Woe is me!

Two rejections in (almost) as many days. It doesn't get any easier. At least I got some feedback and with a little editing of the last verse (on one poem) it might suit somewhere else. My initial reaction to rejections is to shove the 'offending' article away in disgust (with lots of mumbling and anger) until I am calm enough to reconsider my options. Rejections are always painful and they dent your confidence - well they do mine. The first time I was published I suppose I thought it might be easier from then on. It's not. One success doesn't automatically lead to another.

A tip - I'd advise not to submit one poem and then wait for the result. 1) you can wait a long time to get a reply and if it's a rejection it feels even worse if you've been pinning your hopes on it 2) your work rate is severely hampered. Send out several poems and keep going so that there is always something 'out there' even if some come back with a 'no'. However, don't make the mistake of submitting the same poem to several publications at the same time. That's a real 'no-no'. If it's returned you can then submit it elsewhere (with or without revision).

Changing the subject somewhat, on Saturday I went to an event at a local church which was part of an Arts Weekend. There was an exhibition of paintings and photographs. The photos were particularly stunning. If you need some inspiration for writing take a look at the photographers website. The photos on display were those called 'The Four Seasons'. Enjoy! http://www.creativelight.org.uk/

Lyrics and vegetables!

I'm waiting for a man BT man to call so can't do much and I'm playing around on the computer and thought I'd write a new post here to fill in some time. Aren't you lucky!

Several years ago I was runner-up in a competition in a vegetarian magazine. I had to write a song about my favourite vegetable. This was a challenge not to be missed as I adore music and began writing songs from about the age of ten. At that age I just made them up in my head and wrote out the lyrics. When I was about eighteen I bought my first guitar and taught myself some basic chords and finally was able to write my own songs and put them on tape. I don't write music nor read it but I have a good memory and learn by ear. This song competition was in fact the third one I'd entered.  The first one I entered was for lyrics only, for a band I can no longer remember and they were never 'big' in the music world from what I remember.  I was probably a teenager at the time. I didn't win the compeition but I got a signed photo of the group (which I may still have somewhere!). In my late twenties I entered another competition to write lyrics to an existing instrumental piece by The Beach Boys. I was (and still am) a huge fan on theirs and this was for a fanzine. I came third and was the only female who entered! As part of the competition I had to record my voice over the instrumental with my lyrics. It was great fun for someone who'd spent too many years shut up in the bedroom recording my own songs using two tape machines to get harmonies and two instruments. Still I digress. I heard the winning song which had been done very professionally and I have to say he deserved to win. Anyway, I had a letter from a guy called Chris White who had written and sung the 80's hit 'Spanish Wine'. He was very complementary about my song and he said that should he ever go back into song writing he'd love me to write with him!  Of course, he never did get back into songwriting (that I know of) but hey, I was on cloud nine. I actually had his single in my 45's collection.

The reason I am telling you all this is to show you where your creative thoughts can take you. With me, lyric and song writing came before the poetry. I wasn't a great success but I loved it and did it for me which is the whole point. Writing is something you have to do. I've tried (in moments of despair) to give it up but I can't. I'll never make money at it (if I do I'll be well chuffed) but I have a compulsion to write and if you do it  in the hope of making money you are doing the wrong thing. In the past I have written lyrics with penpals and written melodies for their lyrics. I even sent a few 'demos' to music producers. Of course I never made it but I enjoyed it. I've not written songs for years now. Once someone suggested I write poems instead of lyrics but I didn't want to,  but here I am doing just that. One day maybe I'll pick up a guitar again and write a song, after all there isn't a huge difference. I love songs with good lyrics (I also like a lot of mindless trance/dance but that's another story!). Good lyrics, like a good poem draw in the listener/reader giving them something to identify with, something that will bring them back time and time again. (By the way, what follows can't be said to be in that category - this is for fun only!)

Now, I know you are just dying to know what favourite vegetable I wrote about for the competition - it was the courgette! And now for your delight (or otherwise) here are the lyrics - sorry I can't sing it to you but that may be just as well!

Courgette

Chorus:
Courgette
Pretty little green courgette
A tasty little veg and yet
Nothing comes close to courgette.

You slim lithe being
You're a sight worth seeing
You're so versatile
And in a while, I'll take you for my own.

You make fine dishes
And take all my wishes
Then they all come true
In a meal I do, you fill my heart's desire.

 

Bridge:

Only you can satisfy

In a casserole or in a stir-fry

Stuffed with goddies, on a flan

The food of love is in my frying pan.

When I leave you stewing

I know what I'd doing

I have an appetite

That I can't fight ..and all because of you...

Courgette

Pretty little green courgette

The bestest little veg you'll get

Nothing comes close to courgette.

I made the deadline!

I had to push myself to get the short story I was writing done to meet the deadline.  All the lovely weather we had over Easter kept calling me to the garden.  But having written it, it would be stupid not to do the editing especially as it was only around 1,000 words.  I changed it from first person to third and then did two edits.  I posted it yesterday, first class, to ensure it reaches its destination in time.

Am reading through an old copy of Writer's Forum which covers all forms of writing.  I like the interviews as I am fascinated by how others go about writing.  I also had a go at some of the poetry exercises and was reasonably pleased. There may be some I can use with a bit of editing. 

While going through a pile of magazines I came across a notebook that's not been used in ages and I was quite surprised (pleasantly!) by some of the poems I had written there.  I'd forgotten them completely so it was a nice find.

Am now working on a poem in the style of Gerard Manley Hopkins for a competition in May. He's not the easiest person to parody but I did study some of his poems last year as part of a course I took on poetry and spirituality.

A great start

Have found a new great website for aspiring writers at http://www.greatwriting.co.uk/  It covers every form of writing and as a member you can post your own work on there and other members can review it.  I'm finding the site rather addictive. There is so much to it that I have hardly scratched the surface. So whether you write short stories, novels, plays, scripts, poetry or whatever, you will find something of interest on there. More importantly you will find motivation and all writers need that!

Apart from trawling websites I have been writing a short story to enter into a competition. I'm not that confident at short story writing but this came to me one morning and I just sat down at the computer and typed it straight up.  It needs some editing and I must keep an eye on the deadline (I've missed so many deadlines in the past because I am a lazy writer - there I admit it!). My aim this year is to be more committed to my writing.

Have a great day!

Even unknowns get breaks

The announcement that the winner of National Poetry Competition 2010 was a newcomer gives hope to writers like me who still aim to 'make it one day'. Paul Adrian scooped up £5,000 for his poem 'Robin In Flight' beating acclaimed Matthew Sweeney into joint second place with Josephine Haslam.  In Paul's interview with Poetry News he admitted that he did not belong to writers' or poetry groups and wasn't even sure how many of his family and friends knew he wrote poetry!

A lot of writers starting out don't admit they write. This might be because writing is seen as a sort of hobby or they lack confidence in what they do write. It takes time to find your own voice and then to share your efforts with someone else.  Will they laugh?  Be horrified? Say nice things because that's what you want to hear? Hate it? Writing is a very personal thing and allowing it to go into the world is hard, it's your baby and critisism is never easy to take (I know!). It took me a long time to send things to small press magazines because I knew that rejection would feel like a kick in the teeth. It does and dents your confidence big time. However, remember that poetry, like any art form will get different reactions from different people because of the way we experience life and what we bring to form those opinions and indeed what we write. There are some poets I like and others I don't but others like them and they are up there with 'the big boys'. What do I know?!

All I can say is keep at it, look at some courses that can help your writing, read a lot of contemporary poetry and find some small press magazines that publish poetry that you like and go for it. Have a look at some of the links which I hope might prove useful to you.