A Writer's Notebook, Day Six-Hundred-And-Twenty-Six

As I have discussed, I am feeling rather frustrated at the moment, due to the large number of rejections I am receiving.  I do believe that I will get acceptances at some point, as well, but it is hard not to feel dejected when a number of rejections show up in such short order.  I know I do not have control over the success my work finds in the world, and that is extremely frustrating, as I have been working with dillegance and am not finding success, and would really like to have more than hope at this point.  As well, in the context of having so much work already done, and continuing to write with dedication, the constant rejection makes me feel a bit insane.  To dedicate myself to so much work and have nothing as a result makes it difficult not to consider the idea that I have been delusional and wasting my time.  But, I have enough positive feedback to be certain my work is good, and I am also not willing to stop.  It hurts to get rejections, and it is natural to have doubts at a time like this, but I still wrote today, and I am going to do it again tomorrow.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poem: Neighborhood Inhabitants

Neighborhood Inhabitants There was a fox once, and another time, otters, and now a peacock that we think got lost during one of the storms. She stays down on the other end of the street, though, does not visit us. We have a racoon family that stays in our tree some nights, and there is a baby lizard, a brown basilisk, who we have seen several times. It is not supposed to be here, is invasive and troublesome to the local ecosystem, as are the duck.  I hear there are giant snails now who eat stucco or concrete or something of that sort. I have not seen one, though, I just heard they are here and big as my fist.
Read more

A Writer's Notebook, One-Thousand-Eight-Hundred-And-Seventy-Three

I am still finding it difficult to get back to a more productive work schedule at the moment.  In part, I am sure it is that I gave myself permission to slack off a bit, and it is difficult to walk that back, especially because I am still writing and being productive, even if not to the same degree. I know it would be good to get back to doing more writing, but I also know that I am still meeting my core obligations, even if at a more minimal level.  Really, I just need to make the choice and force myself to stick to it.  To that end, I am planning to at least get back to work on my longer projects again tomorrow, even if I don't increase the poetry output right away.
Read more

A Writer's Notebook, Day One-Thousand-One-Hundred-And-Thirty-Three

I received my acceptance to attend workshop at the Palm Beach Poetry Festival next year and am very excited to be working with Matthew Olzmann, a poet whose work I have admired for some time.  He has a rare capacity for being simultaneously absurd and serious in ways that are hysterical, but with devastating insights underneath.  I feel quite fortunate to have the PBPF, and can say, honestly, that each workshop I have attended there has been incredible.  As a person who has taken many workshops in my life, and who often finds them wanting, I am always astounded at the caliber of the classes at the festival, both in the instruction and in the community of poets I have encountered.  I only wish it could be more than just one week out of the year.
Read more