The Cheeky Poet

Dear Reader, I wish I had some major announcement to make but alas, my manuscript seems to be idling indefinitely in the inboxes of literary agents, quite understandably so considering the world-wide shit storm we're in. Wherever you are, dear reader, I do hope you are healthy and safe and that your shitty government hasn't prohibited the purchasing of basic commodities such as alcohol, tobacco and toys for children for no conceivably intelligible reason. Today a friend of mine returned  home empty-handed after an exhausting search for a present for his son's upcoming birthday. Some, not all, but some grocery stores nationwide have sealed off shelves containing items not deemed as essential. There are people over here who are literally starving because they're not allowed to work right now. From beauticians to pet groomers to domestic workers, just about every job or business that's not classified as essential, has been affected and here's the cherry: the ...

An Essay About The Struggles Of A Wordsmith  By Erica Livingston. Dear Reader,  I trust you're doing well in this third month of 2020. The wind's been howling incessantly this year and it might very well drive me to madness. I've been struggling to find my words, not those needed for the creation of fictional characters who operate in their made-up worlds executing their tasks as outlined by me, their creator, but words to describe the consequences of being trapped in the perpetual cycle of rejection that comes with the pursuit of publication. For what is worth pursuing if there is no reward, no commission, no guarantee of success? So why do I do it? Because I do not know who I am if not a writer.  I've been crippled by my desire to succeed.  The loneliness that accompanies this effort of gaining recognition for my work, and ultimately becoming an author of fiction, a novelist, has been kicking me in the shin of late and I often find myself wondering if...

Dear Reader, As we near the end of 2019, I feel compelled to give thanks to everyone who's been following my writing journey for the last couple of years. During this year I've accomplished so much and I'm incredibly thankful to the people on my side who keep on encouraging me to keep on - I'm happy to let you know that I'm doing just that. Hang in there - min dae. My latest novel is near completion and I can say, with a fair amount of certainty, that my manuscript, synopsis and query letter will be ready for send-off as soon as literary agents start accepting submissions again in January. I've created a Spotify account. I recommend the Scatterlings playlist which lists some of the music I'v been listening to while writing this particular book. You'll also find the playlist for Supernova here, amoung others to follow. Speaking of which, only one of my four beta readers for Supernova completed the reading assignment and returned the questionna...

Hi! How can it be November already?! I've been talking for quite some time about my love of poetry. So, I've created a page for the thing - go check it out. I will update it regularly with poetry I adore as well as my own original work. I'll consider sharing your poetry here too, if you're keen. Send me your stuff. Poetry and literary journals  By now I have quite a large selection of unpublished poetry. This week I've started submitting to poetry journals such as Poetry Magazine, Frontier Poetry and The Malahat Review. Wish me luck - I'm going to need it. Some history The first person to spot my aptitude for rhyming, was my Grade 3 teacher, Mrs Zimmerman, who noted as much on my annual report card. Being only 9-years-old, I didn't understand what she was on about. I wish, more than anything, that I'd kept those poems and the report card. Little did I know that creative writing would continue to be my labour of love. I don't know...

“People say, ‘What advice do you have for people who want to be writers?’ I say, they don’t really need advice, they know they want to be writers, and they’re gonna do it. Those people who know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.” R.L. Stine First things first Welcome if you're new here. I sent out a couple of invites to join my Facebook platform recently and just about everyone accepted. Like, wow! Thank you very much! Writer's journey I've been writing stories since I can remember. My love of words started with poetry and I clearly remember my Gr 3 teacher, Mrs Zimmerman, complimenting my aptitude for rhyming on my annual report card. I don't remember those poems (I was only 9-years-old) or do I have that report card anymore, but I can tell you one thing: not a week goes by in my life during which I don't write.  Writing poetry and short stories is incredibly fulfilling. But man, let me tell you, writin...

Dear Reader, Ah, feels like I can breathe again. No pressure, no plot holes, no character flaws, no shitty first draft manuscript to rewrite. First of all, a huge thanks to the three awesome individuals - you know who you are - for taking on the gargantuan (in my opinion) task of beta reading. I will forever be grateful. One of my beta's apparently couldn't stop reading and it took her only 3 nights to critically motor through 78,000+ words. The feedback was so positive that I've decided to pursue submitting to literary agents. On Tuesday 24 September I will be taking part in the Manuscript Wishlist or #mswl Twitter event 9am-5pm NYC time, which means 3pm-11pm this side. This is a first for me and I'm hoping to connect with at least one literary agent amoung the extensive list of talented agents calling for submissions. Fishing has never been my strong-suit but this will kind of be like trawling so I'm bound to catch something, right? Of course, I will...