Nine months in this writing skin and we are getting there… ‘cooking on gas’ now. I have learnt the art of self-promotion, or at least I am learning. It is bringing back memories of my time as a Performance Poet and my previous attempt at being a freelance writer. I am more secure in my words than I was before but funnily enough often feel less confident than the dynamic young 20 year old me ever did.
September has seen that ‘gas’ go up a notch and I am convinced that it all relates to the thoughts I had back in August. When after seven months of dabbling cross genre I decided it was time to buckle down with a serious focus. As poetry has always been ‘my bag’ and is the genre that holds the longest list of publishing credentials from back in the day when I used to be a writer, this is where I decided to plant my feet and start,
Since then I have found opportunity after opportunity. Site after site. Event after event and met some truly lovely people – all poet’s are – apart from the cantankerous, drunk ones! 😉 When I took my four hour round trip to Oswestry for the Writers’ Network Meeting, I sat there listening to Ian Billings and Simon Thirsk and felt inspired. I scribbled notes in my trusty writing notebook and had a billion conversations with myself in my head.
I nearly advertised INKSPILL and I wish I had been brave enough as people mentioned open mic nights and Stanza meetings, I was on the cusp of putting my hand up and then bottled it. I did mention it to everyone I mingled with afterwards.
One thing I did do was pluck up enough courage (I had plenty in reserve from not advertising Inkspill to everyone in the room!) to talk about my future plans and how I might be able to offer my experience of writing to others. (All a bit cryptic I know, but I don’t want to announce it until it is a signed deal and all official.) I have just received an email of acceptance and about to start the induction process on this new writing opportunity and I couldn’t be more excited!
Ask and you will receive.
Be brave.
Go for it.
You never know where it will lead!
Having only “met” you recently, and not having read all your blogs, I hope the cryptic opportunity came true.
When you are at a function (conference, seminar, panel discussion) attended by people who are well known, it can take courage to interact.
While I was a grad student, my supervisor hosted a conference. I helped with logistics, etc. and gave a paper in the student section to which I assumed only my student friends and two academics I knew personally would attend.
To my surprise and fear, many of the people whose books I was studying for my degree were attending my session of student presentations.
I made it through my presentation, but it was a good thing I was behind a dais as my knees and legs were feeling very weak. All of us in the student presentation sessions felt the same — in awe and much shier than we would normally be.
I’ll have to catch up and see how things are turning out for you!
Wow, that sounds terrifying!
It took some courage to make my approach. It has resulted in a voluntary apprenticeship which will hopefully lead to more work. So to answer your question… Yes, I got the job. I start in 2014 🙂