A Writer's Notebook, Day Seven-Hundred-And-Seven

I wrote ten new poems today, and I think much of the work connects well to the idea I have been considering.  The idea is quite complicated, and I do not yet have a clear understanding of all of it, but it has to do with concepts of identity and with notions of metaphor and symbolism in a sort of fantastical way.  I think their is a narrative element to it, but I am not yet sure about that.  It feels that it may be important for me to first write a whole bunch of things and get closer to the actual idea first. It is not a straightforward idea, but I am thinking of it in a sort of "magic" lens, as if I am constructing something intended as a spell-book or something, at least within the conceptual reality of the book itself.  I am not certain what that means yet, but the idea feels as if it may take me in an interesting direction.  In terms of a structure, I think it will have a sort of narrative, as I said, but I think their will also be other elements that connect together to explain some of the metaphysics that underlie that story, or perhaps it will be more that they are details that explicate and explore aspects of that story...  As I said, I am not really sure, but I am finding that some of the central thematic ideas are starting to percolate out in the work and I am excited about that.  I think it would be good for me to put together a collection from the ground up right now.  First, it is a new challenge, and one I can focus on in my work that may help me to feel I am moving forward in a way that is valuable, even if I am not yet getting published, and second, I do think it is possible I might have more success with a well constructed collection than with a single piece.  It is far easier to create a poem than to put together a work comprised of many poems, and I have noted that many of the best recent poetry books have taken on this kind of challenge.  I feel it is a good use of my energy right now, especially since I do have so much work already waiting to be submitted.  I had been thinking of doing something along these lines earlier, but no idea had struck me that I wanted to follow, but I think the concept I am playing with now is one that I can take quite far, and it feels like it is also a fruitful area of thought in and of itself as well.

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