This Floating Life

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake

2383793_9b0ef8a2.jpgBy D. Avery

If you haven’t stopped by the Annecdotist’s blog lately you should. In addition to thoughtfully thorough book reviews, Anne Goodwin will also treat you to her thinking on matters related to writing, recently on how to deal with “writerly disappointments”, to, as she says, “feel the disappointment without wallowing in despair”. Anne notes in this post that the cure for disappointment is success and says that, “alongside mourning lost dreams, a writer must work to celebrate any success, however small”. She has promised a post on celebrating success and I am looking forward to it; the discussion has already begun in her comments. Initially I’m thinking it might be a greater challenge for most to celebrate our own successes than to admit our failures even. Writers have to balance the seesaw of setbacks and successes, walk the beam between self-indulgence and self-promotion, all the while wondering where to set the ego down or how to carry it unobtrusively. At least with this blogging thing we have each other through it all. Charli Mills of Carrot Ranch says, “As for success, it’s great to receive recognition from peers. I think success is the result of a willingness to be vulnerable, to put yourself out there, to show up to a group and participate.” Hmm.

A Floating Life; the Adventures of Li Po, by Simon Elegant, a fictionalized telling of the 8th century Chinese poet’s life, had me thinking about this. Li Po lived at a time when poets traveled far and wide not just for an audience but also for mentors and competitors. Now with the Internet we are able to find writing groups to participate in and fellow poets and writers to learn from without limitations of time and distance. We might even find an audience. While not the Emperor’s court, we might find some small successes in the blogosphere, and might even celebrate them here. Maybe Anne is right and celebrating small successes will help one through the rough patches of self-doubt and other discouragements. But maybe it will seem like shameless self-promotion, that other writerly scourge. I did have a gratifying week recently, receiving some writerly recognitions. These acknowledgements felt good but who really cares? How does one quietly shout from one’s rooftop? Should one shout? How does one speak of one’s small forward steps without sounding like a braggart? I don’t know. I will wait on wise Anne to unravel these conundrums.

In the meantime I want to recognize the many blogs that encourage and support fellow readers and writers of poetry and prose, to celebrate all who host and manage these sites, as well as all who contribute and participate. I thank you all for these promptings and opportunities to practice and hone my craft and to learn and grow with you.

This is not an exhaustive list of sites offering prompts and challenges, but are ones that I have participated in. I hope I have left no one out and apologize if I mess up or confuse names.

 

Anne Goodwin           Carrot Ranch           Coleen Chesebro       chevrefeuillescarpediem    Sammi Cox     dVerse Poets’ Pub     https://dailyjewelsbyjules.wordpress.com               Freya Pickard @ Pure Haiku                Haiku Horizons       Irene Waters          Kat Myrman                                          Kiwinana https://ramblingsofawriter2016.com               Mindlovesmiserymangerie            Norah Colvin             Ronovan Writes        Sally Cronin          Six Sentence Stories               Sue Vincent                                   https://amaviedecoeurentier.wordpress.com              http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com        Drabble      SeriousFlashFiction        The WriteStuff

Thank you all for your support!

 

balance, keep going

rushing stream bridged with each stone

reach out, step across

**************************************************

35 thoughts on “This Floating Life”

  1. Pingback: This Floating Life | ShiftnShake

  3. What a lovely post, D. 🙂 I’m so glad you decided to share your thoughts with us today, and I will be checking out the links you’ve included. (Thank you for adding The Write Stuff to such a great group.) I think that most of the writers I’ve met online are happy to celebrate each other’s success. Not only are we thrilled for our writing companions, but it is encouraging to us, too. If this person has persevered and received accolades or other successes, it stands to reason we can do that, too. I’m always happy when someone I’m familiar with has a new release, or a great review, or is otherwise being recognized.

    Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and all these amazing links! 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dadgum. And I left Rabbit’s Irish wolfhound, Rosheen, guarding the joint, too. I knew better than to trust that dog. A can of Alpo, and she’ll give you the run of the place! 😀

      I’m SO glad you took advantage of being a contributor here today, D. And such a lovely, thoughtful post, too. Please know you are welcome to share your thoughts–and your poetry–any time, even if I’m off gallivanting! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. I don’t think there can be an Indie author out there who doesn’t recognise what you’re saying and identify with it. I think it takes sensitivity to be a good author and with that sensitivity comes the self-doubts you talk about, the writerly disappointments (fantastic phrase!) and the delight in the small successes. I also loved that serene picture and the chiming sentiments at the end. We would be a very curmudgeonly bunch if we didn’t share in each other’s ups and downs and having that support is massively helpful. All power to the keyboards of these amazing bloggers who feature so importantly in our lives!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • The good stuff in this post are from the pens of others. I quoted Anne Goodwin heavily as well as Charli Mills. And I should have worked harder to credit a www image.
      I am just furthering a discussion started in other places. Do check out those sites. Thank you for your comments on this post.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • You clearly credit the others in your post and perhaps I should have acknowledged that. These are all thoughtful and inspiring comments but you should take credit for bringing them to our atttention and for all your ‘good stuff’, too. And I wholeheartedly join in giving thanks to all those wonderful bloggers out there who mean so much to us. Thanks to you I will be checking out these other sites!

        Liked by 2 people

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  8. Reblogged this on Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer and commented:
    Marcia Meara has written a fabulous post about the many poets in our community that support writing and poetry. There is also a book review of “A Floating Life; the Adventures of Li Po,” by Simon Elegant that you will not want to miss. Please stop and say Hi to Marcia. ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Everyone is still invited to stop by and say Hi to me, as long as they give a shout out to D. Avery, too, since this is really her post. 😀 But we’re a friendly bunch here, and will take all the greetings we can get! 😀 Thanks so much for the reblog, Colleen. D.’s post deserved it. It was wonderful! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  9. Anne’s was a great post with lots of wonderful comments, D. I like the way you have continued the conversation here. Thank you for including me in this list of wonderful writer supporters.

    Liked by 3 people

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