So… as I said earlier, I’m a Once-lut. Ahem. For my innocent followers who don’t know what that is, please ignore this post. My writer-adventure posts will resume as normal. For any fellow Once-luts passing by… you know my pain. 

(my first time writing oncest!)

Read more …

Well, I promised you guys and end to that last post, didn’t I?

Picture it! Monday, late afternoon, in a room in a building on a campus. There were two of us presenting that day, me and another girl, and prof said that we would start with me. 

Prof laughed and said:

Isn’t it good the semester’s ending? Robyn’s poems are getting weirder and weirder…

So we got into the four new poems I had written and everyone seemed to like them a whole lot. :3 It made me happy. Prof said some nice things too, and of course he also had some critiques for editing. I highly doubt I will be transforming into a poet anytime soon, however.

My foray into the poetry world was simply to check out the surrounding area. I might even try the playwriting course before I graduate! Who knows. But I’ll always love fiction writing and, Dear One, I promise I’ll return to you! Summer approaches and with it, our blooming love, our romance that has outlasted the seasons and changing times! I’ve neglected you for so long, caught up in fantasies and … school work… 

Sigh. Well, the point is that, poetry time is over. We only have one more class. But something interesting happened yesterday. One of my poetry classmates caught me outside of my African-American lit class and to get my attention, he shouted, “Hey, Poet!”

… Well, of course I didn’t look around.

So he presented himself to me and was all, “Robyn! I loved your poems!”

And we had a small chat before I had to go. So, this poetry thing, it didn’t cause me much pain at all. Actually, I’m glad I took the class. I got to harass the prof with my strange writings and garner some acquaintances. 

Win win. 

…

…

…

As a side note… ahem. Well, you see… um, the thing is…

I’m a Once-lut. 

(howbadcouldthispossiblybe?)

So… this semester, I took Poetry Writing. As you may (OR MAY NOT) know. 

I’m a fiction writer at heart, you know, and I never really was that interested in taking this class in the first place but I EXHAUSTED the amount of times I could harass Dr. M in Fiction Writing so what else could I do?!

I didn’t know what to expect. On the first day we were asked what our experience with poetry was and most people gave the typical douche answers:

“I’ve been writing poetry for quite some time and blah blah blah…”

“My poems have been published in TWO anthologies so blah blah blah…”

And the best one was from this one lady in her 30’s or so… She said:

“I’ve got a book coming out!”

And Prof was like, “Really? What type is it?” 

And we all leaned in, ready to be impressed, and she was like:

“Christian Living Guide!”

My will to go on picked up it’s bag and walked out. But I stayed. Yes, like a trooper, I stayed.

So, it was my turn and I said, “I don’t know anything about poetry.” And that was that.

Which, by the way, is true, folks! I had never really written any poetry at that point and though I’ve been doing fiction for a while, something told me they’re a bit different. And they kinda are. I don’t have as easy a time with poetry as fiction and, also… I really don’t enjoy it that much. XD But still, I think my time in this class has been valuable. Prof is just a bad ass and I love how he sometimes just backhands people’s opinions. XD 

Well, Robyn, you ask yourself as you read my enthralling re-telling of real life events, what are your classmates like? Surely there are some characters!

It’s a pretty tame bunch. There are 15 of us in all.

• Two hipster boys who pal around together and write about similar topics but do it well.
• Christian Living girl who writes about… Christianity. 
• Two shy and very sweet guys who write very well.
• About four girls who I can’t really distinguish…
• One girl who is very loud and in-your-face and thinks she’s funny… but for some reason, she’s very kind to me. O.o
• RESIDENT EMO GIRL (I knew there would be one!) who is HIGHLY pissed off at Prof for not liking her emo poetry and probably pissed at the rest of us for being alive.
• Another girl who writes really… funny things, but doesn’t mean for them to be funny. 
• Resident old gal who seems farmlike and tends to write about animals and such.
• This one douche who thinks he’s like some young Edgar Allan Poe. 
• ME.

We have two packets of poems due throughout the semester. Our first, comprised of 3 poems, were to be turned in earlier. And, not knowing much about all this, I went to my old stand-by topics. Bestiality, fantasy and mommy-issues represented me!

I was prepared for the worst. I had seen how Prof lambasted my classmates before me. And so…

He liked them.

I mean, really! He said nice things! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like he didn’t have negative comments as well. For example, out of the three I gave, I’d say he was happy with two and with the last one, he was like

But hey, I can dig it. Two outta three ain’t bad. :D

So, Prof pointed to me sitting quietly in my chair after my poems were presented and he said to everyone:

“See? It’s always the quiet ones.”

And I have to admit, I was proud. 

Now, tonight I just turned in my second packet which is comprised of 4 new poems plus 1 from the first packet but revised (and dude, I half-assed that revision like WOAH). 

How will dick jokes, torture porn, gender issues and unrequited love go over?

You’ll find out when I do!

That’s right.

You’re reading the update of the Homer Pittard Creative Writing Award 2012-2013 champion. 

Two-time champion. 

Show me that beautiful bean footage!

• Awards: 3
• Publications: 10

Well. 

Long time no see.

Okay, my absence, my hiatus, my extinction, if that’s what you want to call it, was because of various reasons and let’s just name them off right now:

• Over break, nothing happened
• Before break, I was swamped with school
• I had a general feeling of dissatisfaction
• Working as a reader at the mag takes up some time and energy
• I wasn’t writing at all

Also, I felt kind of lackluster. I have ten publications racked up and the last one is due out in February, I think? So that’ll be the end of all my glory unless I start publishing again. I want to so bad. But of course, no writing has commenced… until Saturday.

My SNHP came back to me, on bended knee, asking for the honor to save me from melancholy and ruin. 

My answer?

FUCK YES. TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE. TAKE ME AWAY AND LET’S NEVER LOOK BACK.

So we went off behind a closed door, we turned on some hot-hot techno and made a beautiful story together, named A Side of Beef. The story came into this world at about 5K, 18 pages and has been spit-shone and polished by my dear Canadian editor and myself. 

I’ve sent the first wave of submissions, and will keep you updated on its progress.

You know, it came out so suddenly. It just happened all in one day, I finalized my main idea for the story and spent time just letting it pour out of me. It was cathartic and crazy and weird and beautiful and I hadn’t felt so good in a long time.

I think I was frustrated. I wanted to get out of my skin for a bit and something clicked in me, made me realize the only way that’s possible is through writing. So I wrote. 

Now let’s keep going. 

Lately!

Lately has been so strange.

In a weird way, I’m almost cautious. I shouldn’t feel so content. Who am I to feel content? I should feel anxious, on-edge, nervous, and sometimes I do - that’s the instinct, you know, looking around for the boulder to drop on you - but lately… lately, I’ve been feeling calm.

End of the semester didn’t go too smooth and honestly, it’s probably the worst grade-wise I’ve done in a while. But you know, maybe grades aren’t everything. Just the other day one of my publications came to fruition:

The book WTF?!: An Anthology came out from Pink Narcissus Press and is currently available on Amazon! This anthology holds within it a short story of mine written about a year ago. When you think of the span of these things, it seems almost surreal. Anyway, this book makes a great christmas present for beloved family members. :D Wink wink.

Aaaaand

(now this is where it gets freaky)

I was just informed that I’ve been hired as a reader for the Corner Club Press literary magazine! I mean. Whoa. It’s grunt work, totally, lowest of the low in the mag world but I’m there. 

You know what this means, right?

I’m on the other side! The side that us AWs wonder what it’s like to look at these offerings of heart and soul and pass judgement. I see your cover letters and bios and words.

o.o 

This… it’s so weird. And I’ve been encouraged to start ASAP. I logged in and saw 86 submissions waiting for me. I feel the eye-burn already. 

So, guys. This is where we stand. Where will we go? Anywhere.