Sunday, September 8, 2013

Because I'm not busy enough as it is...

I joined a Coursera course. Modern & Contemporary Poetry. Exactly--the same one I joined last year and ended up abandoning. Because I was too busy.


If you've been following this blog, specially the Accountability Reports herein, you're probably scratching your head. What is this woman doing? Doesn't she have enough on her plate with trying to finish editing that damn novel, with the Pure Slush 2014 project?

Yes. Yes, she does.



But here's the thing. Writing is about delving deep, right? Cutting to the marrow, putting your arm down all the way to the elbow in the muck of the human soul and fishing out a bit of radiant sea-glass. Dissecting one's emotions. One's psyche. One's most hidden fears, deficiencies, embarrassments.

One does not do that by staying in one's comfort zone.

And besides. This isn't just about loading myself with "stuff" to do. Poetry--especially modern poetry, the experimental and subversive--is the gateway to better literary fiction. There, as in poetry, the "how" is more important than the "what". Form over substance.

Perhaps this is, finally, the end of my detox from the corporate law world.

If editing the novel and finishing the Pure Slush project is my Iron Man, the ModPo course is the five hundred daily crunches, the protein shake, the cardio workout. It is, too, the no-alcohol, early-nights regime. It is discipline. It is training.

You've been warned. My blog posts might become (even more) sporadic. Or I might post several times a day: five-page essays on three words, maybe just one.

I hope you'll stop by every now and then to check up on me. Or, if poetry isn't your cup of tea, at least wish me success from afar :)

11 comments :

  1. Wow, this blog is awesome! Great writing and great layout.

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    1. Thank you! So glad you stopped by, and I look forward to staying in touch throughout ModPo and beyond :)

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  2. I think the poetry class is awesome! Hopefully the work for it isn't too much, but it's always nice to be pleasantly busy. And your right, one has to practice writing all the time, and I always find it better for my mental health and process to have two different writing projects, of different types, going on.

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    1. Totally agree, Gwen--having various projects "open" isn't just good for our growth within the craft, but also for mental health. I would've thrown in the towel months ago if all I was doing was editing that *#@$%^ novel :D

      Thanks for stopping by--always a pleasure to read your comments :)

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  3. Hi, another ModPo classmate here!

    I love the metaphor that ModPo is the cardio workout, the daily crunches keeping you 'fit' for the main goal of finishing the novel. I too believe that poetry can inform our writing, even if it's in an imperceptible subtle way.
    Good luck with all your projects!

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    1. Thanks for the visit, FieryFairy, and look forward to interacting during the course :) Really liked your blog, too. ATTENTION OTHER VISITORS: FieryFairy is a SUPERB poet. Go read some of her stuff. Really.

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  4. Always push yourself, G! That's when the good stuff surfaces. :)

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  5. As writers we're never too busy to take on additional projects, only to abandon them later. Keep pushing on!

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    1. Haha--ain't that the truth :D Thanks for the visit, Stephen!

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  6. "If at first...", right? Good luck. I know I get more done when I'm busy.

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