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A New Year, A New Writing Project

Last year I worked on, and published and launched an anthology about an important thing, the Corona Covid-19 Virus. That book is now ‘out there’ in a couple of libraries, and in peoples’s own personal libraries, and I am proud of what I achieved. So many thanks to all of the poets/writers who submitted their words to that project. The Book, “Plague Invasion” was important, and the sharing of thoughts and ideas about this subject deemed to be an important from an historical view.

This year, I have a new idea, and so a new project, again on important subjects, from both global, and personal points of view, and everything in between. I don’t know what this new book will ultimately look like, because yesterday was the first day of officially putting out a call for submissions to this new anthology, and I have nothing for it, apart from my own writings, which may or may not still be there, by the time the book is launched.

I plan on a launch date of late July this year, (2022), so I have calculated a closing date for submissions of first of May, should allow sufficient time for the book to be put together, edited, looked at my others, and then printed before the Gawler and Adelaide Plains Festival of Words is on. I wish to again launch a book, this book in fact, during this important Festival.

Last year and the year before, the Festival was quite severely impacted by Covid restrictions, but I have hopes we might be on the way to being over such things. If people do the right thing – mask up, wash their hands, and adhere to social distancing rules. This year though, it may be I’m in my normal Pollyanna mode of looking on the positive side of things, who really knows, but I really do thing we’ve almost turned a corner, and things are on the way to being better.

Not normal, I suspect anything called ‘normal’ could be a thing of the past, if there ever was such a thing for all. Normal is another name for yeah, I’m ok, but don’t look too closely at things … What may be termed normal for one person may look like poverty to another person, and what looks like poverty to could seem to be riches to another. Normal is not a real thing, it’s a name we call things, so we can manage our lives in ways that work for us …

Anyway, back to this new project

For this project, I require creative writing, both Poetry and Prose, concerning any or all of these three things : Climate, Change, and Climate Change. The individual pieces may allude to more than one of the three, but I ask the submitter indicate which of the three they consider most important one for the particular work.

Contributors can submit up to three poems, and three works of prose. The poems can be up to and including thirty lines for each poem (if sending Haiku or Senryu, up to five of each on the same or similar theme will be considered as one work). Prose can be up to and including 2,000 words for each work.

Works are to be submitted either as ‘word’ documents attached to the email, or in the body of the email, if via email to kittycordo@gmail.com with the appropriate theme in the ‘subject’. It is preferred Prose submissions be word files, but it not too lengthy and preferred is not available submission via body of email is acceptable.

Summer clouds … (writer’s photograph)

Submission of Poetry in body of email is also acceptable, but as individual word files is also preferred.

covid 19, inspiration, poetry

Lines While in Lock Down

My time has been spent at home, most of the time, I’ve only been going out to visit my Mum on some Fridays, when usually, pre-Covid-19, I visited her almost every Friday. a phone call has filled in for the visit, but it’s definitely not the same. No hugs with a phone call … But when I am able to visit her, that usual hug is even more precious …

So I’m staying at home, not doing as much moving around as I know I should, and could do, if my mind did the right thing by my body, and was able to convince me to do it … But my mind is busy doing other things, so I can’t be too hard on myself. I have a writing project, which I’ve spoken about quite a bit on this blog, and on Social Media, to get more interest in it, and so improve the project enormously.

That project is to create a book, an anthology, containing words written about this Covid-19 crisis we are all going through, in our various ways. So I’ve been collecting the words sent to me, having written some of my own to go in there too, but my own creative writing has been going slower. Yesterday I decided I might mend that, and wrote a Haiku. But I decided if I was going to put my Haiku into the anthology, I should have more than just the one Haiku poem, so earlier today, I wrote some more.

I’m not sure if they’re good Haiku, or the best I’m capable of, but they’re Haiku, and they cover some of my thoughts about Covid-19. I thought before I put them into the “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19” Anthology, I’d share them here first, to show some of my own ideas about it all, and to give ideas to any readers who pop by, to think on what they may write, and submit their words to me – up to three poems of up to thirty lines, and/or up to three pieces of prose of 2,000 words in total.

Sent them to me here (kittycordo@gmail.com), with “Plague Invasion submission” in the subject line.

So here are my Haiku responses to Covid-19, on this occasion I have stuck to the westernised 5 7 5 syllable count for the Haiku, there are other acceptable formats elsewhere:

Kitchen greenery

The herbs coming along well –

Food security?

*****************************

Giving cyber hugs –

Safe perhaps, but not as good …

I’m missing my friends.

*****************************

Medical visit –

Outing, and safety challenge.

Doc’s mask hides his smile.

*****************************

My window view, birds 

swish themselves clean in bird bath.

Stuck home, not alone …

*****************************

Some of my herbs growing in kitchen.
Just me, the TV and my laptop …

If you are inspired by my words here, please think about getting involved. All contributors whose work is accepted will receive a free copy of the book (postage and handling must be paid for, if not an Australian resident). I hope you’re feeling inspired by this, and want to take part. The book will be launched in early 2021, if things go well. further details will be announced on this blogsite, when known.

Thank you, I look forward to reading your Covid-19 submission!

meaning in life, New Ideas

Sometimes Life Intrudes

I had an idea, an excellent and caring idea, one that would, or at least could, bring hope and understanding to many others. It was an idea for a book, an Anthology, on a less than lovely thing, a virus, but with a lovely effect on those who will read the words within.

This idea is still with me, even though the fire in my mind has calmed somewhat. Life happened, and keeps on happening, and in this Covid-19 world, life keeping on is an excellent thing, isn’t it? The garden has been part of the reason for a slight step back, but it’s under control, and I’m back on board with this Anthology now.

Old photo, same garden, the plant is being supplanted, perhaps …

I have a number of submissions for this Anthology I am going to put together, and edit, which is great. But for an Anthology of note, which is what this Anthology may end up being, many more works, poetry or prose, or both, are needed. I have a vision of this book being at least 80 pages long, but at the moment, it is far fewer pages long than that.

I know there are people, friends, and others who intend submitting their work to me for this Anthology, so I’m sure it will easily get to 40 pages at least, but that is not a noteworthy length for such a subject, one that has captured us and held us prisoner, in many ways. Even those who are still able to work, do so with an altered sense on what is ‘safe’.

I would love to have a piece from a medical person, talking about how this virus has brought on changes to the way they do their work, or about how in many ways it has brought better awareness in others about the skills they have learnt in their working life, and how we all should apply those skills to our own lives, to keep safe, or at least safer …

I’d like to have something from a musician, writing about new ways of sharing their work with others, or teachers who have, or don’t have students at their school. Or what about all manner of workers, performing essential services, who are unable to be as close to those they love, without much vigorous cleaning of themselves, and their things that may have been infected as they work … I want these stories, and more.

Writing about this anthology, on this blog, and posting other blog posts, as thoughts occur to me on a variety of other subjects, these have brought more people to my blog, some of whom have liked my words, and made connections with me. I would love every one of those beautiful and thoughtful people to think about their life now, and how it is affected by Covid-19.

Every person in the world could have a new and different way of looking at this virus, what it means, where it came from, and what the future may bring in this changed post-Covid-19 world. Or is there actually a post-Covid-19 world possible? We don’t have a vaccination yet, though scientists and medical people are working on it. And even if there was a vaccination, would enough people have that vaccination?

I’d love to receive pieces on and around these issues. And what about those who love conspiracies, why not write something about how it was all done on purpose by the Chinese government, to bring down America, or by America to bring down the Chinese, or whatever other permutations there may be. This Anthology should cover those issues too, so it brings further discussion into the subject.

So, please, this is what I’m looking for – poetry or prose, unpublished or published (as long as you hold the copyright). Up to three poems of thirty lines or fewer, or up to three prose pieces of up to 2,000 words (combined), that’s what I’m after, anything at all in response to ‘Covid-19’. If I like it and it meets the guidelines regarding length, you’re in!

So submit to kittycordo@gmail.com with the subject line of ‘Plague Invasion submission (and your name)’. Of if you’d like to know more about this, send an email with the subject line of ‘Plague Invasion query (and your name)’. Or you could ask a question in the comments section below. I check my comments regularly, and will respond as soon as possible.

That’s it, think about it, send it in. You won’t get a free copy, but if your work is accepted, you will receive a copy at cost price, plus postage and handling, and if you require further copies, they will be available to you at half price. Making lots of money is not my aim with this book, spreading knowledge and ideas is the aim.

I look forward to reading your words!