I don't write much poetry, but I thought I'd share this one here. If you like you can tell me what you think, or if it is good or godawful! I've written few poems in my adult life, and when I was a teenager my poems were called disgusting ad gross. I was told to never write again, and that was the first time, but not the last. So I share with a little bit of hesitation, because a lot of my work is not well received. Later, if I can find it, I will share a story that got me kicked out of one writer's group.

Anyway, here is the poem:

Tin Soldiers
 
Bright and shiny, new in box
Unused soldiers waiting for their day.
Opened plastic, rosy cheeks,
Wide innocent eyes, waiting to be deployed.
A moment later, battle bound,
Shiny faces dimmed down,
Soldiers waiting, cheeks tanned and brown
Standing, watching,
Battle found.
One year later, homeward on,
Sinking soldiers,
Broken down.
Boxes beaten, weathered and faded,
Soldiers begging, brains broken,
Guns in hand.
No one helping, paint fading,
Tiny tin soldiers,
In the graveyard now.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Gracie Wilson, a Canadian author who has a new poetry book out. Gracie writes honest novels and poetry, and sometimes it is so honest it hurts. I've known Gracie (online) for a few years, and find her to be a lovely and brutally honest, which is something I love about people when they aren't trying to use the honesty to hurt you.

So here is my interview with author, Gracie Wilson.

Tell the internet world a little bit about your books.
So I have two series. The Beautifully Series and The Lonely Girl Series. I also have a poetry slam book out called Look What YOU Made Me Do!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you write.
So I’m from Southern Ontario in Canada. I’m first generation Canadian with my family going back to the Highlands of Scotland. I am an avid reader and HUGE animal lover. I have three dogs, two cats, and a turtle! (Stacy - Wow, that is a lot with a turtle! I only have two cats!!!)

Why do you write the genre you do?
I write Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Suspense, Dark Romance, and Poetry… pretty much everything HAHA!
This makes you a very versatile author. How exciting!

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
I was dared. Five days later I was an author, then three weeks later I was published for 2twodays as an indie. After that I was picked up by my first publisher.

How do you select the names of your characters?
Sometimes they just have one already, other times I have a list of names I like.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Going to RT every year. It has introduced me to so many amazing people! But other than that my Mac!!! Apple FOREVER!
I love that you are loyal, but Apple... NOOOOO!

What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Writer's Block, and I find the biggest one is often themselves! Don’t sell yourself short!
Very good advice!

Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Energizing, I actually forget that the world exists and I can get into a pace where it’s 12 hours and 18k later!

What was your hardest scene to write?
My hardest was my entire Poetry Slam Book. It was amazing to get it out but it was so sad to see the reality in black and white.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
I have a couple hundred authors that I’ve worked with at events, anthologies, and such. I feel like each person brings something different to Book World so I’m all about meeting new people and learning more about the craft!

If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Probably work with animals.

Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
No, I just jump into a new book and then it’s done and they start talking again J

What is the first book that made you cry?
The Giving Tree when I was little I cried when it was read to me because the Tree gave the boy everything!

Do you Google yourself?
I have after being told by a friend she did it! LOL

What question do you wish I had asked and what is the answer to that question?
I think you covered everything!
 
And that was Author Gracie Wilson. Below are links to her books and information about them. Her poetry book Look What YOU Made Me Do! is her newest release, and it is an honest portrayal of life, and moments that a lot of us in the real world have gone through.

*~ Beautifully Forgotten ~*
 
Naomi’s life has been anything but beautiful, aside from having her grandparents and her best friend. From day one, they tried to protect her from the world. From a dad who didn’t care enough to come around and a mother who, at every turn, chose something else above her daughter —even contemplating whether to allow Naomi to be at all. 
 
You fight for those you love. It’s that simple. Unfortunately, such protection isn’t always successful, and hate can find its way in, creeping up from the darkness, toxic people can bring. Love is a fickle thing. Sometimes it can heal you, other times it can destroy you. 
 
One day. One phone call can take away everything you love. 
 
Naomi would know because that’s exactly what happened. 
 
When she finally decided to take the chance, stand up for herself and risk everything, her life changed forever...if only she could remember what she did. Life can be beautiful and Naomi is ready to fight the world to make it so. 
 
Sometimes forgetting people is the best thing that can happen to a person.
 
This is her story.
 
This is Naomi’s comeback!
 
Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Beautifully-Forgotten-Book-3-ebook/dp/B07DDLFVNL
Amazon Ca - https://www.amazon.ca/Beautifully-Forgotten-Book-3-ebook/dp/B07DDLFVNL
Amazon AU - https://www.amazon.com.au/Beautifully-Forgotten-Book-3-ebook/dp/B07DDLFVNL
Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beautifully-Forgotten-Book-3-ebook/dp/B07DDLFVNL
 
*~ Look What YOU Made Me DO ~*

Look What YOU Made Me Do is a debut poetry book from Romance Writer Gracie Wilson who is a YA/NA Amazon, International Best Selling Author and now thanks to this book an Amazon #1 Best Seller.
 
- And words are my power, and this is your final hour! - 

Look What YOU Made Me Do is a collection of poetry from childhood to adulthood about loss, family betrayal, and taking back your power. You will find slam poetry included, a song written as a child, and poems about coming out of that darkness.

The Mother’s Tears
Arithmetic
She’s Not My Mother Anymore
Today’s A Brand New Day
Untitled Gracie Wilson age 12
Morning Wake up
Look What You Made Me Do
Do You Remember
Who You’ve Become
To the Bone
Truth Be Told
Little Dove
My Life
Last Words
Take Care
Any Other Way
Nine Months Old
Seen And Not Heard
Two Little Girls
Less Is More
Suck It Up Buttercup
#Strong
See You Next Tuesday
Hello Pot, meet Kettle
Congratulations
Beep, beep, beep
Today
Why I will never see You again
 
Buy Links
Amazon US - https://goo.gl/sKJ8js
Amazon CA - https://goo.gl/eK5YR7
Amazon UK - https://goo.gl/UcEQvF
 
Poetry Slam reading - Look What YOU Made Me Do!”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkSm9DGWE5k
 
Buy Links
Amazon US - https://goo.gl/sKJ8js
Amazon CA - https://goo.gl/eK5YR7
Amazon UK - https://goo.gl/UcEQvF
#PoetrySlam #Poetry #PoetryDebut #LookWhatYouMadeMeDo

Evelyn Murdock is a published poet, and the first poet I have interviewed. She is here to tell you not only a little about herself, but also to expand on why poetry is important. Poetry is often a misunderstood form of art and writing. I can honestly say it wasn't until recently that I began to appreciate poetry for not only its form but also its function and expressiveness. Evelyn is moving to San Diego, CA to attend UCSD. She will be working towards her MFA, and I can say I am just a little jealous because San Diego is my hometown and I really miss it.

Ms. Murdock has also been very involved in Shakespearean theater, which is where I met her.

Without further ado let's get to know a little more about Ms. Murdock and her process and poetry.

As a poet do you feel that you are understood or misunderstood? Why or why not?

I don’t believe that there’s a “correct” way to interpret any work of art and I’m a firm believer in artists not explaining their work to people. A strong work should speak for itself. With that in mind, I think that my minor successes as a writer indicate that I have an audience that takes something from my work, though I can’t say for sure that what they take from it is the same as what I’ve put in. Maybe they’re laughing at me, I don’t know.

How did publishing your first poem change your process of writing? Or did it?

When I first got this question, I realized that I’ve never thought about it. I’m not sure that I’ve changed my process, but I think that the fact that it was the first prose poem I wrote, rather than one written in verse, encouraged me to explore prose poetry more. However, my poem "A Moment of Joy..." in WUSSY Mag’s Fight Issue, is the first piece I’ve had published as Evelyn, as opposed to my dead name, so we’ll see if it has any effect this time.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer/poet?

For me, I think part of the appeal of being a writer is that it’s an inexpensive art form. A lot of people who don’t know me well but feel the need to get me a Xmas gift or something will often buy me things like fancy leather-bound notebooks or nice pens, but the fact of the matter is that I do most of my writing in either Google Docs or with stolen pens in spiral notebooks that I’ve spent less than a dollar on.

But I guess, if I had to say, going to college and taking writing classes hasn’t hurt.

Do you find that poetry is as accepted or less accepted as novels? Why or why not?

Poetry is the oldest form of literature, so it has seniority on its side, but I think that a lot of readers don’t really understand modern poetry. Poetry prior to the Modernists is easy to identify, as it was typically written in verse with meter and rhyme. Modern poetry is a lot denser. It takes more effort to unpack, so I think that a lot of people see poetry as inferior just because it takes up less space on the page.

I was once asked which writers I like at a party. When I started listing poets and playwrights, the guy interrupted me and said “no, I mean real writers.” I was kind of blown away by that, but it makes sense. I’m a millennial, so of course I’ve read a lot of dating profiles online, and I’ve noticed that those who self-identify as “readers” will typically list novel after novel to drive the point home. I think that people feel as though you’re not really reading unless you’re ready to commit to at least a hundred pages. But I have a short attention span.

What type of poetry do you write?

Dr. Dan Colson at Emporia State University called it “Neo-Beat.” I like that.

Why do you write poetry? Have you thought about writing a long piece (like an epic poem) or novel?

I started writing poetry on accident. I played in bands in my late teens/early twenties, and after I stopped, I kept writing lyrics. I didn’t even really think about it as being something I “did” until I took a poetry writing class in undergrad at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and found out that I had actually gotten to be decent at it.

I write lots of things. Poetry just happens to be the one I’m best at. I’ve also written short stories and plays. I’ve never had much of a desire to write a novel. I like for my work to be something that people can take in in a single sitting.

Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly? Why or why not?

I think that anyone can be a writer as long as they’re prepared to take criticism and suck at it for years and years before they ever produce anything decent.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel? Why?

I’ve noticed that The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy gets a lot of flack, for some reason. I love that it incorporates cosmic horror into this wacky absurdist story about a man in a bathrobe being thrust into a search for the meaning of existence, when all he really wants to do is have a cup of tea. The commentary in Hitchhiker’s Guide on our own lives and the society we live in has definitely influenced the way I see things today.

How many hours a day do you write? Do you have a set place you write? Can you describe it if you do? If you do not where do you like to write?

I try to write for at least an hour every day, but that’s still dependent on whether or not I’m gonna be a puddle of depression that day. I typically write sitting at a desk or table. If I try doing it in bed I usually just end up watching Netflix.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

I think that if I’m just doing my daily writing it can help to get my brain working, but when I get on an idea that I feel good about I’ll keep writing until I’ve finished a first draft. That can sometimes take days, so by the end of it I’m pretty beat.

What are your publishing dreams? Are there any poets today that you admire and aspire to be like?

I’ve joked a lot that I’d like to be included in a Norton Anthology someday. I think that’s how you know that your work has had a significant cultural impact, when a bunch of academics decide to include you in an expensive book that they’re going to make all of their students buy.

I’m a huge fan of Dean Young. I applied to the Michener Center for Writers for my MFA because I would have loved to have a chance to work under him. Unfortunately, I was not admitted to the program.

For aspiring writers/poets what tips or information would you give them?

When you first start writing, you’re going to suck at it for a long time. Don’t let that bring you down. Just keep doing it. I wrote a thousand bad poems before I ever got anything published and I still think that most of what I write is crap.

What does literary success look like to you?

Making enough money to have a house, no roommates, and plenty of food, while having time to focus on writing.

Have you ever had writer’s block? How did you handle it if you did? What about reader’s block?

I almost always have writer’s block. I don’t know that I have a technique for getting over it, other than to force myself to write something until I have a decent idea.

What question do you wish I had asked and what is the answer to that question?

“What is your greatest influence?”
Anxiety.
 
My writing is pretty frantic. I think that it still carries the energy that it did when I was trying to write punk rock songs. I’m fond of grotesque imagery, and at some point in my life I played with sound a lot. Maybe I still do, and I’m just less aware of it. Until recently, a lot of my poetry ended up being prose poetry, but I’ve started straying away from that a little more.
 
My most recently published poem, “A Moment of Joy Amid a Storm” in WUSSY Vol. 2, is about a childhood friend who I had been reconnecting with. Shortly after I finished the poem, but before I could show it to her, we had a major falling out and haven’t spoken since.
 
You can buy WUSSY Vol. 2 here: http://www.wussymag.com/shop/the-fight-issue
 
“Wild Burt Logger and the Kerouac Kid—on the Icy Road to Arkansas, February 2009” earned me the E Nelson James Poetry Award a couple of years ago. It’s a pretty straightforward piece about a former friend and I driving through an ice storm to get from Seattle to Hoxie, Arkansas.

You can read it here: http://www.english.org/sigmatd/pdf/publications/Rectangle16.pdf