Snippets, Poems, and Reflections

Last month, when I was planned my April project, I really believed that I could find time to write and then blog every day about my progress.  The first week went pretty well.  Then other responsibilities started piling up, and there were days when I got home late so from school, every ounce of my energy was shot.  I had to make a choice, work on the poems or write a blog post.  I went with the poems, and I'm glad I did.  My goal was to write twenty poem rough drafts by the end of April.  I only wrote twelve, but now I have a dozen more than I had at this time last month!  So, instead of feeling like a failure, I decided to make this my new mantra.

Here's the best part.  Although I still have a long way to go, I am still excited about my WIP!  Anyone who knows me will tell you that is HUGE.   I finally found a routine that works for me. Every day,  I do something to move forward.  It might be reading some of the "snippets" I wrote in February or an article or book on my topic. Some days, it might just be jotting a few words, an image, or line on a scrap of paper.  But, no matter how small, I always do something.  To help keep my topic in mind,  I placed pictures of poem ideas throughout my house.  The pictures were great reminders to get writing.  I'd love to have more time, but for now, this method seems to be working.

As we move into May, I'm motivated to keep going. I starting to believe I can do this! I have no idea if anything I've written is publishable, but I want to see this project through. My May goal is to finish the last eight rough draft poems. Then I'll send them off to Mentors for Rent to get a professional critique. What happens after that, I'll have to wait and see. Right now, my only focus is to get those poems written!

Today I'm sharing a poem by Edgar A. Guest that I'm keeping on my desktop. I hope it encourages you as much as it does me. 

Today's Poetry Friday roundup is at Buffy's Blog.   I hope to see you there!