Contract for Elements of Life

Just returned the contract for Elements of Life. This is an anthology of short stories and poems from Twin Trinity Media. There have been some bumps along the way, but now there is good hope it will be available really soon.

I have one poem in this book, called "Now Then When." That isn't very much, to be sure, but it puts us one step closer to the next book in the series which will have one story and one poem of mine.

The e-version of Elements of Life should be available very soon, perhaps even this week yet. The print version will appear about a week later.

Despite such a small contribution, I'm excited by this, because it is one more little thing I've had published that isn't self-publication.

Find Elements of Life at Twin Trinity Books and Amazon.

Received the Proof for Elements of Life

I just received a proof sheet for the Elements of Life anthology. I have one poem in this book! These are stories and poems that were winners in Accentuate Services contests. Some of my stories have been winners, but these themes, birth, life, death, were just before I began entering.

However, after the fact, they called for some poems to be used as fillers, and one of mine was accepted. It's called "Now Then When" and was written in one of my darker moods.

It takes a long, long time to get stories from contests to/through editing, and actual printing of a book. I'm glad to see something of mine in this anthology, and I will have several stories in the next volume.

The book can be pre-ordered for a discount at Twin Trinity Books

Poem to be Included in Elements of Life

I don't have a contract yet, but it is pretty certain that I will have a poem included in the next anthology to come from Twin Trinity Media, called Elements of Life.

The book includes stories which were submitted for contests of the themes of Birth, Life, and Death. These contests took place before I got involved with Twin Trinity/ Accentuate Writers. However, Michelle (Michy) Devon, editor and publisher has requested poems to use as fillers between the stories.

This summer I wrote a poem entitled "Now, Then, When," and Michy requested that I send it to her, yesterday.

Elements of Life will be the next volume published. It follows Elements of the Soul, Elements of Time and Elements of Dimension, already in print.

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West Side Gang Writers' Group

The West Side Gang met tonight. It's a twice-a-month get together where we share works in progress for critique. I'm not much of a joiner, but I've come to value this group.

It's a talented bunch of folks! Some write poetry, some essays, some fiction, others non-fiction. Some of us just write all kinds of things because we can't stop.

Tonight, even off-season (several people go south for the winter), we had eleven people show up, and eight of us took something to read. Since I'm sort of in between projects, I took two short poems I had written over the winter.

Who knows what I'll ever do with all my poems? Poetry is a real tough sell, and I write it mostly just because I like to. But I do have them all collected in one notebook. That was a project from last winter.

And, there were holiday goodies to munch on, too. Can't beat that!

Submitted "Secret Spring"

The poem, "Memory of Life," that I submitted for the Ludington Public Poetry Project was too long. They want shorter poems. I was completely uninspired until tonight when I read the poem "Mornings at Blackwater," by Mary Oliver. Suddenly, I had an idea based on a spring my dad showed me on our property when I was 14. I couldn't believe that I hadn't ever found it in all my years of roaming and exploring. The poem begins:

Secret Spring

My father told me about the secret spring
the year I turned fourteen.
I thought...

Ludington PPP is a small program that posts poems by local authors around town for people to read. The theme this time is Spring and Summer. I'd really like to have one poem posted, so I hope this one is more acceptable.

West Side Gang- Writers' Group

Tuesday night was a meeting of the West Side Gang- They liked chapter 9 of News from Dead Mule Swamp a lot, and most of their suggestions were small changes for clarity, not any problems with the story.

I came home and re-read everything I had done to date. Found one small thing I needed to change to keep geographic consistency in the town I've created, and did some other clean-up. It's really invigorating when other people like what you write and want to hear more.

The man who is handling the Public Poetry Project wasn't there, so I don't know if my poem "Memory of Life" was accepted or not. Last night was an "extra" meeting (not the regular date), so we will meet again next Tuesday, and he should be there, so I hope I'll get an answer.

Submitted "Memory of Life"

I just submitted a new poem to the Ludington Public Poetry Project. It's a small program that posts poems by local authors around town for people to read. The theme this time is Spring and Summer. It begins:

Memory of Life

I watch the thirteen-lined ground squirrel
stand on her hind legs and sniff the air.

I think it's pretty good, but there are some very good local poets, so who knows. No monetary rewards involved, but publicity and name recognition are always helpful.

Submitted "Now Then When"

The Elements of Life anthology (from Twin Trinity Media) is essentially complete, but the editor, Michelle Devon, called for a few extra poetry submissions from authors who have other accepted works in the series.

My first accepted story will actually be in the next book to come out from the series, Elements of Love. Nevertheless, that qualified me to submit. I sent off "Now Then When," and hope to hear if its accepted fairly soon, since the book is laid out enough that Michy knows she needs some poems to fill out the pages.

I'm really hopeful, because I have stories and/or poems accepted for all the subsequent books in the series which have been planned to date. This would also put a work of mine in one sooner.

West Side Gang- Writers' Group

Tonight was the twice-a-month meeting of the local writer's group, the "West Side Gang." I've been going long enough to be no longer exactly a newbie. Most of the people brought poems tonight. There was one prose vignette, and Ellen had a chapter from her novella. Nine writers came, and seven of us brought things to read.

I took "Now Then When," the poem that popped into my head, mostly last Tuesday night.

Most of the group, and particularly the facilitators are very fond of unstructured, stream of consciousness poetry. I'm not opposed to that, but I like the challenge of making words fit into the structure of a meter and form and still have it be meaningful and readable without being "sing song." However, "Now Then When" is less structured than most of my poems, and it was well-received. I think it needs a couple of tweaks yet: there are two parts that don't work as well with the theme and symbolism, for me, as I want them to.

I'm hopeful that there will be a call for more poems for the Elements of Life anthology, and if so, I plan to submit this. (from Twin Trinity Media).

Finished Poem

Last night I stayed up late and more or less finished the poem "Now Then When." I think it needs a couple of tweaks, but it's pretty close.

Working on a New Poem

Last night at the Open Mic gathering someone said, "It's so relaxing to compose poems in your head as you are falling asleep..."

"What?" I squawked. "It doesn't work that way for me. If I get a poem going in my head it wakes me right up and I can't stop pounding on it."

So, of course, last night, I got a poem started in my head. It's called "Now Then When." I have two stanzas done, but it has to have four or five.

Open Mic at Redolencia

The Ludington Visiting Writers hosts an open mic poetry night once a month at a nice coffeehouse in Ludington. The theory is that it will be once a month, but I guess it doesn't happen quite that often. At any rate, this was my first time to attend.

It was such a small group that we didn't even use the mic, but just sat around a table. Four people read poems that they had written, myself included. There were a number of different styles, which made it fun.

I read a "cautionary tale," in the classic style, entitled "Helen, Who Annoyed Her Siblings and Learned a Nature Lesson."

I suspect the crummy weather kept some folks away, and Ellen had a cold, so she didn't come. This networking stuff is hard work for me. I'd rather hide out.

Ludington Visiting Writers Poetry Reading

Last night I went to the Ludington Visiting Writers poetry reading. Four local poets read selections from poetry booklets (chapbooks) which have also been published under the umbrella of Ludington Visiting Writers.

From left to right they are Betsy Rosenow, Jim Stewart, Jeanie Mortensen, and Vondalee Knoll.

There were actually more people there than I expected. Each poet read for about ten minutes, and there were light refreshments. The booklets were for sale. Jim's book is "Our Lady of the Morels," and the three other poets are featured in a book named "Three True Voices."

If I am going to try to do this writing thing, I need to be spending time with writers, so this is part of my program!

Possible Inclusion in "Unsent Letters"

I received this email this morning: "Thank you for your submission to Unsent Letters! I realize your submission is now a year old, but the project was put on hold and we are now working through submissions again. Your letter has been selected to move past the first round of evaluation and is set to be considered for an offer."

This would be very cool! This project exists as a blog, but the best entries are being published as a book. My letter is not on the blog, but if you want to see what it's all about go to Unsent Letters.

Writers can always use bits of good news!

Tonight I'm going to a poetry reading of the local writer's group.