Michelle L. Smith

Instead of reflecting upon the past year as we near its conclusion, I'm looking ahead in this final blog of 2024. While I acknowledge that my last New Year's resolution to expand my writing community was successful, I hope to expand my social media presence in 2025. You may question whether our current political environment is the appropriate time given the plethora of "haters" out there; however, my motivation largely stems from the emergence of an alternative to Twitter/X, FB, Instagram, etc.

About a year ago, I closed my Twitter/X account and switched to Instagram. I understood Instagram to be image driven and that I'd need to put in a lot of effort to build a community dedicated to writing. But with all the projects I've undertaken this year, I've not had time to do so. Then I read posts on the Authors Guild (AG) forum about Bluesky, touted as promoting friendly community groups of like-minded individuals ("starter packs"). So, I investigated. Not long thereafter, I opened a Bluesky account before Bluesky turned into the popular platform it has rapidly become. Immediately, I felt the warmth.

The most reclusive among us might find Bluesky's socialization and camaraderie beneficial. Not only do I share my achievements and accolades with other accomplished writers, but I enjoy reading posts about their cherished fur babies, gardening, cooking, and more. This humanization is available through Instagram, but the field of followers can be tailored with Bluesky. I've received more followers with minimum effort in the first few days of membership than I received in one year on Instagram.

2025 is not all about social media presence. I'm diligently at work on a few projects, including another collaborative effort with an award-winning choreographer that is much larger than the collaboration I participated in earlier this year. As for my latest accomplishments, if you go to my "Books" page, you'll see that I won a top-10 finalist spot in a Halloween themed anthology contest. My poem "The Clock Tower" is one of 60 entries culled from hundreds of international submissions that made the publication (Midnight Masquerade). In addition, my poem "A Black Man's Eulogy" was published in Decolonial Passage. And my essays were published in Dreamers Creative Writing and The Sun.

I also want to enhance the look of this blog by incorporating an inspirational image with each monthly post, an idea generated by a fellow AG member who recently shared her website home page with the membership. That is how community works!

May you fulfill your aspirations and dream big for 2025. And may you find a safe and welcoming community in which to do so. Cheers!

I'm not big on New Year resolutions because I rarely call upon them throughout the year. But I do like to reflect upon my writing progress, or lack thereof. If I'm honest with myself, lack of progress is not an issue for me as I've done lots in the way of advancing my writing. Still, it sometimes feels like I haven't done enough. That sentiment stems from not having achieved any writing awards or publication outside of my monthly newsletter column and this blog. While I'm genuinely happy to see someone else achieve a contest win or an acceptance for publication, sometimes we need to fall back on something other than peer recognition of our work to remain motivated.

Fortunately, I enjoy the solitary practice of writing; however, this past year I set out to expand my writing community. I'm currently immersed in the final weeks of three fall classes, although I'd fully intended to drop one or two at the beginning of the semester. The poetry class I added at the last minute was the likely candidate to be cut as I've not been a hearty fan of poetry. However, I'm learning different literary and poetic tools and styles that can only enhance my prose writing; so I pat myself on the back for hanging in there with all three classes.

I'm impressed with the caliber of writing by fellow classmates, which further motivates me to improve my craft. I even submitted work, including poetry inspired by a few prompts, to several contests and anthologies. The submitted poems hadn't yet been critiqued by my classmates because of imminent deadlines that I wanted to meet. But when I finally received feedback, I realized where my work could stand improvement. Of the submissions I've sent thus far (not just poetry), I've heard back from about half (all declinations). However, during a demonstration of the school's curriculum platform, my instructor (an award-winning, Pushcart prize-nominated poet) who teaches all three classes referred to his list of prior submissions. When I saw his accumulated rejections (probably in the hundreds), I was heartened to see that rejection doesn't necessarily reflect one's aptitude for writing, which renewed my optimism and energy to keep chugging along. I remain hopeful that one or two of my remaining submissions will be accepted, and I give myself kudos for having the courage to send in my work.

Earlier in the year, I seized an opportunity to write a story to be set to a performance in collaboration with a choreographer. By design, the grant did not provide for the four teams of collaborators to see their projects to completion—although we presented our works-in-progress to a sold-out audience. From that effort, my choreographer-partner invited further collaboration with me, and he's currently producing a dance performance based on a new piece I wrote. Our project will be showcased at his studio's upcoming 15th anniversary celebration next spring.

Several months ago, I responded to a call for volunteer/mentorship applications with a Los Angeles based writing organization (WriteGirl) that supports, empowers, and mentors teen girls with their writing. The application process ended up being more rigorous than I anticipated. First, I submitted a bio in order to be considered for an invitation to apply. A few months later, I received the invitation and underwent a thorough vetting process, including an FBI/DOJ background check. I then attended two mandatory three-hour training sessions, and I discovered that award-winning writer and poet Amanda Gorman who read her work at the Biden-Harris inauguration is an alumnus of WriteGirl, which now has global outreach. I attended my welcome session just days ago and will have more to say about the organization in a future post.

So all this is to say I really don't have much to lament with respect to my writing accomplishments for 2023. In spite of multiple rejection letters, I actually feel more energized about the paths I've embarked upon this year, and I look forward to an even more fulfilling 2024.

No matter how small your accomplishments seem at times, and no matter how many of your manuscripts are rejected, there will always be a place and a need for your voice. I hope you realize a rewarding New Year full of wonderful writing!