Nightmares and Nameless Fears

Poetry is not my strong suit, generally speaking. Oh, I have some limited ability (my high school English teacher, Mr. Hoffman, once expressed a high opinion of one piece in particular that I wrote as part of his class), but it's definitely not my strong suit. I'll spend more time on one short poem than it takes me to write several pages of a story. That being said, sometimes a writer needs to step outside of their comfort zone, whether for fun, for the challenge, for the sake of variety, or just because the opportunity presents itself.

I think when I saw the notice calling for submissions for the Poetry Institute of Canada's 13th annual poetry contest pinned to the wall beside the staff mail boxes at my work, the decision to give it a shot stemmed largely from a combination of the challenge and the opportunity. After all, what have you got to lose? I'd encourage any aspiring writer to not only send their works out to publishers, but take advantage of any reputable contest or similar event that allows you to practice and showcase your abilities.

So it was that I sat there at my desk, labouring over this much more difficult (for me) style of writing. What eventually took shape was a poem that would fit quite nicely in with my short stories, a piece entitled "Nightmares and Nameless Fears". All in all, I was quite proud of how it turned out, though I'm still awaiting the results of the contest. Perhaps "Nightmares and Nameless Fears" will find itself in the selected poems for the Institute's anthology, perhaps not. Either way, the very fact that I took the chance and wrote it was rewarding in and of itself. As an added bonus, many publishers want to know if you've had any other works published (which sometimes feels a lot like being asked if you have any experience at your first job interview, quite frankly). They'll give due consideration to the fact that someone else has already seen merit in your writing. Besides, although writing contests and the like might not earn you much, if anything, in monetary compensation, it's always a great feeling to see your work in print. And you shouldn't be writing for the sake of making money (though that's certainly a plus) - write because you love to write.

For that matter, whatever you choose to do in life, do it because you love and enjoy it. Those are the things you will most often find you excel at... and you'll be happier for doing them, too.