Thank you so much for this excellent list Radha. This is the time of the year I use for complete slow down, cleaning the 'house' and for reflection--this list will be great for the last. 2022 has been a very important year for my writing since this is the first time I have shared my work with the world (primarily on Medium). I met with positive feedback and that created a positive reinforcement loop of sorts. It gave me the confidence that I have something worthwhile to share. It was also a year when I started developing my voice. The more I write, the more well-defined, stronger and confident it becomes...and then I break it all up to try something different :) It has been an iterative process and is still work in progress...to be continued in 2023.
2023, I also hope to get more formal about my writing (start submitting my work to publications etc.) and see how that goes. I also intend to get more structured about filing, so my words don't fly away on old scraps :)
Your manuscript workshop was definitely a great support--thank you for that :)
Wishing you and yours a very happy, peaceful and calming holiday season!
I promise me that I will reflect on successes, no matter how small-- I need the reinforcement, which leads to encouragement. That much acknowledged, I wrote more poetry in the past year than in the previous 3 (and more) combined. I'm embracing more experiments in writing , less focused on outcome/finished poem. Thanks to my small community of dedicated poets, my process has expanded to include many new (and wonderfully productive) approaches. What's calling me is the urge to write more within themes/motifs that speak to me. And get my collection closer to manuscript-ready!
Yes! Congratulations on continuing to write, to evolve your process and follow your deep inspirations, Celeste. All of us poets who know you are lucky to be writing-creating-evolving right alongside you. Here's to continuing that in 2023!
It's been a growthsome year in the company of extraordinary poets. Still feeling a little sloppy, rather than deliberate, about some of my processes, but I know I've grown--through the multiple efforts to both ground myself and expand my creativity, to refine and re-wild my behavior on and off the page. Lots more to do, and so very glad to be doing so in this community.
A bit off-topic (OK, maybe more than a bit), but just want to share this submissions call from Ballast Journal, in connection with our last Zoom conversation, which touched on the twee performativity of many such calls:
“Ballast keeps the ship afloat as it navigates toward the horizon. Ballast keeps the train on its tracks as it hurtles down the mountain in a blaze. Ballast wants your stabilities in a topsy turvy world. Ballast wants your musings on the wreckage of the earth. Send us your linguistic explosions. Your textual objects. Your darings. Your darlings. Send us your ports in the storm. Send us your storms. Ballast does not aim to fill a niche in poetry publishing — we just want to add more.”
This is difficult—no, impossible—to decode. IMHO submissions calls should be held to the same standards as any writing. Clarify, don't confuse. And by clarify, I don't mean oversimplify. I mean say the complex thing clearly. After all, we demand that from poems, no?
Yes, and I suppose they'd expect us to do the work of understanding their aesthetic, while confounding all understanding of it in this submission call.
I like these questions about this year's progress or lack thereof. I'm just happy to be writing again, for longer than 15 minutes; wherever it all ends up isn't of concern. I expect 2023 to offer ample opportunity for sharing poetry and prose. I'm currently working on 55-word stories! I enjoy the sharing that goes on in Poet to Poet, and feel grateful to have found it.
Thank you so much for this excellent list Radha. This is the time of the year I use for complete slow down, cleaning the 'house' and for reflection--this list will be great for the last. 2022 has been a very important year for my writing since this is the first time I have shared my work with the world (primarily on Medium). I met with positive feedback and that created a positive reinforcement loop of sorts. It gave me the confidence that I have something worthwhile to share. It was also a year when I started developing my voice. The more I write, the more well-defined, stronger and confident it becomes...and then I break it all up to try something different :) It has been an iterative process and is still work in progress...to be continued in 2023.
2023, I also hope to get more formal about my writing (start submitting my work to publications etc.) and see how that goes. I also intend to get more structured about filing, so my words don't fly away on old scraps :)
Your manuscript workshop was definitely a great support--thank you for that :)
Wishing you and yours a very happy, peaceful and calming holiday season!
So much to celebrate here, Aparna. Thanks for sharing your momentum with us!
I promise me that I will reflect on successes, no matter how small-- I need the reinforcement, which leads to encouragement. That much acknowledged, I wrote more poetry in the past year than in the previous 3 (and more) combined. I'm embracing more experiments in writing , less focused on outcome/finished poem. Thanks to my small community of dedicated poets, my process has expanded to include many new (and wonderfully productive) approaches. What's calling me is the urge to write more within themes/motifs that speak to me. And get my collection closer to manuscript-ready!
Yes! Congratulations on continuing to write, to evolve your process and follow your deep inspirations, Celeste. All of us poets who know you are lucky to be writing-creating-evolving right alongside you. Here's to continuing that in 2023!
It's been a growthsome year in the company of extraordinary poets. Still feeling a little sloppy, rather than deliberate, about some of my processes, but I know I've grown--through the multiple efforts to both ground myself and expand my creativity, to refine and re-wild my behavior on and off the page. Lots more to do, and so very glad to be doing so in this community.
"Re-wild"—I love this!
A bit off-topic (OK, maybe more than a bit), but just want to share this submissions call from Ballast Journal, in connection with our last Zoom conversation, which touched on the twee performativity of many such calls:
“Ballast keeps the ship afloat as it navigates toward the horizon. Ballast keeps the train on its tracks as it hurtles down the mountain in a blaze. Ballast wants your stabilities in a topsy turvy world. Ballast wants your musings on the wreckage of the earth. Send us your linguistic explosions. Your textual objects. Your darings. Your darlings. Send us your ports in the storm. Send us your storms. Ballast does not aim to fill a niche in poetry publishing — we just want to add more.”
I mean, WTAF?
This is difficult—no, impossible—to decode. IMHO submissions calls should be held to the same standards as any writing. Clarify, don't confuse. And by clarify, I don't mean oversimplify. I mean say the complex thing clearly. After all, we demand that from poems, no?
Yes, and I suppose they'd expect us to do the work of understanding their aesthetic, while confounding all understanding of it in this submission call.
I found writing groups and deadlines work very well for me. I'm hoping to start a new group in January. ( cassiwnesmith.com )
I like these questions about this year's progress or lack thereof. I'm just happy to be writing again, for longer than 15 minutes; wherever it all ends up isn't of concern. I expect 2023 to offer ample opportunity for sharing poetry and prose. I'm currently working on 55-word stories! I enjoy the sharing that goes on in Poet to Poet, and feel grateful to have found it.
55-word stories — what a fun challenge! I'm happy you are writing, too.