Introduction

01 January 2012

I was going to write something about writing, you know, a sort of intro to the new book idea I have, which is to write one poem a day for 365 days and then next year, bind it as my novel for 2013.  This is mainly because I’m a bit stuck in this year’s novel, Beryl.  Happens each year I write a novel though, so this is not really unexpected.  But looking ahead, which I don’t usually do this early with respect to ‘next year’s novel’, I think I could do without worrying about the deadline and editing that becomes the most burdensome part of this process.   

Although, I actually feel like this year, I may NEED to do some serious editing because this novel while moving okay, seems like it’s less deep than the previous three.  I feel like I may have to actually augment the basic premise this time, but we’ll see.  A large part of why/what I do needs to feel that the project is flowing and in a way that pleases me.  Guess all writers should feel this way, even if I don’t know if they do or not.  

Anyway, I’m going to resist going with my original idea, in favor of something more ‘tangible’ re poetics.  It seems like the vast majority of poetry that I’ve written has always stemmed from my emotions/feelings of the moment (with more than a few being topical or for the ‘challenge of it all’) and for the past few years, that’s why I haven’t written much poetry; I simply do not have the need, or, I’m past the point where I feel such writing actually does any ‘good’.  Define that last as you will.  

For me, I’ve definitely ‘been there, done that’ when it comes to working out how I feel on paper.  In the past, it helped and I’m fully aware of this.  Now, it’s just words and that both saddens me and keeps me sane.  I mean, I can count on one hand the times when writing has had ANY effect.  And I’m basically meaning ‘permanent’ or even long-lasting effect.  Momentary changes, did occur and of those, I can recount many.  But like any other addiction, the escape doesn’t last very long.  

Hence, I turned to writing prose, hoping it would be a canvas so large that I’d eventually run out of things to say.  I guess I’m very long winded after all.  So, that’s about all the intro I want for the beginning of Project 2013; I don’t have a name for it yet and might, as I tend to do with poetry but not prose, title it later, perhaps after I’ve finished on December 31st, 2012.

And I can’t promise I’ll remain faithful to the one a day, but I’m going to try.  Most of these will probably have been written late at night, in the a.m. of the next day but since I measure time by when I go to sleep as the day-ender, I’m dating them as such.

I hope to have 365 new poems, most surrounding themes that have affected me that current day.  That’s why this one SHOULD be about ‘being creative for a whole year’ but I’m going to resist.  This intro is about the best you’re going to get.  I hope you enjoy.

BrokenSword

aka

Michael Dean