Busy few days.

My new website is up and running on a number of search engines. I have written over two thousand more words on my crime novel and I'm still waiting for a response on the self-help book. I have decided to leave my new poetry collection for a week or so while I go in to hospital. I think if I see it with fresh eyes I shall be able to edit the new poems more judiciously.I'v been a little too close to it recently. Today I have sent out submissions to three poetry magazines. I must admit though, it's getting harder to sit and work when the sun is out and the spring flowers are beckoning me to the garden. I have a Hyacinth on my desk and its perfume is filling my office. My gaze keeps going to the window and I long to be outdoors.

Work continues.

I have now completed my revised collection. It consists of thirty-six poems now. I've just run through them editing and checking punctuation etc.It's amazing how you can read a poem through countless times and think it's ok, then go back and spot a glaringly obvious error. It's as if we go word-blind from looking at them too hard. I'm sure that if I leave them for a couple of weeks and go through the whole process again, I will find even more changes to be made. I have till October to finish this collection so now I'm glad to have a few months to simply finish off and polish the poems. I completed and returned the review I was writing. I was pleased to see that it was well-received and hope it helps the sales of the authors collection. I have received a few rejections this week and one acceptance. all in all quite a productive few days.Almost forgot. My old website has expired but the new one is up and running at www.mikibyrnepoetry.co.uk.

Today's bits of stuff.

In all honesty I couldn't find the impetus to work on poetry today. First off I was fed up waiting for a plumber to arrive this morning. The cistern had sprung a leak and was causing puddles on the floor. As usual the time-scale for the said plumbers arrival was between 8am and 12 midday. I don't know about you but I can't settle if I'm waiting for a work-person to arrive. I know that if I do sit down and try to concentrate they will arrive and if they don't I get impatient because I want to begin work. In the afternoon I couldn't settle because Harry was at the dentist for quite serious treatment. Although he isn't afraid of the dentist,(brave man) I am. Very. So I projected my fears onto him and worried until he came home. I did manage to add a little bit to my crime novel though. I was cheered by receiving an acceptance of four poems by a magazine then fell back into the pit when Mslexia arrived through the post. Every time I read that magazine with all the comments about how hard it is for women to succeed and all the high brow expectations they have to live up to, it seems like they are actually reinforcing the difficulties we have to face. I go away thinking I'll never write again because no-one will ever want what I write. We need more encouragement and self-belief. Still in fairness I haven't read the whole magazine yet. Maybe it will improve. Still, today is International Women's Day, so to all women everywhere. Keep on doing what you do. Do as well as you can. Keep the faith because, as they say 'You're worth it.'

New website.

I forgot to mention that my old website will cease to be on-line from March 12th. There are compatibility issues between my PC and the host site. I am working on another website and will let people know on Facebook and on this blog once it's up and running. Hope you like it.

Still working on it.

Since the last entry here I have been in touch with my publisher to ask a few more questions regarding the forthcoming collection. They sent me a template which ,I have to admit, I didn't know what to do with. That's been cleared up and I simply have to cut and paste my poems into it. That will give me good idea of how it will look when finished. I have also added a few more poems and started writing a couple more to add. I went to Buzzwords Poetry last Sunday and the workshop really got my brain working. It was great to have such a stimulating time. In addition to the collection I am reviewing a book of poetry by an american poet who I had not previously heard of. It's an interesting and challenging thing to do and I am enjoying it. I'm also grateful to the publisher who sent me the book to review and to Alison Brackenbury for pointing me toward the Happenstance website. This is an excellent place to check for tips and advice on making a review. My crime thriller is progressing but I am still waiting for a response to my self-help book. I don't expect to hear anything for a few months on this. So, as usual, there is plenty to work on. I want to get things up to date because I go into hospital again in three weeks for my knee replacement. I don't know how difficult it will be to sit at the PC or for how long I might be away from the computer. Leaving things tidy will put my mind at rest. Besides that, as soon as the sun becomes a little warmer, I shall want to be outside, in the garden.