I think I may be developing an artistic temperament. This is not good, as I am not an artist. I am a word mechanic and rely on calm and orderly conduct, plus a large vocabulary and a metaphorical bag of literary spanners – swapping words in and out and tightening things up as necessary. I don’t do art and I don’t do feelings.
I read through the submission guidelines of a magazine late last night and decided, despite previous decisions to the contrary, that I wasn’t going to submit. They just struck me as a bit sloppy and as I have a limited supply of poetry it seemed a waste to tie it up for three months or more when I could show it to people who would give me quicker responses (and allow me to resubmit it elsewhere).
I never seem to have enough good poetry to go round, so I can, to some extent, be selective. It’s not an approach that I want to extend, because I always feel the need to keep opportunities open, and it’s also borderline arrogance. I’m definitely not so good that I can afford to start acting like that.
However, I do remember from my business days that there are sales you don’t want to make, and sometimes you just need to walk away. In this case there are two other magazines that I can submit to. They are not necessarily quicker, but they are more professional and it is all laid out beforehand without any words like “we aim to”. That’s a bit like saying “we often don’t”.
This attitude, of course, is partly due to my involvement with haiku and haibun – those magazines seem to be a bit quicker and more poet-centred in their approach. Many poetry magazines won’t give feedback, and say so in their submission guidelines, one editor even going as far as to say that if you want feedback you should go to a writers’ group. I can’t imagine anything worse than sitting in a room full of writers and having to read my work out. Even salad and exercise seem more attractive.
Rainbow – Spring Evening
The photograph is of a rainbow we saw tonight,. Julia go a shot with her phone which showed it as a double but I was just too late. Unfortunately I can’t download the photo she took so you will have to put up with mine.
I think you should try a writers group. Instant feedback and lots of fun 😀
At the risk of sounding like a miserable old git, I’ll leave writers’ groups to the cheery, outgoing extraverts. 🙂
I think we might have had a rainbow, too, but I got distracted before I could look for it. Nice shot of yours, with or without the double rainbow.
I must try to download Julia’s photograph. 🙂
That would be nice 😀
The internal watcher is generally right. Sometimes wrong, but most often right in its warning signals.
The rainbow is a beauty!
Yes, a good rainbow and a bad man. 🙂
Whom…I think I’m going to adopt an artistic temperament….
If it suits you, do it. You are media star, I am merely a poetic hack… 🙂
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🙂
You are too modest, Quercus
I have been known to be a touch acerbic at times – I must guard against it.
I think you are wise to listen to those warning thoughts. Good luck with the submission, anyway. I am always too late to photograph rainbows these days – what a beauty!
Yes, I must be careful. The rainbow was the best I’ve seen for years – and I had missed the best of it. 🙂
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Your rainbow was pretty good. Julia’s must have been wonderful.
I will try to get it downloaded tonight. 🙂
Best to listen to those “danger signals.” In my experience, those signals are seldom wrong. On a lighter note…I think it was Henry Miller who said, “There is only one thing worse than having an artistic personality, and that’s thinking you have one.” 😉
🙂
“I do remember from my business days that there are sales you don’t want to make, and sometimes you just need to walk away.” What a true statement! I’ve been a self-employed bookkeeper since 1996 and I have learned if a potential new client says, “It’s not much work but I need it done right away.” That it will be a TON of work and they won’t want to pay me. EVERY SINGLE TIME. So, that’s who I walk away from.
Beautiful rainbow! We had a stunning one the other night, too.
Yes – those danger signals. 🙂