Month One

So, I’ve been at this a little over a month now and still going. If I listened too closely as my inner critic vituperates about my poetry, citing the exact number of hits my blog is getting as evidence, I would likely quit right now and save my pride. 

But what is this pride of which you speak?

As much as the time constraints rob me of layers of depth that I might be able to build into these poems, I believe I’ve still had a few slightly less shallow successes. In sheer volume alone, this may be the most poetry I’ve written at a single stretch, and I believe I can do more, and better.

Time to let you all in on something … 

I’m working on finishing the first draft of a fantasy novel I started two or three years ago. Part of starting this blog is to establish something of a daily writing routine. 

I picked poetry for this project – as opposed to short fiction or flash fiction – because of its compactness. It forces me to more closely examine my word choice, trains my ear, and I think those things will also make me a better writer of fiction. 

I know they will.

SOME OF MY GOALS:

• Try to have a first complete draft of my novel done by the end of November, which is National Novel Writing Month anyway, providing me with an additional layer of motivation.
• Begin rewriting/second draft after a short break.
• Send that finished second draft to some personally picked readers for feedback and corrections by the end of the year.
• Next rewrite/third draft taking feedback into consideration.
• I may try looking online for some freelance editors in late winter.
• If I can't use the only contact (I think) I know to get an agent, I will likely start looking into self-publishing toward the end of the spring/summer of 2022.

And I will keep writing poetry each day at least until the one year anniversary of this project.

I am aware of how optimistic the above timeline is, but I feel committed. 

Thanks so much to those of you who are still reading. I appreciate any feedback you want to give, and can definitely use your support/encouragement.

Be good to each other.

~MS