Thursday, December 02, 2004

How Did They Do It?

I now know eight (8!) poets who either released a book this year, or have had one accepted for publication. How did they do it? Not how did they get their books published, but how did they finish the damn books in the first place? I think, by now, I'm actually on my third full-length book. I keep pulling old poems out and replacing them with new ones. It's insane. I’ll be positive that I’ve finally finished my mss, but then I start reading it, then moving things around and pretty soon I'm back to 20 poems. Maybe I'll just write chapbooks. Maybe that will be my shtick: Oh, Suzanne, she's the poet who only writes chapbooks, how innovative!

_________________

The next morning:

I can't believe how pessimistic my post sounds. It's been a good week too. I won a scholarship to a poetry workshop and I should be celebrating not bitching about putting a mss together! And I've already bought myself a Christmas gift--my check for the fabulous Rebecca Loudon's Tarentalla, is making its way to the west coast.

Note to Self: Must be more positive.


5 comments:

Paul said...

You should be more positive, absolutely. You have every reason to be.

Wendy Wisner said...

Wow, Suzanne! Good things are cooking over there. Congrats on the scholarship!

Suzanne said...

Thanks, you guys! :-)

xo

Suzanne said...

Facial expressions for H's post--

1. [big goofy grin]

2. [looks appropriately chagrined]

and finally [whispers bashfully:] "'k."

xo

Suzanne said...

This just in:

Apparently they didn't do it! Finish the books. The publishers pried the mss' out of their hands--I feel so much better now. :-)