Monday, November 8, 2010

creating light with words

Today I'm thinking about the many kinds of writing I'm involved with on a daily basis. There's the occasional note card, emails, committee meeting minutes, editing, and biographical research notes. I try to fit in revisions for my Hildegard novel, short stories and picture books. I enjoy all this work, yet find it difficult to start fresh work.

Is there a name for this type of writer? I feel like I'm dabbling, like my focus keeps shifting and I never have a large enough block of time to attempt something new. Actually, I don't need to write new material since my files are full of manuscripts that would benefit from revision. Or is there a point when a writer just scraps everything and starts anew?

Today I received a gift - an invitation to become poetry critique partners with a writer friend! It is a gift because this practice will lift me out of my the daily writing pattern I feel stuck in. I will produce at least new poems because I know someone will be waiting to hear them! I want to create poems that process my summer memories of Japan and write playful children's poems.

I'm going to try to participate in Poetry Fridays, too, once I figure out how to do it! The long dark season is upon us now here in New England. We have to light up our surroundings with our words.

2 comments:

  1. Poetry sounds like a wonderful way to start anew, while still leaving you time to reflect on those other projects. And I agree re your partner -- one of the best things about my (twenty year old) critique group is that we know someone is waiting to hear.

    Poetry Friday can also give that structure. All you have to do to participate is to write an original poem, post one you love, write about poetry, and send in a link to the blogger who's running it that week. Mary Lee has a list of hosts on her blog. It's a wonderful way to get introduced to other poets and poetry lovers on a weekly basis, and a great community. Hope to see you there!

    Here's the link to Mary Lee's blog:
    http://readingyear.blogspot.com/

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  2. Thanks, Jeannine! I'm on my way to Poetry Friday!

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