Poetry Friday: Near Misses and Goodbye Rituals
This week’s Poetry Friday roundup is at Michelle Kogan’s blog. Head on over there to see all of the posts.
Near Misses and Goodbye Rituals
What do you do with the those near miss books?
I write a lot of nonfiction picture books. I work on more than one book at a time too. I have several books that I work on at a time –all at varying stages in the writing process.
In the last two years, I’ve had several that I’ve had to put in my DOA file because someone else beat me to it. Sometimes I celebrate because that story has been told. Usually I can have this reaction if I haven’t gotten too far into the process or if I’ve been unable to crack the code for that particular book. But some hurt worse than others. I recently had one that was submission-ready that I had to table. That one was HARD.
Sometimes these situations force me to think through: can I reinvent my idea to come at it from a unique approach? But other times, there’s just no way that I could write about the same topic. It’s too specific. I have to move on.
I’m trying to document my process but also say goodbye to these projects.
This past weekend, I created a file with the near-misses. I recorded when I started working on the idea and the date the book or announcement came out.
I also took the ideas off my WIP board. I have a magnetic board with books/book ideas–a visual representation of books from mulling all the way to marketing. It helps me keep track of the books and the various stages they’re in.
I pulled the physical files and research materials, recycled the printed files, and donated the books. I put the digital files into my DOA digital folder.
As serendipity works, two days after I did all of this, I read a chapter in April Pulley Sayre’s book UNFOLD YOUR BRAIN that talks about this. It made me feel better to be reminded that sometimes this happens and “your only responsibility is to create your best work, in your place, in your era, with the tools you can gather to hand” (Sayre 120).
What do you do when this happens to one of your books or your book ideas? Do you have a ritual? I’d love to have a non-food and non-drink idea to mark my moving on.
Haiku of the Week
flowers turn to puffs
bright petals just a wisp
of memory
Photo & Haiku © 2022 Marcie Flinchum Atkins
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What I’m Reading
by Jane Wong
I started reading this book this week. One of the things that I’m enjoying about this collection is the great variety of different types of poems and how she plays with space on the page.
26 Comments
Rose Cappelli
I wouldn’t completely give up on some of those ideas, Marcie, especially the ones that are fairly far along. I often see several books on the same topic that come out within a few years of each other, as I’m sure you do. I like to think there is room for everyone and so many different approaches to pursue. I’m continually amazed at your organization! Thanks for sharing.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
There are some that I think I can go in a different direction, but there have been several lately that are definitely DOA. Nothing is ever lost though. Every project makes me a better writer, a better researcher, and I always learn something from them.
Laura Purdie Salas
Oh, I don’t have a ritual (other than swearing and eating a donut), but I think I should. I do take them off my Status Sheet, where I keep track of my WIP stuff. But that’s about it. I’m sorry for the DOA stories. Sometimes there’s room for more than one book, and sometimes there isn’t. And sometimes it DOES hurt a lot. Hugs!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I think my ritual is okay for now. I’m happy to keep track. I think maybe someday I’ll be able to look back on it and see where those near-misses lead me somewhere else. And yes to donuts (though gluten and I don’t get along).
Linda Baie
Since I rarely submit & don’t have many WIPs, not something I have thought about, but it’s great that you’re asking, and perhaps someone will inspire. In a way, Rose is right, Marcie. I’ve read books for many years & there have been books about the same topic published through the years. At least keep those you really love.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I have some that I will be able to rework, but some that just need to get out of my queue and into my memory.
Linda Mitchell
Truthfully, I get discouraged and then don’t do anything…you inspire me to do something different. First, I need to clean and organize my creativity area. It’s a MESS!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Discouragement I can relate to! I also sometimes allow myself to just be MAD for a bit.
Carol Varsalona
Marcie, I admire your zeal and expertise as a writer. Unfortunately, there are always disappointments when writing but then there are successes. I can only say keep on trying. Your image poem today is really special. I cherish my memories. The photo is stunning.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you for your kind words. I’m pretty tenacious. I rarely give up, but some ideas need to be shown the door when they are no longer ones that I should spend time on.
Susan
The near misses. Yes, very hard to put them aside. I recently came across a short story that I’d totally forgotten about, and while the story itself was all over the place, I remembered exactly what had inspired it, and it made me laugh again.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I loved that it made you laugh!
PATRICIA J FRANZ
I think you need to develop a poetry collection about disappointment. It will have a poem about eating a donut (Laura!), never giving up (Rose & Carol), laughing in its face (Susan), the reorganizing, a “funeral-for-a-friend” approach, and perhaps (my approach?): pep talks. I am SERIOUS! WRITE THIS ONE! 🙂
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
That sounds like a fun collection!
Mary Lee
Leave it to April Pulley Sayre to have the right words at the right time! I’m sharing her Best In Snow as my December read aloud in my after school program reading specialist gig and missing her every time I read it.
I don’t have any advice for your near-misses. Sounds like you have a good routine worked out.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Right? I love April’s work. And I just read that she and her husband did a documentary about Huntley Meadows Park–my favorite park in the DC area! Now to get my hands on it!
Michelle Kogan
Something lovely about those flowers that turn to puffs… lovely haiku and image Marcie.
How about self-publishing, I may do that on the book I’m working on presently, if the submission process lingers on to far.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Some of my projects might work as self-published because they are so niche, but I find picture books hard to work well as self-published (at least right now). Plus it creates some hurdles getting into libraries as well.
Marilyn Garcia
Marcie, first, I love your haiku. Second, I have no ritual for the near misses. For me, achieving a book with my name on the cover is a goal yet to be attained, so they’re all misses. Still, without exception, once the sting of another rejection has gone, I am glad the answer was no instead of yes. I have been saved a lot of heartache I could have gone thorugh with the wrong agent, the wrong publisher, the wrong manuscript. Maybe one day it will be my turn or maybe that day will never come. All I can do is keep doing my thing. 🙂
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So true! Sometimes the rejection is paving the way for a yes somewhere else.
Karen Edmisten
I think that the rotation of projects and ideas is such a dynamic operation, so often outside of our control, that I’ve never really developed a ritual (but I’m not always the most systematic person. :D) But you never know — some of those projects, or pieces of them, may become useful when repurposed down the road. Bottom line: I’m sure I save too many physical files! 😀
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes, some of the pieces of the projects will come into play some other place, I’m sure. If nothing else, it informs my knowledge base for future projects.
Karen Edmisten
Meant to add that your haiku is so lovely! ❤️
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much!
Laura Shovan
Marcie, your post and haiku are a kind of haibun. It’s hard to put book projects or poems aside. Sometimes when I put them away, the back of my brain is still working on them, wondering if there’s another angle to take on the idea!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So true! The back of the brain is a magical place.