IWSG & Fact or Fiction Bloghop: Part 2

Yes this a combined post.  IWSG is  a great forum to express any writing insecurities. Right now I'm competing in the What I did last summer fact or fiction Blogfest. It is fun and nerve biting to be competing for writing prizes. First prize winners get a book of their choice and two runners up get an opportunity to have their own book critiqued. Win or lose I'm having fun. But let's face it. I want to win a prize. So wish all us entrants the best of luck and yes this is probably the shortest IWSG post ever. Sue me. WAIT! DON'T!

I am happy to be taking part in part two of the Fact or Fiction Bloghop. Can you guess what is fact and what is fiction? Well let's get on it and see if you're right and who is just plan wrong. Click here to read Part One. Thanks Emily and Melodie for this exciting bloghop.





Real or not Real?

I couldn't believe it. No acceptance all summer. Bookends Magazine after accepting my poetry over the years had finally tapped out. I should have seen it coming. Poetry was getting less and less space. What was once five to seven slots a week dropped to two and sometimes even zero. Short stories and essays and book/movie reviews seemed all the rage now. I could try sending some short stories but the reviews were only done by their official staff. I was a paid contributor. Only paid when my work was accepted, no salary. And a lot of the short stories were also done by Sharon Leach, the magazine's editor. Talk about cutting cost.

I can remember my first accepted poem. I was so excited about being accepted by a local magazine. And paid! Their main rival Arts and Entertainment, a section of the Sunday Gleaner, only took free submissions. So my love affair began in 2007 and now ends Summer 2011. It's clear that they're no longer interested in poetry. I was already competing with teachers, professors, published local authors, local literary award winners and others like myself who aren't big names but submit anyway. Now the names are almost always the same when a poem actually appears. It's not easy to move on but after months of no acceptance, dwindling space and the fact that they're others to submit work to...it was great while it lasted.

Moving on is tough but I have become more focused on getting a novel finished and publish worthy. Also I still have my dream of travelling to Europe to visit the sites of some of my favourite poets and also meet some who are still alive. In Jamaica my favourite was Louise Bennett but she died before I could meet her.

So as I move on, I'll remember all the fun times. Poetry a;ways holds a special place in my heart and I wish the magazine all the best. Someone once said Poetry is the Cinderella of the arts. Well this Cinderella needs a new pair of shoes.