Creative Tuesday
Lots of long form writing this week, a bit of disappointment and a recording of a poem for May
Today is shaping up to be a decent day in terms of writing. I’ve no paid work this week, which means I have time to focus on long form writing for various other projects. I’ve completed a beautiful guest post for a blog that’s launching later this month. My article explores how my relationship with my Dad was rooted in our gardens, and how essential my garden is to my physical and mental health. It’s a piece I’m proud of, for a publication I hold in high esteem and I’m looking forward to you reading it.
For my own projects I’ve written another Letter from Japan built around the concept of Omotenashi and how I use it to enhance and inform my writing. Finally I’m researching for a post on humanist wedding ceremonies, that will be part of Kathryn Anna Writes Bespoke. Phew!
A bit of disappointment
I still have some work to do on a poem that I hope to submit for a pie in the sky publication at the end of the week, and I’m licking my wounds a little about a piece of work being declined for a similar pie in the sky publication on Monday. I’m usually very chilled about pieces not being accepted, but this one hit hard. It’s a poem that I worked so very much on, and one that I genuinely thought was good, and a good fit for the magazine. I had a little mope and allowed myself an hour of despair. I’m cool now, of course, and understand all the practicalities around publication in journals. I was given advice last year to perhaps aim a little higher than I used to. My old approach of submitting to places I was fairly sure would take my work meant that a lot of poems went off to online journals that are now no longer around – the poems are lost. I’ve realised that initial high of “I’ve been published” comes at a price. It was worth it to gain the confidence to carry on, but I realise I need to work harder at making my work even better, to get it into the journals I want to be part of.
A short post this week – I’ve a lot more writing to do. Thanks for being here and I hope to see you all on Friday for the second Letter from Japan.
Until next time
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I’d like to say I know how you feel, but I’m not very good at submitting poetry, wouldn’t even know where to begin, and when on the very rare occasions I have I’ve always assumed it will be rejected. But I imagine if you are sure it was a good fit etc then it must be devastating. I hope you keep writing here though, I really like reading it.
You are doing so much! And it all counts. Just submitting is a whole full-time job in itself--or, at least, it easily can be. You show how there is so much more to being a writer than writing.