Nuthatch at Rufford Abbey
I’ve been relaxing so much that I seem to have forgotten how to blog. However, i’m back now and intending to get more disciplined. Strange isn’t it, that I became erratic when I didn’t have regular internet access, and now that I have proper access I have remained erratic? There’s something about human nature wrapped up in that. Or maybe just something about my capacity for procrastination.
One of the things I was going to do was make a submission for December. I still have time, so I probably will. I also have some pieces to submit, though several of them are returns from last month. Last month’s single submission was returned unaccepted. That’s yet another way of saying it was rejected.
It’s no big deal, things get rejected all the time. If I didn’t get rejected there would be no point in submitting anything. It keeps me sharp(ish) and makes me happier about the acceptances.
Blue tits on feeder
However, I’m not particularly impressed by the extended response of the editor. It’s nice of him to take time to give me advice, but when that advice is to read a book (which I have already read three times) and to look in a magazine for further tips (a magazine where I have actually been published 5 times this year) I can’t help thinking that I should send him a note telling that I have read his advice with interest but it isn’t quite right for me at this particular time . . .
However, I won’t. Editors are busy people and he may not appreciate my sense of humour.
Incidentally, this year’s figures so far are – 20 acceptances, 7 rejections. This compares with 27 and 10 for 2023, which I thought was a poor year. I have had whooping cough, been in hospital and moved house this year (and written 23 short pieces for the Numismatic Society) so I won’t be too hard on myself, but it’s definitely time to get a grip and start working harder. If you don’t keep pushing yourself it’s very easy just to wake up one day and realise you have stopped writing poetry. I know, because I did it once before.
Pictures are birds on feeders.
Long Tailed Tit