Poetry and Prose Round-up: Putting yourself out there

As bloggers that is what we all have chosen to do to some extent.  We put ourselves out there when we post, even if it is an anonymous sort of putting it out there.  Can you remember the fear of posting your first blog post?  Perhaps I was the only one that was a bag of nerves about pressing publish for the first time but I have learned something this last year, putting yourself out there creates a kind of magic.

And what about your creative writing?  Can putting it out there create a kind of magic too? I believe so. Just look at how successful Victoria’s linky Prose For Thought has been. If you hadn’t noticed it is now back and thriving after her summer break.  For many of us Prose For Thought is the first step in putting out our creative work into the world.  But what a chance!  To connect with other writer types, read their work and have them read and comment on yours. Recently Writing Bubble  and muddledmanuscript started a new linky called What are you Writing? – another chance to share work, ideas and connect with other writers.  

And what if you want to take it one step further? Well Paper Swans is still open for submissions for two new anthologies. It’s completely free to send in your work and with a launch night being planned in London it is an exciting thing to be part of. Or you could try your hand at this lovely competition over at Mother’s Milk Books.  This is a lovely press and a lovely competition to participate in, I was commended in it last year and will see my poem in print in their next anthology Parenting which is now available for pre-order. The theme this year ‘The Story of Us’ (within the context of family life) and they are looking for entries of poetry and prose.

Taking a wee look at who has been putting themselves out there I spotted the lovely Rachael from Writing, People, Poetry on the Guardian Comment is Free Section where she had submitted a spoken word piece which I noticed after discovering my own piece Getting Ready, written  in response to the invention of anti rape nail varnish, was selected to be featured. Both pieces can be seen on this page. Elsewhere Ellie, Judith and Sarah were all down at the launch of the Emma Press Homesickness Anthology where Ellie was reading her poem from the collection and Sarah had her work selected for a festival in Canterbury Wise Words Literature Festival.

Over on the blogs I noticed a lot of use of metre and rhyme for example in these two pieces by Liquoriceuk and Big Trouble in Little Nappies. The Poetry Wagon moved away from her usual shape poetry with the moving Irrevocable while Emily’s Page experimented with a Lanturne Poem, rambling through motherhood tried her first haiku  and mummy tries gave some flash fiction a bash. It is exciting to see so many people trying new things and continuing to put their work out there. Keep doing it, you never know where it may lead.

Today I will be performing in Edinburgh as part of TenRed. This was made possible after I shared the video of my Getting Ready poem.  This is the magic of putting your work out there.  When I started blogging I had no idea what I was doing or where it would lead.  Bit by  bit, through the process of putting my work out there, I dared to share my poetry, then dared to submit it, never imagining that within a year I would be in the slow, slow process of building up a publishing track record. Now with work published by The Emma Press, Prole, Iron Press, Mother’s Milk Books and due to be published by Magma I feel I can testify to the power of putting yourself out there. It also means that there has been a shift in focus for me. While I was once a blogger who liked to write I now feel more like a writer who occasionally blogs. Things have moved on. Therefore it feels right that I should do the same. This will be my last post as BritMum’s poetry & prose editor, it is time for me to focus more on my own writing. It has been an absolute joy to read and share your words.  Never doubt the power of what you do when you put pen to paper and never stop writing and sharing your voice.

I leave you with one final poem.  The beautiful Come Closer by Anis Mojgani, may you all take it’s words to heart.

About Stephanie Arsoska

Stephanie lives in Scotland with her husband and two children where she runs Little Red Theatre Company. As a writer she has had her work published by The Emma Press, Magma, Prole, Lighthouse, Ink, Sweat & Tears, Nutshells & Nuggets and The Open Mouse. She writes about writing, creativity and life in general over at her blog stephaniearsoska.co.uk.

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