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Imagination can set you free.
Last week I issued a small challenge to those who’ve ignored those bits and pieces of projects in their possession. Those projects were eager contestants at one point in the game of Writer’s Submission Shuffle until time and lack of interest shoved them far back on the writer’s burners of possibility.
My personal challenge was to complete the organization, revision and formatting of a poetry chapbook that had been on my dance card all of February. I can honestly say that I have begun the revision process. All of the poems were selected, sorted into categories and now await the revision process.
I don’t profess to be as precise and demanding of myself and my work as Poet Dana Gioia, who revises his verse until it is as perfect as a human can make it. I don’t have months to spend on one poem or weeks to spend perfecting a few lines of one stanza. I applaud those like Gioia who can do that.
Perfection of line is always a lovely aspiration. Selection of the perfect expressive word to stand for an entire volume of impression is worthy of honor. Unfortunately, my patience level with my own imperfection doesn’t allow me such tenacious pursuit.
Feelings of satisfaction swell within me when I take a so-so, could be better, few lines and get them to a stage where others can live with them too, as expressions of both emotion and concept. Also taking bites out of that time apple are my other projects in prose and web content. There are only so many hours in the day for me to pursue the poetic life.
All of this brings me to the question—what about your project? Have you pulled one from mothballs and begun a read-through, revision, or total rewrite? Have you found a tiny gem at the bottom of the jewelry box and brought it out into the light once more to polish it to a sparkle? I hope so. I really do.
I brought out two short stories and a memoir piece, all of which will be submitted this week to three different markets. Another short story will go for a competition. I can’t believe that any writer doesn’t have a backlog of usable work that could be hiding in plain sight.
So, if you haven’t joined this minor challenge of pulling out an unfinished project and getting it ready for submission, do it now. You still have three weeks to this month. That’s plenty of time to leap into the process.
Be sure to check back here for project updates. Comment with your own endeavors and milestones. Until later,
A bientot,
Claudsy
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