Jumping in off the Deep End

Given how little I've been writing during pandemic-times (let alone even considering submitting!) I certainly had to steel myself in order to print off the 33 poems that fell under my topic and then tackle to mighty task of sorting and culling them. I was only allowed 15-30 poems according to Rattle Poetry Prize guidelines - and please note here that submission guidelines are sacrosanct - they are the law we, the published writers live by. 

Two hours later, I had a manuscript. Yes, a collection that I'd ordered and reordered; pulled poems from and then added back; a grouping that I'd sat on the floor and read out loud to myself. In short, I had a mocked-up cover and 28 climate-change poems that I was proud of. Three had been previously published (Canada, U.S.A., Ireland) so an acknowledgement page was required. This process took longer than dropping each electronic copy into the word.doc and much longer than the process of using the services of Submittable to enter my work before the approaching deadline. 

I've taken a leap. Used skills acquired over the past decade. Sent work out into the greater world that would otherwise languish on my computer. In short, I've been bold! And now I wait (until April). I never have any positive expectations (always assuming I won't succeed) so that I can be astonishingly, pleasantly surprised if (indeed) I do (fingers crossed). 

Hope you can take a brave step forward in your writing or submitting?
Here's power to you!
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