by Dana Guthrie Martin

This is the final installment in our roundup of Read Write Poem members’ 2010 Poetry Resolutions. Feel free to leave your resolutions in the comments for this series and to cheer fellow members on for making various commitments to poetry, and to themselves as poets, in 2010!

 

Mark Stratton: For 2010, I resolve to believe in my poetry. There it is. Short and simple, fairly easy to nail down. At least, on first blush it is.

The hard part is, “How do you ‘believe’ in your poetry? How do you define belief in your own poetry?” For me, I find it boils down to the idea that as a maker of poetry, I am happy with the end result. Which is much harder than it sounds.

Why is that? Simple: Many creative types are insecure, lack belief in what they do, what they create, what they make. That explains why many write madly, shut up in garrets, coffee shops, city buses and elsewhere scribbling or pecking away. Creating mass amounts of fiction or poetry or song lyrics or writing the next grand epic.

Then sharing it with nobody.

Because they don’t want to have it rejected as not being “good” as it is an extension of themselves. Which is something I can truly appreciate and understand. It becomes personal, and somehow more than just somebody saying “thanks, no” to a couple of poems or a story or article. You lose faith in yourself and your writing as result.

I used to write poetry some years ago. It was pretty dire stuff. All looking into the abyss and gloomy and angsty and pretty, well, sucktastic beyond belief. It served its purpose and I disposed of it. You’ll have to take my word for it, as the evidence is long gone. (Thank you!)

I wrote fiction some years ago, and it was likewise dreadful. I even sent some out and collected some rejection slips. I should have saved them, but I got rid of those right along with the awful stories.

When I started to write again, there wasn’t any goal. Just writing was enough. Then, I started to venture out into blogging, again with no real goal. Just writing was enough. Then, I started to submit some things and collected some of both rejection and acceptance notes. Those didn’t affect my belief in my work, as I had reached a point where I realized that somebody else liking my work was subjective and there were other forces at work here. I didn’t take it personally.

Where a loss of belief in my work this past year came from was participating in poetry communities. And the problem was not at all with them, but with me. I presumed that a lack of a comment meant “Ugh! I don’t like this at all!” because most communities have, as a basic rule of thumb, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” which is a great idea as it keeps people from being discouraged or feeling put out or put upon. It isn’t always the case that a lack of a comment means that what was offered wasn’t good or worthwhile.

The inevitable happened. I started to compare myself to others. Being a results-oriented type of guy, this seemed natural to me. A way to measure growth or whatever … more like popularity, but who wants to admit to THAT in the world of creative endeavors, right? It is all supposed to be about “the craft” and results are just icing. Which really is true, but again who wants to admit that to themselves or others, right?

So, my resolution is to focus on the work before me. To make poetry that I am pleased with regardless of “numbers” or other ways of quantifying it. Because, if I am not happy/pleased with my writing, how can I reasonably expect anyone else to be?

Here’s to 2010 and a year of belief in my work. Even if I did start the process last week.

Maya Ganesan: I think one of my major resolutions is to stop being afraid to write. Sometimes I’m afraid to write a poem because I think it’ll turn out bad, and somehow I have a fear of writing an awful poem. I’d like to get over that fear and let myself write every poem that comes to mind, even if I know it’s going to be a terrible piece.

Nathan Moore: My poetry resolutions: to write every day (only because it makes the act of writing more comfortable); to write only things that interest, delight or make me feel uncomfortable in an interesting way. This is kind of what I try to do anyway but here it is in resolution form.

Neil Reid: I’m not real keen on resolutions, but in the spirit of participation, here’s some, and publicly stated:

To write more consistently and often (daily, or nearly); and really that means “no excuses” from the rest of my life.

To be more honest (include blemishes unbleached).

To interact more fully with other writers. Discussion, participation? I’m maybe not “ready,” but that’s a lame excuse.

I’d formerly set a goal (numeric, just to draw a line) about when I’d even “look” at formal publishing. I’m doubling that (at least). I would like to increase my participation in the blogging community (like right here at RWP).

Nicole Nicholson: My resolutions for 2010 include: 1. reading more poetry, 2. revising my own work and looking for publication markets, 3. finishing up a few projects I have going and 4. becoming better at performance (getting more used to being up on stage, finding ways to convey meaning through performance, and banishing — or at least reducing — my stage fright) to where I am confident to begin slamming in earnest.

Phillip A. Ellis: I intend to concentrate on getting submissions out, so I’m aiming for an ideal of at least one submission per day. I may also continue the 1+ poem per day that I have been doing this year, as well.

Rachel Dacus: I’m going to be terrible pragmatic and do what I did one other year: I resolve to have a book under contract by the end of 2010. Worked last time!

Rachel McGladdery: Hello from a newbie. I have resolved that 2010 will be the year in which I actually send poems off to those competitions and prizes I always mean to but forget about. I also intend to study “proper” poetry and finally learn what iambic pentameter and assonance mean. I also need to learn some critical tools and get published and do more performance, and I may even attempt a Slam! Oh and sort my life out generally, quit smoking, lose weight …

Sarah Ellen Davidoff: My resolution for 2010 is to not fail the second half of freshman year, learn how to drive, work on SOTH (acronym) and edit like a crazy person. Oh, and figure out a way to wash my hair without getting it caught in my earrings.

Sarah J. Sloat: I plan to write 2,010 poems.

Therese L. Broderick: I know what I need to resolve to do, despite my strong emotional resistance. I need to resolve to become more familiar with the poetry of the Bible, because that poetry is part of my cultural tradition. I have strong emotional resistance to doing so because I’m a nonbeliever.

Well, I’ve already fulfilled the first resolution I posted here a while ago. So I think I need to make a new resolution, to be met during 2010. Let this be my RWP 2010 resolution: I resolve to create audio files for my poetry blog, even though I am a highly tech-challenged.

Tomás Ó Cárthaigh: My resolution is to do even more events, and do at least one in the UK and one on the continent!!! And finally get the next book out on Lulu!

Tony Rebecchi: I really want to come more often to RWP and write more in English. That’s also why I am on a daily morning tweethaiku performance.

Wanda McCollar: I decided I would make no resolutions about matters over which I have no control. I would not resolve first book publication. Then I saw Rachel made just such a resolution — a book under contract by the end of 2010. If one person sees such a resolution is feasible, surely it can be for me, as well. I will resume writing poetry every morning before work, and I will ignore my fear of rejection and submit more, for starters.

Dana Guthrie Martin is the founder of Read Write Poem. She resolves to focus on process and craft in 2010, both in terms of poetry and classical music. She also resolves to join a flute choir and to dream only in music and verse.

by Dana Guthrie Martin

This is part two in our special year-end roundup of Read Write Poem members’ 2010 Poetry Resolutions. In this series, I am sharing the responses members left in the 2010 Poetry Resolutions group. If you didn’t participate in the group, you can leave your resolutions in the comments for this series. Feel free to cheer one another on in the comments section as well!

 

Jason Riedy: To rescue a few of my poems from the abyss. Thanks to Joe Milford for the phrasing …

Jeanette: I always have a creative drought after October. I think my resolution will be to write every day. I do this anyway but I hardly ever come up with something I’m satisfied with. I also want to start writing my book again. The whole story is in my head, but I just give up after a few pages mostly because I hate my wording. I think I’m going to push myself harder. Also school is probably the number one resolution for 2010.

Jennifer Saunders: Ah, funny, I have just started thinking about this and writing out my first ideas in my journal. I need more thinking time for all of them, but I do know that I want to apply to a summer workshop for 2010. Getting in is out of my control, but I can focus on taking myself seriously enough to believe that I am allowed to take the time away from family to devote to writing, and to believe that I am good enough to get consideration.

And my second goal for 2010 that I can think of is to send out at least one more submission package than I did this year. (Since this year isn’t done yet, I don’t know what that number might be.)

Another goal has, on the surface, nothing to do with poetry. I want to do something creative with my hands next year: make collages or learn to knit or take a pottery class. I need more, new, different life in my creative life. And that’ll probably show up in my writing sooner or later, when there are new interesting things going on in my life.

Jenny Chu: To read more poetry. To submit more work — boldly. Oh — and utilize the RWP website much much more than I do.

Joseph Harker: I’d like to get things published, put out a chapbook, try some new poetic forms from elsewhere in the world, and be brave enough to attend an open mic. Whether or not that will all happen in a year is … we’ll see.

Katherine Gotthardt: I have many goals, but here are three that come to mind. First, I will continue writing my second collection of poetry. Second, I will continue to market my first collection of poetry (which came out in October). Third, I want to look at everyone’s favorite poets and read some samples to broaden my horizons (and hopefully remember author’s names because I am TERRIBLE at that).

I see many people here who don’t believe in their poetry or are apologizing for it. Please don’t do that! When we judge ourselves, we don’t write. I know you know that, but I have to say it to remind myself as well.

Kevin Harling: My resolutions for 2010 are lofty to be sure. I am finally ready to take my craft to the next level. I believe that as an artist one must be willing to put yourself and your art out there. After only 3 years of actively writing and numerous prods from readers, I can no longer deter myself from the arena of becoming published. I always wondered whether my writing was good enough, but who decides what is good? I do not fear rejection of my work, for me poetry is beyond such things. So 2010 is a year of firsts, a year of seizing every opportunity and seeing where it leads.

Kristen McHenry: I’m not a big believer in resolutions, but I think making poetry resolutions is a worthy pursuit.

1. I will work on letting go of my constant insecurity about my lack of formal education in poetry. All it does is distract me. Every time I read a poem or a poet who writes in a style or “school of poetry” I’m not familiar with, I immediately begin questioning my own work, thinking that I need to change it to make it more like theirs, or worry that my work isn’t “expansive” enough, or experimental enough, etc. I am going to try to shift that energy and approach other poems and/or styles with curiosity and inquiry, rather than immediately drawing the conclusion that mine are lacking or need to be totally rewritten into something other than what they are. I will no longer use this as an excuse to feel bad about my work, but as a tool for improving and increasing my knowledge base and toolbox of techniques.

2. Rather than being scattershot with my reading, I want to choose one poet and see what it’s like to really delve completely and deeply into their work and life for one year. I haven’t decided who yet, but Federico García Lorca is high on the list.

Liam: To balance writing stories, novels and poetry. Also, get better at edit and polishing.

Linda Thompson: Resolution — to look at old poems through a new lens and play with them. Why keep the old poems that need work captive in a journal or file somewhere?

Lisa J. Cihlar: In 2010 I will put together a manuscript. And read more poetry. I have plenty of books here to read, just have to begin.

Stay tuned tomorrow for part three of 2010 Poetry Resolutions!

Dana Guthrie Martin is the founder of Read Write Poem. She resolves to focus on process and craft in 2010, both in terms of poetry and classical music. She also resolves to join a flute choir and to dream only in music and verse.