.

I decided to set some SUMMERTIME goals: 

1) Keep writing–literally, just any free-time I have that can be spent with it, will be.

2) Continue to submit my poetry either individually or in groups by theme.

3) Try to get a first draft of the aforementioned book done by August. It’s a stretch however not impossible.

If you find yourself in a rut or directionless, setting goals or putting yourself out there more than normal, will help. If you need some encouragement, inspiration or helpful hints–please don’t hesitate to contact me!