Ah, hello, its me....

[nottslinnet]

I think as a poet each of us is a little self-absorbed - so I haven't read what anyone else has put into their introduction.

I wrote my first poem at school, oh, about 45 years ago, and I won a Kit-Kat. It seemed lucrative but I didn't pursue it!

My second poem was about a girl - written at Univeristy, I wrote a few others then too, but over time only ever kept the 1st one. I've recently started again but am struggling to find a voice in my local community, so I thought I would try a wider (er) net.

[Ros]

Hi nottslinnet (do you have a name you'd like us to use?) welcome to PG! We can absorb a lot of styles of poetry, as long as they generally come under the heading of 'contemporary'. Dive in!

Ros

[David]

Hi nottslinnet (do you have a name you'd like us to use?) welcome to PG! We can absorb a lot of styles of poetry, as long as they generally come under the heading of 'contemporary'. Dive in!

Yes, welcome. (Lovely nom de plume - literally, when you think about it - but somehow I assumed it was a feminine one. Maybe it is.)

David

Dive in!

I think Ros misread your name as nottsgannet.

[nottslinnet]

Hi Ros & David - I'm a he, Simon, but also a gannet in the food sense.

[Antcliff]

Hello Simon,
welcome to PG

Seth

[bodkin]

Welcome!

[nottslinnet]

Since I started on this site I've quite lost my appetite for Twitter! I tried anotherPoetry site as well but frankly was appalled at the quality on there.
I had one of my poems selected for entry into 'the National Poetry Anthology' but I didn't accept the invitation because I'm not so vain as to want to pay to publicise my poems. Was I wrong - is that the way it all works.

I've tweeted local poetry societies & emailed but nobody has ever replied. Do I have to be accepted as a poet before I can fit in? It all seems a little unwelcoming, any ideas how I can make progress, please?

Simon

[Ros]

Hi Simon,

You won't find many anthologies or mags will pay for poems, but you certainly shouldn't be paying them - that's just vanity publishing. If you want to try fairly serious mags, try those on here http://www.happenstancepress.com/index. ... -magazines

Some of the other poetry forums are nice but a bit pointless, in that they say everything is great and don't do much to help anyone improve the poem. Some are nasty - they like abusing newcomers and laying the law down. There are a few others that seem reasonable but pretty much dead. PG is the place to be!

Local poetry groups - depends, I guess. There are often creative writing courses run by people like the WEA - check with your local library (if you still have one). Local workshopping groups may not want incomers if they have a good number of people already, but there are usually people running courses or readings who welcome new people. What exactly are you looking for?

Ros