Hello Write Queeners,

I've decided that to keep blogging for at least once a month, I will write a monthly round up of my writing life. I will do it in the first week of every month, to give myself the opportunity to experience the previous month in its entirety (you never know what could happen at 11:58 PM on the last day of the month).

During April, I participated in the 30 poems in 30 days challenge. I've been a part of the challenge for five years. I was disappointed in myself last year when I didn't finish the 2012 challenge. It became a challenge when my part time temp job became a full time temp job with the opportunity to become permanent. Sometimes survival comes before creativity, but that didn't mean that I forgave myself easily for not finishing.

I was determined to finish this year. I saw opportunity in Instagram. Sometimes I didn't have time to write eloquent 40 line poems (did I even write a 40 line poem? ::ponders::). Instagram gave me the opportunity to jazz up smaller pieces, using original or found pictures and making a haiku a stronger image. Plus it gave me a new audience to introduce my writing to. I know that I gained new followers on Instagram, though I'm still trying to determine blog readership.

It was really fun and I found that even when I was posting late, that a pile of poems were building up because I was incorporating images and taking the time to find the right image for each poem. Sometimes I found a image, but had no poem. It gave me the motivation to write more. In a seemingly visual society, I found that my writing was a little more appreciated when the majority of my work was image based. I may have to rethink my approach on writing!

Overall it was a great challenge.

In relation to the 30/30 challenge, I had a whirlwind publication opportunity! My Day Five poem has been published in an anthology called "Old Hollywood". The poem was a part of a contest by Lady Chaos Press, a fairly new press by the lovely Shannon Lynette. I submitted my poem five days before the contest ended, which was on April 5th. By April 24th, she was already announcing that the book was out! I must remember to ask her (or simply interview her on the blog - how about it Shannon?) what her secret is to putting together a book so fast is.

The final update is about the writing group I am a part of. Hosted by Erica "Rivaflowz" Buddington, this monthly Write-In is a place for female writers of all genres to come together and talk about the thing we love the most: WRITING! Coupled with yummy food that either Erica has carefully picked out or cooked herself, a group of up to 15 women take the time to talk about what we have done in our writing lives during the past month. After that, for about 45 minutes, we retreat to various corners to write, using a prompt chosen for the meeting. 

After the 45 minutes, we go around and read our pieces, offering constructive criticism to improve the pieces and to rave about what we love about it. I'm often speechless because these ladies are amazing. Their input and encouragement to my work, even when I don't like the piece, puts things into perspective. Their own pieces make me want to throw my pen away because they have written masterpieces. I am blessed to be a part of this group.

So that is my April Update! Thank you for being a part of the Write Journey.

Hello Write Queeners,

I've been a busy 9 to 5 bee. I've also been a busy reading bee. Ever since I got my Kindle as a "Yay first paycheck/Christmas" gift, I have been reading so many books as I travel to and from work. 

My current read is titled, "Writer with a Day Job: Inspiration & Exercises to Help You Craft a Writing Life Alongside Your Career" by Aine Greaney. 

As the title states, there are exercises that help you set goals, realize your aspirations, and more importantly, write. I figured that it would be fun to share my attempts with WQers. Plus it makes me blog which is one of the important goals that I need to achieve. Here is the first exercise:

1. As a writer, I want to:

I want to create poetry from emotion and experimentation. I also want to write for literary craft magazines (is that the right name for them?). I want my work to be used on things like Poetry in Motion, where I hope to touch someone during the hustle and bustle of transportation (just like I was by one poster I saw this morning). As a writer, I want to be remembered. Not for fame, but for the pure love of the craft.

2. I want to be the kind of writer who:

Makes a mini series out of everything so the reader has an adventure to go on. The real life experiences consist of different phases of hoopla, so my writing should reflect that. I also want to be the kind of writer who studies and talks about every aspect of the craft. I've had to do a lot of growing on my own. I want to impart the knowledge I stumble upon with others so they don't have to exhaust themselves with the learning process and get down to the more important part: the writing process!

3. When my readers read my work, I want them to: cry/laugh/think/improve their lives/enjoy a good story.

Since I can't circle it as the book says, I'll just say all of the above. I want to be diverse in my experiences. In my day to day life, I experience each of these things in non-writing situations. If there is one thing I would love to improve on, it is how to show a range of emotions in my writing. I feel like I have not mastered the technique of conveying different types of emotions in my work.

4. When my readers write to me, I want them to compliment my: 

• Ability to connect with them. 
  
• My writing style. 
  
• My very existence- haha (kidding on that one). 
  

I don't really know if I have a true answer for that because I become really shy when I receive compliments of any kind. BUT I also like to give hugs and candy when someone does!

5. My writing goal or dream:

My goals? 

• To blog more. 
  
• To publish my chapbook and maybe put together another one. 
  
• To write for online mags/blogs about writing. 
  
• To obtain a network of writers to share my highs and lows with. 

Those are attainable if I put the time in.

The dream? 

• To leave behind a legacy. 
  
• To be known on some sort of scale. 
  
• For the world to know that the world of writing is all I want in life. 

It may seem silly (and repetitive), but I just want to know that all of this wasn't for nothing. Living life, writing, putting the work to get my writing out there. If I can't prevent death to my physical being, I would love to prevent my words from being buried with me. I guess the dream is really to have my words live on after I am gone. 

I look forward to sharing more exercises with you. Hey, you can even join me by buying the book or answering the exercise when I put it up on your own blog or in the comments section.

Well this Writer with a Day Job has to get back to work! 


Stay warm WQers!

But you would need to go to the Late Night Feelings site in order to see it!

Go check it out: Day 149

There comes a point in a writer's career (do I really have a career? another post...) where the idea of a book haunts them day and night. You have tons of questions (Is my writing good enough? Will someone publish me? How do I go about editing? etc.) and you go through a roller coaster of emotions. I have been toying with the idea of a book for over a year. After almost 13 years of writing, I figured it was time. 

I will save this for another post, but I do have a lot of challenges with creating this book. From editing my work to who to trust with the product, I have been a mess. I've stalled several times. As a matter of fact, I'm stalling now even after taking a big step (you'll see in a moment). Each step is scary. 

I already have a title (Late Night Feelings) and a possible cover. All I need is to choose my content and go through the act of editing and formating the darn thing. I had someone who was beginning to help me, but he jumped ship (dunno where the hell he is, only Facebook lets me know that he is occasionally alive). so finding someone who I can trust with the project is also holding me back (I need feedback and another eye to help me edit and format).

For inspiration, I went to the Chapbook Festival at the CUNY Graduate Center last month. I saw books in so many formats. It gave me so many ideas on how I could distribute my poetry. But then with so many choices, I was stuck again. I thought to myself, "You need to jumpstart this idea somehow. It's the only way you'll start putting this book together."

My opportunity came at the end of a workshop I attended at the festival. One of the editors from Poets & Writers Magazine (my dream magazine to write for; you know I got her contact info!) demonstrated how to create a pocket-sized book with only one page of paper. Well how to fold it at least. The pages she had already had random prints on it. It was so easy! A lightbulb went on after that demonstration.

A couple of weeks later, I chose eight short poems. I went online to the P&W site and learned how to layout the page. I printed out a few copies at work and BAM! A pocket-sized sample of what's to come for Late Night Feelings.

The title of the sample is called Bitten in the Wake of Dusk: Anticipating Late Night Feelings. I recently have gotten into instagram when the Android verison came out this month. I took one of my instagram photo and made it the picture for my cover. Included two poems that have been published in online lit mags and the rest was material that I haven't shown anyone before (well maybe one person has seen these poems).

Take a look at the picture for the cover!

Before anyone says anything...I know I have to post the rest of my 30/30 stuff up. Don't worry, it will be here by the end of the week. Today, however, is a special occasion. Today I am helping Fiona Robyn celebrate the beautiful things in life, inspired by her new novel "The Most Beautiful Thing".

For today, Tuesday April 24, the Kindle version of the book is being offered for free. You don't need a Kindle to read it, just download the app on your phone or PC. You can also join a slew of bloggers like myself for the "My Most Beautiful Thing" Blogsplash. It's nothing complicated, just tell the world about your most beautiful thing through writing, photos, video...whatever way you want!

Since I am in the middle of the 30/30 challenge, I am going to write a prose poem for my most beautiful thing.