Writing about writing is not something I normally do, but I woke up this morning keen to start work on my first poetry collection. First thing in the morning is, for me, the perfect time to write. Before everyone else gets up and the noise and chaos begins. Not that I don’t love the noise and chaos of family life; not that I’m not grateful for it. Only that no one can write without a little peace and quiet: just ask Virginia Woolf.
A New Project
Since lockdown began and the kids got sent home from school, work on my novel has stalled somewhat. Ken Rice is very kindly doing a critique of the first two chapters for me, and this has led me to realise that the novel needs a lot of work. Work I’m not only willing, but eager to do, but work which will have to be shelved until the kids are back at school. I’ll need 4-5 hours a day on this. I’ve come to realise it’s ok to put things on hold when circumstances demand it.
Where my novel-writing efforts have stalled during lockdown, by contrast I’ve made a welcome return to writing poetry. I’ve had a poem published in an anthology, which was a wonderful boost to my at-times failing confidence. To write a poem, I maybe need an hour. This is a lot more do-able in the current circumstances than re-drafting an entire novel. I was talking about this with my husband, and he suggested I create a poetry collection to publish and sell with the proceeds going to charity. This seemed like something I could achieve in a much shorter timescale, so I set to work on it today.
A Framework
I sat down with a notebook and fountain-pen in hand, thinking I’d do it the old-fashioned way. I wrote the title, and I wrote out the sections I would like to include within the book. Looking back over my WordPress poetry archive, I could see that the poems fell into several different categories. These will be the sections of my book. The collection will feature some of the poems already published on this blog, as well as several new compositions.
I tried to do one such new composition with pen and paper and you know what? This method doesn’t work for me anymore. I can’t write as fast as I can type, and editing is far too messy a business. Back to the laptop and the WordPress editor it is then…
I will be very excited to share my first poetry collection with all the people who have followed and supported me throughout my WordPress journey. Your comments and kind words have been invaluable, and have spurred me on to keep writing, to keep dreaming and creating. May you all continue to do the same, and may we continue to inspire one another on our respective journeys.
That’s all for now; wishing you a wonderful weekend!
It’s so awesome you have poetry to fall back to when your fiction stalls. As someone who’s mostly looking to publish fiction, it kinda sucks when my creative well runs dry. Anyway, thanks for sharing and wishing you the best in your writing endeavours!
Thank you for your kind words 😊 sometimes I wonder if I should ditch fiction in favour of poetry but I’ve done so much work on my novel that I feel the need to see it through 😅
Can’t wait for the novel Ingrid. It’s all ‘in there’!!! I totally agree though that once the children return to school, your time is once again yours. But your poetry project sounds amazing too. Looking forward to that! 🙂
Thanks Andi 😊 I’m going to have to get up at silly o clock if I want to get the poems done as well 😅 ten more to write 👍
Aaaw… in the name of Art hey! Gotta run – late with dinner! 😉
Exciting stuff! I look forward to seeing how this develops.
Thank you 😊
Best of luck with your poetry collection, Ingrid!
Thank you Carolyn!