I made six submissions last month, all apart from one were in the final week of the month. This month I have only two submissions to make, and have made them both already.
This is a welcome return to what I consider normality. Twelve months ago I was able to make the month’s submissions on the days the submission windows opened. Illness intervened and I found myself entering a period where I was mainly editing work that was already written, and I was struggling to complete it and submit for the end of the period. After six months I started writing new poems again, and it is only this month that I have managed to get far enough ahead to submit closer to the beginning of the period.
I could have submitted sooner, but have become lazy in the last year.
The advantage of submitting earlier in the period is that (in my theory, at least) you establish yourself as the favoured candidate, and later submissions have to work harder to push you out.
The advantage of submitting later is that you (probably) have more time to let the piece mature (unless, like me, you are struggling to keep up) and you get answers quicker, as decisions are made within days of submission rather than waiting until the end of the month.
In years to come, the mythical PhD student I always think I’m writing for, will be able to read this post and add it to the list of Long Covid symptoms – difficulty in writing new poetry. I didn’t write anything new for several months after Covid, and even struggled to knock the existing writing into shape. I then spent a long time struggling to write anything new – resulting in missed deadlines and lots of last minute submissions. Finally I managed to find some form and, for the last month, have finally started writing with fluidity again. The plan for next month is that I will submit as much as possible in the first week of the month, using things which I am finalising now.
What a difference a year makes.
Long Covid is a real thing. I have had many young, brilliant friends tell me how they have suffered. I’m glad you are pulling out of it.
To be honest, I was beginning to think that it was jsut old age, but when I started to lift out of it a few months ago I rethought it. It will be aproblem for years to come, I think.
I hope that your recovery comes along steadily. Long covid is going to be a story in itself in the years to come.
It’s a strange thing, and new discoveries keep coming to light. The trouble is that it similar to old age and stupidity, which complicates matters of diagnosis in people like em. 🙂
You have clearly previously understated the effect of Covid.
To be fair, I did mostly recover quite quickly. Things like memory took several months while the writing and ability to read are only just going. All in all, I have been lucky when you see some of the things that have happened to otehrs.
I am pleased you feel like that
I have decided to follow the path of Pollyanna and be annoyingly cheerful. It may work, but it is something different for me to try. I like grumbling, but we all need variety in life. 🙂
🙂
I am glad you are feeling better and things returning more to normal. It is good to see you writing more poetry and getting it submitted.
It’s strange because most things did return to normal. Memory took a while, and the ability to write and to concentrate enough to read a book seem to have taken the biggest hits.
Long covid hits people with a range of possible symptoms. Here is the latest article from Science News. I think you should be able to view the link.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/long-covid-epstein-barr-link-risk
Interesting article. I find that the majority of my symptoms could be something else, and probably are.But some, like the brain fog (which showed itself in an inability to remember where we had stored things at work) and inability to write creatively seemed to be new.