Asked Questions

I can’t say these are Frequently Asked Questions, but these are some of the questions people have asked about my blog - so I figure they are worth answering:

Why did you decide to start blogging?
The quick answer is that I made a promise to myself to share my writing more, and blogging is an easy and convenient way to do it. Here are a few other reasons:

-- A blog allows me to try my hand at at a different type of writing. Typically, I write poetry, but there are some things I’d like to write that seem to require a different genre.
-- A blog feels more spontaneous than my usual, revision-heavy process for polishing poems. I am interested to see what develops from a less formal writing process.
-- I have always found that doing something new and different in my creative life leads to unanticipated bursts of creativity in my “usual” areas (i.e., poetry); so I am hoping for some of that creative cross-germination, as well.

Who is your audience?
Well, that’s a good question; maybe I won’t have one!? I have shared my blog with friends, family, and fellow writers that I thought might enjoy it. In some ways, I guess I’m part of the audience, too, as I hope to learn from writing this way and from observing the body of work that evolves.

Why would you share your writing on a blog rather than submitting it for print publication?
I do submit to print publications from time to time (and have the rejections to prove it!). But the truth is that I find it difficult to orchestrate a focused submissions process with pre-school children still at home. Also, some of what I anticipate writing on this blog is not suitable for traditional print media, but is just right for a blog.

Aren’t you afraid that people could take your poems and say they wrote them?
I have heard reports of people's original writing being stolen from their blogs by others, who then submit the work as their own.  At this point, I have erred on the side of trusting in my readers' integrity, and have decided not to password-protect my poems.  This way, more people can read and (I hope) enjoy them.

But I will make this plea:  Please don't steal my poems; they're the only ones I have.

Why have you given aliases to your family members and the name of the place where you live?
I decided I’d rather be too careful, than not careful enough, in determining the amount of personal information to share online.

Are you self-conscious about blogging?
Yes! I asked a trusted writer friend if she thought it was, well...., self-indulgent. She said, “No. It’s very generous of you.” So I am trying to think of it in that light. But I still feel shy about it.