Publishing advice....

IF YOU'RE GOING TO WRITE POETRY, IT TAKES A CERTAIN DEDICATION to the endless journey and a nurturing of when to be effective at illustrating an observation or thought. Timing is what makes or breaks a poem. A writer needs to begin a relationship with poetry knowing when to give into temptation and feel its power strike. That is when you know you are ready to write. I know poets who feel they must write something, anything, each day to feel as though their skills are progressing toward perfection. Flawless writing is a myth. There are key contrasts between writing good and writing great. A good writer will write daily, forcing their images toward the decency of a polished trophy to set upon the mantle in a library of mediocrity (refer to issue #12's definition of mediocre poetry) suitable for publishing credit. A poet may spend 8 hours a day perfecting the art considering himself or herself a "writer." Is it worth the time invested? A common trait among, not good poets, but poets who are great, is that they tend to break away from theories of progressing through daily writing. There have been exceptions, like Dylan Thomas, whose theory of perfecting two lines a day of one exceptionally good draft. One may try this method, but it is not advised. What is advised? Give up the search for true enlightenment and let it find you. There is some truth hidden in the mocking of the old saying, "if you wait, they will come." Some experiences are worth waiting for. The only way this is going to happen is if you live your life to its full capacity, enabling you to reflect a true perspective in light of your surroundings. You are going to write something great if you live your life to tell about it. Spending your time with your face buried in the pages of your journal separates your emotions, making it harder for you to communicate with your reader. I've heard stories about authors bungee jumping off cliffs for the thrill of reflecting upon it. Who wants to read about a self-inflicted distorted perspective? The writer forces themself into the predicament knowing it is going to bite them. What about experiences that bite you from behind while least expected moments flash before your eyes? It compels a writer enough to grab a pen and record it. The image is strong, fresh and true because you are prone to dump your emotions onto paper seeing how you were in the moment. What you are going to remember about bungee jumping is how scared you were before you built up enough courage to face your fear. In that moment, you are, most likely, going to analyze if the experience was all it was cracked up to be. Searching for the metaphors of life is like bungee jumping. You are drifting away from being spontaneous. If you live your life to its maximum potential, you will, without fail, write something great that will surprise you. If you are going to leave behind the legacy of living your life, remember the goals that control your destiny, but first know yourself before giving a piece of life to someone else. Only then, will you have experienced a true enlightened image that will submerge your reader into the welcoming world of poetry. Live your life to remember.