Author: leatriceauthor
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Review: The Sorrows of Young Werther
Since I last wrote, I’ve received countless rejections and a couple acceptances. I’ve performed in my first poetry slam competition, and been recruited as a featured poet for a festival in Oxford. I’ll post next week about that, but just know the swings and roundabouts are giving me motion sickness and I guess that’s a…
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Performance
Baby’s first pamphlet, Sarah Lawrence College Poetry Festival, 2014 Recap: I’ve been rejected from two prose competitions and one poetry journal. I’ve submitted my work to many, many more to outpace these rejections. I attended my monthly poetry reading group, a poetry workshop in London, a craft talk with the inimitable George RR Martin, and…
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Review: Táin Bó Cúailgne
Yesterday, my best friend and I listened to the soundtrack of EPIC the musical. As if my mind wasn’t already fixated on mythology, this reminded me I need to review a different epic: The Cattle Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailgne). What it’s about: An Irish queen steals a brown bull from Ulster to one-up…
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How to Write Spec Fic
I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into. A year ago, I launched a Substack on the foolhardy belief I was ready to write a massive work of speculative fiction. Because my writing veers towards epistolary for longer works, the plan was to drip-feed characters’ diary entries as blog posts and create an online archive…
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Zero-Sum
Since my last post, I have received one agent rejection and one (or three?) competition rejection(s). Indomitable, I continue to write whatever words appear in my head and pay for disappointment; I’m not writing to make money, but it is sickening when other people profit from your disenchantment. And that’s what I want to write…
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Nonfiction and Revisitation
First, let’s recap: this month, I’ve received one nonfic acceptance, two fiction rejections, and competed in the London Final for the Rose of Tralee. And I want to talk about discovering my nonfiction voice after nearly ten years of trying. I’ve done it. Maybe. I’ve used my memory to enhance, rather than overwhelm, my writing.…
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Review: A Last Eyeful by Debra Shulkes
What it’s about: Mental illness, introspection, finding joy in tragedy Why did I read it: I like to read poetry collections in between heavier books, and really, really needed to read this one. I need to tell you about Debra. A few months ago, I wrote a bitter note in the margin of my planner:…
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Vienna
I (finally) want to announce some little successes. I’ve tried not to be too negative here, but obviously when discussing rejection there’s always that underlying sense of despair, and in a way writing about it has certainly helped me cope with the gnawing urge to give up. So when success bursts through the door, unannounced,…
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Review: Brehon Laws by Jo Kerrigan
What’s it about: Ancient Irish law, customs and culture Why did I read it: Research for Terminal Lucidity‘s second storyline. Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibh! (Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all!) There’s a lot of discourse about why we still celebrate this holiday—see here for more qualified people’s opinions—and I’ve always had qualms with…
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The Beginning
A broody 17-year-old coping with heartbreak through poetry, 2013 Happy International Women’s Day! Today, I want to tell you about becoming a Writer. I believe we are all writers just like we are all readers. Letters, emails, text messages, posters; these are written things. But a Writer is, to anyone who believes in segmentation of…