Goings On

It’s official. I finally sent some poetry to the public chopping block. I mailed a couple poems to a handful of literary magazines. I plan on swinging by Target for some cheap frames for the onslaught of rejection slips that will soon pepper my mailbox. I figure I could cover a bedroom wall by the end of the year if I remain diligent. Rejection is frightening to most writers, but I look forward to it. Failure is confirmation that I’m trying. I won’t fail every time, so if shell the industry I’m bound to hit something, someday.

I’ve also been working on a few short stories. One of them is historical fiction, which required some research. It’s worth noting that a fair amount of pleasure can be wrung the process of researching a particular place in a certain time. My story takes place in ancient Persia, so much of the focus was on what sort of trade took place in Alamut, what sort of food was consumed, were there kilns, etc… I’ve no experience with this sort of writing and I’ve learned a great deal that will hopefully transfer to everything else I write. Developing a sense of place in such detail is helpful in the telling of a story. It helps to define your characters.

I’ve effectively put a hold on all things journalistic for the moment. It’s liberating to back in the domain to which I belong. I feel like less of an imposter. It’s time for me to drink with friends, so I’ll cut this short.