Killing Darlings I’ve been madly & gracefullykilling my darlings. Had to.See, today was the deadline(get it?) for edits before sendingthe novel manuscript to the copy editor (yup, another editor for morekilling editing). So after madly &gracefully receiving feedback fromreaders, I slashed & chopped & maimed & moved so many darlings:words, sentences, paragraphs. Even(wait for it) FOUR characters… Continue reading POEM A DAY – May 25
Tag: writing life
POEM A DAY – May 24
this piece a low piece of me roams the kerry highlandsshe’s barefoot, but sweateredswatted by wind and witchcraft she’s dogeared, dragging skirt-edsearching the silences that teachthe kind of resistance her stories groan to generate – agency in assonanceactivism in abstraction, action inanaphora: mystery mouthing as she knees the base of a yew, worshippingthe yawp of… Continue reading POEM A DAY – May 24
POEM A DAY – May 20
Chest cold It is cold. My chest feels iceberg-ed.My lungs, freezer-burned.This infection is wrecking, wracking.You know the sound of a fingernail on comb teeth? That’s the sound in my throat when I breathe. Airflickering. Yes, I’ve seen the doc.I’ve swallowed the meds, suckedthe meds, slept and slept and now the cold is in the words. At least I can… Continue reading POEM A DAY – May 20
VANESSA SHIELDS 