Writing in the New Year

While NaNoWriMo has me excited for writing my novel, I’ve also been getting back into poetry.

I do write small poems frequently but lately I’ve been more motivated to write ones that are longer, more thought out, and not only consisting of simple rhymes. I want to write rhythms that aren’t necessarily expected or easy to write. I want to challenge myself so I’m not writing the same thing over and over.

So this morning I entered a poetry competition.

I put together a word document a few days ago of some poems I’ve written in the past, and I also wrote some new content. The plan was to try and get together a book manuscript of poetry and find a way of getting that published. But then this contest came up and it fit perfectly with this word document. So I submitted it.

I’m not expecting to win, but I do want to focus on putting my writing out there. I love my blog, but I’d also love to be able to say I’ve been published on numerous platforms.

I can’t expect to just be published without going out and seeking opportunities. And while writing competitions aren’t exactly on my priorities list, what can I lose? It’s all good experience, especially when they have guidelines of what you can submit. I want to get used to being confined by word limit or theme so I can try my hand at something new. I want to be more comfortable in the publishing world rather than just my blogging world.

Currently, I am very focused on my uni work. But I will always give time to writing outside of that, and I don’t want to wait until my degree is over before I get into the writing business. I want as much experience as I can get at the level I am right now.

I don’t have any specific New Year’s plans or resolutions (I don’t particularly like that whole concept), but I do believe in goals and pushing forward. So I am going to try and get my writing out there, whether that’s poetry or short stories or a novel, much more than I have previously.

Every now and then I research online journals or publications that will take your writing, some paid and some not, but I never actually submit to them. I have a few times, but never whole-heartedly. Am I scared of being rejected? That’s a definite possibility.

But 2020 is the year of going for it! I am going to research and I will follow through with what I find.

Who knows, maybe no one will publish anything of mine next year. Or maybe they will! I’m going to find out, and that probably means you will too.

Sarah xx