Friday, March 28, 2014

Disappointments

The biggest thing I've had to get used to as a writer at the graduate level is disappointment.

As a writer, you always want to be told your writing is good. That is only you being human.

That's the attitude you have to have as a writer...if something is not working, there's always the next draft, the next poem, the next story.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The Brandy behind the Writer

No, I'm not speaking about the alcohol. Welcome.

If you've found this blog, that means you've either clicked on the link I sent you, or you've stumbled across it via Google or another random search engine. Welcome, regardless of how you found this blog. It's taken me almost thirty-two years and several jobs before I decided I wanted to focus specifically on my writing, and I am the happiest I've ever been.

I thought I'd kick off this blog by telling you a quick ten facts about me...the Brandy behind the Writer, so to speak.

  1. I live in Missouri. Or Misery. Depending on your state of mind. The weather changes at the drop of a hat.
  2. I am almost 32 years old. Though I've been told I look younger than my age. 
  3. I have naturally curly hair. Not permed, and yes, people love to play with it. I'm also 5'10" and with a size eleven shoe; it's hard to find pants that are long enough and shoes that fit. 
  4. I taught elementary school for four years before I decided to go get my master's degree. 
  5. I came back to poetry after about a five, six year hiatus, and my mentor/teacher, Marcus Cafagna, has told me two things:  my work has been very strong (the work that I've workshopped thus far), and that he can definitely tell I've improved from my undergrad days. 
  6. I've had two poems published in the Moon City Review as an undergrad (Missouri State's literary magazine). 
  7. So far, I've submitted to two literary magazines at the undergraduate level, and I will keep on submitting till one bites. 
  8. I have three dogs. Which is funny, because in the past I could not keep a dog to save my life, and now I have three. Go figure. 
  9. I'm a Trekkie (more TOS than anything, but I do like and appreciate the new movies). 
  10. My favorite poets are Robert Frost and Percy Shelley. 
And that's a bit about me. My main goal is to post once a week, so if I can meet that goal, I'll reach around to pat myself on the back, or, you can do it for me. Either way.