As a writer my relationship with my work could often be described as ‘complicated’. The same poem can feel like the best thing I’ve ever written and in another moment seem like it just isn’t working. Then there’s the process of trying to edit and improve the piece to make it ‘great’, but becoming so involved in the words, the syntax and the line breaks can sometimes make it feel like I can’t look at it objectively anymore. What makes a great poem great anyway? Feedback and second/third/fourth opinions can be helpful but in the end - and I’m sure many other writers do the same - I go with my gut.
Unfortunately though, this is also where doubt can rear its ugly head. It's so easy to just ‘scrap it’ and put it away. But don’t let this happen. Send it. Submit it to a magazine, a review, an anthology. Enter it in a competition. As clichéd as it sounds, when I submitted ‘Those Words’ to the Great British Write Off competition I didn’t expect to win. I didn’t even imagine it. But when I got the news that I had been awarded first place it acted as a reminder that while we will lose, we'll fail and we'll be rejected, this doesn't necessarily mean that'll be the case all the time. Sometimes you win. And that makes every opportunity worth a try. The judges’ comments - "Masterfully constructed, incredibly well written and just brilliant" (Mixy) and "A beautiful piece that thuds against your insides" (Mark Grist) - have only encouraged me to keep going.
Anyone trying to realise their goals, especially within creative sectors, is used to hearing the word ‘no’. As much as it’s nice to be able to maintain the same drive and carry on despite a lack of validation, for me, winning The Great British Write Off was a reassuring nudge that gave me the confidence to continue putting myself and my work out there. It made me want to push even harder to grow as a writer and become a better poet (a chunk of the prize money was used to buy a whole bunch of new books!). It also reinvigorated my blog, and I became determined to submit more poems for publishing. Perhaps most importantly, however, winning the competition served as a reminder that every poem has value, even those written ages ago that have been left on the crumpled page of the notebook or relegated to that folder that never gets opened. They're the foundation upon which your development as a writer is built.
Anastasia Prempeh was the first prize winner of the Great British Write Off 2014. She is a member of Podium Poets 2 and her work has been selected for publication by North Highland Publishing and Zamantungwa. She enjoys both written and performance poetry and is currently studying for her undergraduate degree from King's College London. You can read her blog here or get in touch on Twitter @Anastasi_AP.
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