Domestic Bodies (Poetry Collection)
Wednesday
Battle Wheelchairs in TTRPGs (Video)
Sunday
Stirring: Word Search Verse
Note: If you missed my reading, you can watch the replay here. Comment on the video for a chance to win a copy of Domestic Bodies.
Since I'm not starting a newsletter, I want to post the occasional Word Search Verse for those who liked the idea when I mentioned it last summer. I apologize for the blurriness of the puzzle... I don't know how to fix it. Solutions for current (and future) WSV puzzles will be available on request.
I use the word search generator found here.
Monday
My First in-Person Reading
Saturday
Venn Diagram Christmas Poem
While researching poetic forms last month, I came across a Venn Diagram Poem. I've never encountered those words in that order before. The idea was intriguing since it's a type of column poem, and I love working with those. But I balked at the fact that the left and right columns don't make sense on their own... until I realized why.
In a Venn Diagram Poem, only the middle makes sense on its own. It also ends the left column's lines and begins the right. When I write them, I try to make the circles different colors to help readers understand what belongs where. For example, the first line of the left poem reads: "There was once no sight better than your eyes" and the first line of the right poem reads: Your eyes tell me stories. Their lessons".
I had to take away my original final line from the middle poem because it wouldn't make a proper "bridge" between the sides. Some poets have extra lines in the middle without extending the left and right columns to the end, but I like things more uniform when I'm working with these.
I'm absolutely enamored with the form. Writing has not come easily to me this year, and toying with a new way to do things makes picking up my pen less arduous.
*~*
Happy holidays, lovelies!
Tuesday
Failure to Launch (Party)
On the 19th, I was set to have my book's virtual launch party on YouTube. I researched the key ingredients to a great event, created cute graphics, promoted it on social media, and made sure my Internet could handle the platform. I've had my channel for years and thought I tried to stream there before...
... but apparently not. I needed to verify my account. Okay. My husband frantically punched in the code while I laid out copies and swag on the table in front of me and tried not to cry as OBS Studio refused to let me go live. Then, we learned YouTube has a waiting period (24 hours) before streaming is enabled. And it was fifteen minutes after my start time.
I mentally panicked. I'm used to Twitch as a streaming service but not YouTube. I had my husband create a Twitch channel for my launch, told everyone about the change of plans, and went live ten minutes later. I knew few people would see the pivot. I knew I shot myself in the foot. I knew I didn't really have options.
The live ran smooth, and I gave it everything I had. I was approximately halfway into it before someone talked; he was the only person who did, but my statistics claimed six people stopped by (though one was a bot). It was a better turnout than I thought, but there weren't enough people to do a Q&A session or proper giveaways.
Twitch has a stream archive feature where replays are stored for a week and creators have the choice to upload them elsewhere. I decided to do the giveaways in my YouTube comments after I uploaded the replay there, only to learn the archive option isn't on by default. I was too upset to check before starting stream. So, no archive. No opportunity for giveaways. I almost broke down entirely but laughed instead.
Now, I'm faced with a decision: Do I try for another launch party next month, or do I just hold a giveaway on my blog/YouTube? I'm not sure. I feel as though no one will bother attending a relaunch, especially in December. My in-person event will be in January, so the holidays won't be as pressing.
And I have no idea what to do with the Twitch channel. Do any of you even want to watch me gab about random things once a month?
Thursday
The Complicated Emotions of Publishing
My debut poetry collection comes out a week from tomorrow. It's a day I never thought I'd see. It's a day my mom and older brother won't see; I ugly-cried when I received the acceptance because I couldn't share the news with them. I felt scooped out like a melon... open, wounded, and bare to the world.
I'm so grateful I ended up with the press I did. My book received extensive editing (thanks, Alex) and no changes were ever forced on me. The cover is my concept with my talented publisher's execution (appreciated, Emily). It's the book I wanted it to be.
Around the sixth time reading my manuscript, I began to hate each poem. I saw them as flawed, shambling creatures waiting to grip me with the teeth of cliche or shred me with claws coated in grammatical errors. I still think I missed something obvious.
Early reviews are trickling in due to NetGalley and my press' efforts. Each kind word and positive rating only strengthens the surreality. It doesn't feel like people are talking about my work. To me, my book is still on the island of my hard drive with the cursor blinking in secret smugness: I'm the only other thing seeing your words. 😉
I hope my book finds those who need it. My publisher told me two days ago that the collection has sold approximately 15 copies so far. Will one of those go to someone who will relate to it and feel less alone? Will it make someone evaluate a belief they hold? Will a metaphor inspire someone else to begin writing again? I hope so. I hope it changes someone (regardless of how minutely) for the better.