My mentor critiqued 10 of my poems over the phone. Very helpful. Very intense. My brain is having trouble coping with the fact that this is a long journey and more work is needed to make some poems really complete, really as good as they can be, before sending them out. On the other hand, she thinks they can be sent out to good places (several of those already rejected my work :)) So that's encouraging. What's not--is the constant struggle to incorporate poetry time, even on deadlines, into my life, which is already punctuated with work, work-that-is-not-necessary-but-tacitly-actually-is, and raising a child. With that in mind, forward and tomorrow I will start on some of the revisions that she suggested and draft a list of places to send poems to. Happy Saturday to all. -Olga
400 words to keep things flowing but switching over to research mode for rest of the weekend now: some in Title Wave today, tomorrow online. I've been trying to avoid falling into the research rabbit hole on weekdays because I can end up spending too much time, but it varies things a little on the weekend. Topics: robots, Japanese language exams for foreign workers, Japanese birthday etiquette, ministry of trade details. Just to share where MY head has been lately.
I have heard of, but not seen, a movie that is entitled Live, Die, Repeat: The Edge of Tomorrow. That is how my process (especially in the early, early hours) sometimes feels: Swim, Coffee, Write, Repeat. Have a great weekend. Jonna
Points to the poets—or just to Andrea—because I wrote longhand today and it was great. It was just a few hundred words but it took so much work to actually make all those words that my screw-up brain turned off. It felt artisanal. Like cheese.
Also went to Elliot Bay Books and only bought one book, which is success. A memoir (what?), Elissa Wachuta's My Body is a Book of Rules. Who am I even.
Love the cheese analogy! I hate doing this on paper (can't immediately undo mistakes! brain works quickly but is slowed down by handwriting!) But now but your note makes me want to try. The "slow food" of writing... -Olga
I took a bit of a day off from writing in order to catch up on reading, by which I mean re-reading this strange and almost incomprehensible book of poetry that I need to write about for my next packet. So, I did that. Also journaled some and sketched out an idea for a new poem, and spent about an hour organizing poem files on my computer and figuring out what I need to work on revising next. That all counts as writing, right?
May I ask why that is the last book of writing you'll need to read? Anything particular to Rilke, or because you have read many advice-to-poet books? -Olga
I just think Rilke says all of the important things about writing, and it's hard to imagine anything that would add to his heartfelt thoughts on the matter...that's all. Have you read it? (and for the record, I'm certain I'll read more books on writing. :) )
My mentor critiqued 10 of my poems over the phone. Very helpful. Very intense. My brain is having trouble coping with the fact that this is a long journey and more work is needed to make some poems really complete, really as good as they can be, before sending them out. On the other hand, she thinks they can be sent out to good places (several of those already rejected my work :)) So that's encouraging. What's not--is the constant struggle to incorporate poetry time, even on deadlines, into my life, which is already punctuated with work, work-that-is-not-necessary-but-tacitly-actually-is, and raising a child. With that in mind, forward and tomorrow I will start on some of the revisions that she suggested and draft a list of places to send poems to. Happy Saturday to all. -Olga
ReplyDelete400 words to keep things flowing but switching over to research mode for rest of the weekend now: some in Title Wave today, tomorrow online. I've been trying to avoid falling into the research rabbit hole on weekdays because I can end up spending too much time, but it varies things a little on the weekend. Topics: robots, Japanese language exams for foreign workers, Japanese birthday etiquette, ministry of trade details. Just to share where MY head has been lately.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of, but not seen, a movie that is entitled Live, Die, Repeat: The Edge of Tomorrow. That is how my process (especially in the early, early hours) sometimes feels: Swim, Coffee, Write, Repeat. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteJonna
Hours: most of the daylight ones. Words: ~1500 new, 0 revised. Journal: four lines. Working weekends has its perks.
ReplyDeletePoints to the poets—or just to Andrea—because I wrote longhand today and it was great. It was just a few hundred words but it took so much work to actually make all those words that my screw-up brain turned off. It felt artisanal. Like cheese.
ReplyDeleteAlso went to Elliot Bay Books and only bought one book, which is success. A memoir (what?), Elissa Wachuta's My Body is a Book of Rules. Who am I even.
Love the cheese analogy! I hate doing this on paper (can't immediately undo mistakes! brain works quickly but is slowed down by handwriting!) But now but your note makes me want to try. The "slow food" of writing... -Olga
DeleteI took a bit of a day off from writing in order to catch up on reading, by which I mean re-reading this strange and almost incomprehensible book of poetry that I need to write about for my next packet. So, I did that. Also journaled some and sketched out an idea for a new poem, and spent about an hour organizing poem files on my computer and figuring out what I need to work on revising next. That all counts as writing, right?
ReplyDeleteHalf an hour. 800 words. * I am getting up early tomorrow to write.
ReplyDeleteWrote about 500 words, plus started reading Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, which might be the last book on writing that I'll need to read.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask why that is the last book of writing you'll need to read? Anything particular to Rilke, or because you have read many advice-to-poet books? -Olga
DeleteI just think Rilke says all of the important things about writing, and it's hard to imagine anything that would add to his heartfelt thoughts on the matter...that's all. Have you read it? (and for the record, I'm certain I'll read more books on writing. :) )
DeleteBusy weekend! No writing today. -Darla
ReplyDelete