Sorry, I’ve been suffering from writers’ block recently, and haven’t written either the blog or anything useful to submit to magazines. As regular readers will know, I don’t actually believe in being blocked. It is, in my view, lack of practice, laziness and poor organisation. That is certainly the case for me at the moment. Defining it as I do doesn’t necessarily make it easier to cope with,it just puts the blame where it belongs instead of blaming it on a mystery condition.
Yesterday I decided to tackle it by becoming more organised. I have sent two submissions off for this month and have two more ready (one just needs some tinkering). There are three days until the end of the month. It is going to be tight.
On counting the submissions required, I was surprised to find there were 13, not eleven as I had thought. Take four away and you have 9 left. Three a day is not good.
Edward VII visits Cardiff Docks (Obverse)
Edward VII visits Cardiff Docks (Reverse)
However, I also found that several were for ordinary poetry, which I don’t write very often, and a couple were for journals that I’m not that bothered about. I’d put them all down but have no qualms about missing them out. That meant I only had eight to do, four of them are done or near enough done and one is just two poems. That more or less leaves three to do – one a day. I can do this.
Of course, that leads on to the old question of when a poem is finished. Is it ever finished or do you, sometimes, just have to say it is time to send it out? And also to procrastination. There is, I feel, a link between the time I have left and the interest I feel in reading trash on the internet. A week – I read about politics. Five days – I read about Harry and Meghan. Three days and I will read anything to avoid work, including those appalling click bait articles that start off sounding interesting and peter out into being totally useless have you have clicked 20 or 30 times. I really don’t know why I do it.
Oh dear, I have just realised I hardly have any time to do the medallion talk . . .
Time for a severe internal pep talk and some work. That, for me, has been the last three days.
Piece of Masonic and Preston Guild interest – though it my just mark 50 years and 1922 might be a coincidence (1922 being a Guild Year).
I was reading a book about writing. The author said he was at a reading, where he was going to read from his published novel. As he sat there before, he was making edits. He said as he looked around, the other three writers were doing the exact same thing to their already published works. Nothing is ever finished
This is good to know. I’m always tempted to edit my published work, but once you start, where do you stop?
His point was it never really stops, but you have to have a it’s good enough moment
That’s true, I don’t lose the will to edit but I have to make myself say enough is enough so I can move on.
Yes
🙂
I don’t suppose you could pull the plug on your new computer?
The trouble is that I email all my submissions these days, and then fall into temptation . . . 🙂
Ah
I must get a grip and make a bid for literary fame. 🙂
You will come through with more poetry and the medallion talk. I know you can do it.
Let’s see . . .
Good luck with the submissions AND the medallion talk. I, myself am quite impressed with your work ethic.
It’s just after 11.00 – I’ve written a stiffly worded email of complaint, cooked most of the evening meal, watched five quiz shows (Monday night is quiz night!), the great Pottery Throwdown and only just sat down to work at 11 am, despite the pressing deadline. I am packing plenty in, but it’s not all work by any means. 🙂
You’re a piece of work. lol
🙂
I read an interesting review of a book about coins in the LRB. I might have skipped it if I didn’t read your blog. I am glad that I didn’t, so thank you.
I will see if I can find. Always looking for ideas to steal . . .