Art by Larysa Golik
My unPoetry Post ~ Still a Celebration
Happy first of March! Outside my window there’s sunshine, stripes of blue sky, and the trill of birds. While I’m breathing in the fresh breath of a new season, it’s unfortunately amidst a cloudiness of pressure still heaped on my back.
The first Sunday of every month I always invite readers to visit my Wednesday Whims of Poetry page: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/. This monthly sharing of my musings has occurred like the coming of spring for the last two years. Lately, however, I am burdened with hyper focused vision towards my fiction writing. It’s all consuming, leaving my poetry wanting…
I am writing poetry, as I do almost daily, it’s just coming in bits and pieces, lines and stanzas, not quite complete. With the querying of my YA Contemporary Fantasy (which is an entirely separate experience), I am also writing my new story idea, outlining a second book to the first, and even contemplating how to go about a children’s poetry book.
Art by Jeanne Marie
As you can see, my brain is mush and although I pray for something to give in this new fiction journey, the shards of light at the end appear only as reflected glints in the night. It’s been a long trek for me, and even when I feel I’m getting closer, I sometimes wonder if I’m fighting my way down the wrong path. Regardless, my poetry is in hibernation mode. And that’s okay. I’m going to work where my heart is right now.
I will continue to do the work I do every day. Perseverance is my middle name. At the same time, in honor of the first Sunday in this new month of March, I still invite you to visit my Wednesday Whims of Poetry page because I have two years of work to enjoy. And that’s a celebration in itself!
My daughter’s feet! 🙂
https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ (My Wednesday Whims of Poetry page)
I encourage you to revisit poems you’ve read before or scroll w-a-y down to read some of my older creations. I often go back to revise (a benefit of publishing poetry on my own site). As I’ve shared before, this Wednesday Whims outlet is my own challenge to myself. I experiment, write raw, fix and fancy up, write to a season or an emotion, or to the dandelion forcing its way through a concrete crack in my driveway. It’s about my whims.
Today my whims are settled in behind my writing desk with the book, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody, and the working outline for my new story tentatively titled, Life Song. I’m embarking on “Day 1” of a five-day challenge to participate in #pitmad with the book I’m currently querying. Yet, I am a little freaked out about throwing myself into that frenzy of sharks and minnows. I might just work through the challenge steps and watch the flurry from the sidelines of my sofa.
All the while, I’m blogging about my writing journey. I’m weaving snips and pieces of poetry together in hopes of a finished poem…thus creating more decisions. Do I send the piece out for literary publication (if accepted) or savor it on my Wednesday Whims page?
Voila – my crazy writing life!
Art by Kim McCarthy
In the end, it’s important for me to stay true to my purpose. I didn’t want to throw together any unfinished poetry for my Wednesday page last month (although you will find a new February poem, My Valentine). And something told me, maybe with the birdsong this morning, that you would understand. By now I’m certain you know how grateful and appreciative I am to my audience out there. I believe my followers will have sympathy that my slump isn’t due to a loss of inspiration. My daughter encouraged me to be honest…to share where I am in my writing, that my brain power has its limitations. Fiction is winning out at the moment, but I will return. In the meantime, you can help me by visiting my site as often as you can and commenting when you have advice. Words of encouragement is the best vitamin boost I know!
As always, thank you for your continuous support! I wish you the very best coming of Spring, and maybe, just maybe I will have some good news about publishing in my near future (or even far away). If not, then you can believe I will have some pretty amazing moments of learning to process with all of you joining me on this journey.
Happy Writing (because at least you’re writing),
Celaine Charles, March 1, 2020
Image and Content Credit:
https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ (My Wednesday Whims of Poetry)
https://www.amazon.com/Save-Cat-Writes-Novel-Writing/dp/0399579745 (Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody)
https://www.facebook.com/nilanology (Unpoetry, also @nilanology)
https://pixels.com/featured/poetry-larysa-golik.html (Art with papers and feather, Poetry, painting by Larysa Golik)
http://www.jeannemarieart.com/inmystudio/2017/6/7/getting-my-brushes-wet-and-my-eye-back-in (face and hands art by Jeanne Marie)
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/627897811/gratitude-note-cardappreciationgoddess (appreciation goddess art, Kim McCarthy Studio)
https://www.njlifehacks.com/gratitude-exercises/ (thank you with daisies)
Categories: poetry, Thoughts on writing...
Tags: #ampublishing, #amwritingfantasy, #amwritingfiction, #amwritingpoetry, #amwritingspeculativefiction, #amwritingYA, #arts, #authoring, #authorlife, #blogging, #celainecharleswriter, #feelings, #fictionwriter, #genres, #inspire, #life, #literature, #pitmad, #poet, #poetrycelebration, #poetrycommunity, #poetrycorner, #Poetryfriends, #poetryofinstagram, #poetrywriters, #sharing, #stepsinbetween, #thoughts, #WednesdayWhimsofPoetry, #wedwhimspoetry, #writerfriends, #writersjourney, #writerslife, #writersofinstagram, #writingcommunity, #writingconfessions, #writinggenres, #writinglife, #yafantasy, advice, amwriting, artists, authors, encouragement, inspiration, nature, poetry, spring, writers, writing
Steps In Between 
I think it’s so cool you’re writing a YA fantasy novel. I just started one myself. Wishing you much success.
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Oh, wow! Good luck to you. Let’s keep in contact about them.
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Sounds good. 🙂🍃
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Thank you!!
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