Head down and write!

Where does a poet go when they're not on Substack?

So, you have a Substack… brilliant! You are a poet, so why not share a poem every now and then? Or post a short summary of what you’re up to. You’re writing a novel? Great! Share some extracts maybe? Keep connecting with the audience you want to build.

All sounds easy when I write it down. But for months, I have had to prioritise my creative and other endeavours. Choose where to pour my energy each day. Do I:

1. Write and edit the novel.

2. Write poetry.

3. Write a Substack article.

4. Plan a workshop.

5. Do life admin that seems to pile up daily.

6. Work at my actual job.

The title of this post gives you a clue as to where I have been focusing my time. And… I think it has paid off. I finished the first draft of my novel (tiny extract below) within eight months, and I am now nearing the end of my first round of edits.

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

She slipped on her boots and coat and stepped outside. Sleet had turned to snow, fat flakes of it descended slowly, dissolved on impact with the rain-dampened ground. Abby lifted her head and allowed the gentle kiss and melt of snow to touch her face, feather her eyelashes, speckle her hair. The earlier breeze had dropped; the only movement now was the relentless downward drive of cold, from cloud to earth. The smell of winter, clean and crisp, caught in her nose like a memory.

(Extract from Hidden - Alex Prince)

And I have good news, I entered my manuscript into the prestigious Bridport First Novel Prize and, although it wasn’t longlisted, it did get through to the second round of judging. This means that I reached the top 5% of novel entrants! That gave me such a lot of confidence in my idea and my writing. It also helped increase my focus even more.

All to say, I’m still here and I’m still writing. I’ll keep you posted on any developments. And, when I have sent off my precious manuscript to agents, I might be able to put my head up, look around at the world again and maybe write a poem or two? See you then!