Comments for Staple Magazine http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:32:41 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by Becky Gethin http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-418 Becky Gethin Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:32:41 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-418 Incredibly helpful - thanks very much. I now see that trying to guess what an editor might need for the poetic jigsaw is as difficult as sniffing-out said editor's likelihood of attending a poetry reading... esp hard when you live in a far-flung rural backwater! Incredibly helpful – thanks very much.
I now see that trying to guess what an editor might need for the poetic jigsaw is as difficult as sniffing-out said editor’s likelihood of attending a poetry reading… esp hard when you live in a far-flung rural backwater!

]]> Comment on Editorial by Lyubov Talimonova http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?page_id=29&cpage=1#comment-401 Lyubov Talimonova Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:04:16 +0000 http://staplemagazine.wordpress.com/extracts/#comment-401 Dear Sir/Madam, I am glad to let you know the address of my new website: www.talimonova-lyubov.com Most of it is in Russian, but there is something in English too. Also there are some new paintings and illustrations. I hope you will enjoy it. Best wishes, Lyubov Talimonova, Writer, artist, illustrator Dear Sir/Madam,

I am glad to let you know the address of my new website:

http://www.talimonova-lyubov.com

Most of it is in Russian, but there is something in English too. Also there are some new paintings and illustrations. I hope you will enjoy it.

Best wishes,

Lyubov Talimonova,

Writer, artist, illustrator

]]> Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by Maryanne Khan http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-397 Maryanne Khan Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:08:15 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-397 Wayne the themes you have listed as no-go zones are perfectly legit. I would say that anyone who writes about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens (and the themes you mention) hasn't read much. University student doing an MA in creative writing, on train to Brighton realises that the friend he has been staying with has changed muchly since they were eight and it's not been the same for his Mum and Dad since he left home, specially since his brother died. But how lovely the morning light on the sea, reminds him of his first girlfriend whom he met under the Eiffel Tower but whose terrible secret he had discovered at lunch on the Left Bank when they were buying a painting she particularly liked because it reminded her of her childhood. All I have to do is work in a vampire . . . Wayne

the themes you have listed as no-go zones are perfectly legit. I would say that anyone who writes about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens (and the themes you mention) hasn’t read much.

University student doing an MA in creative writing, on train to Brighton realises that the friend he has been staying with has changed muchly since they were eight and it’s not been the same for his Mum and Dad since he left home, specially since his brother died. But how lovely the morning light on the sea, reminds him of his first girlfriend whom he met under the Eiffel Tower but whose terrible secret he had discovered at lunch on the Left Bank when they were buying a painting she particularly liked because it reminded her of her childhood.

All I have to do is work in a vampire . . .

]]> Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by admin http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-395 admin Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:51:56 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-395 I read in Cheltenham tonight and realised nearly every poem I read had either a train or coastal location in it...so I can talk. I think we all do have certain turn-offs in poems, but the instant you admit to them, you'll remember an example that confounds the generalisation. Somebody says 'never use word X', your response is inevitably to want to stuff a poem full of word X, just to meet the challenge. After all, a really good poem can make anything work... I hope listing the common themes and forms doesn't discourage people from sending in poems or stories using the forms or subjects in question (and besides, it's far from a complete list) - but perhaps knowing there are so many writers pursuing them might make us all try a bit harder when they come up in our own notebooks. I read in Cheltenham tonight and realised nearly every poem I read had either a train or coastal location in it…so I can talk.

I think we all do have certain turn-offs in poems, but the instant you admit to them, you’ll remember an example that confounds the generalisation. Somebody says ‘never use word X’, your response is inevitably to want to stuff a poem full of word X, just to meet the challenge. After all, a really good poem can make anything work…

I hope listing the common themes and forms doesn’t discourage people from sending in poems or stories using the forms or subjects in question (and besides, it’s far from a complete list) – but perhaps knowing there are so many writers pursuing them might make us all try a bit harder when they come up in our own notebooks.

]]> Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by Sheenagh Pugh http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-391 Sheenagh Pugh Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:55:01 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-391 PS btw, it occurs to me that the poem I'm currently working on is terza rima (good) but about the sea (bad). Should I try it on you, I wonder...:) PS

btw, it occurs to me that the poem I’m currently working on is terza rima (good) but about the sea (bad). Should I try it on you, I wonder…:)

]]> Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by Sheenagh Pugh http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-390 Sheenagh Pugh Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:53:38 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-390 "I don’t know if that is why we receive fewer examples of good blank verse, say, or terza rima" You can't have been getting stuff from my ex-students; I rammed terza rima down all their throats! I take your point in the reply entirely. I'm sure it is as you say and that form X or subject Y is not automatically debarred, just needs more thinking about on the author's part. Nonetheless, editors are busy folk and there must be a risk of seeing "sea" or "university" in the first line and mentally writing it off - I know there are words that would make me, as a reader, turn the page, though neither of those are among them. This raises an intereting question; I have myself advised folk when a theme is being done to death and is therefore less likely to succeed with editors. But in the end, you have to write what's on your mind, I suppose, even if the world and his wife are doing it too... Tough call! “I don’t know if that is why we receive fewer examples of good blank verse, say, or terza rima”

You can’t have been getting stuff from my ex-students; I rammed terza rima down all their throats!

I take your point in the reply entirely. I’m sure it is as you say and that form X or subject Y is not automatically debarred, just needs more thinking about on the author’s part. Nonetheless, editors are busy folk and there must be a risk of seeing “sea” or “university” in the first line and mentally writing it off – I know there are words that would make me, as a reader, turn the page, though neither of those are among them. This raises an intereting question; I have myself advised folk when a theme is being done to death and is therefore less likely to succeed with editors. But in the end, you have to write what’s on your mind, I suppose, even if the world and his wife are doing it too… Tough call!

]]> Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by sally evans http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-388 sally evans Sat, 03 Jul 2010 11:27:04 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-388 as an editor I find this a very truthful article, I hope many people read it. The key to it seems to be that the writer does not really know what a magazine may want (or already have) at any given time. I'm beginning to wonder if "high quality work" really exists without being hype, or without a context. (well OK I know it does exist.) There's also the need to balance contributors' names - new, relevant, famous, with geographical base etc and gender too. I was flagged to your article by Sheenagh's facebook post. as an editor I find this a very truthful article, I hope many people read it. The key to it seems to be that the writer does not really know what a magazine may want (or already have) at any given time. I’m beginning to wonder if “high quality work” really exists without being hype, or without a context. (well OK I know it does exist.) There’s also the need to balance contributors’ names – new, relevant, famous, with geographical base etc and gender too.
I was flagged to your article by Sheenagh’s facebook post.

]]> Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by admin http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-387 admin Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:47:08 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-387 Hope it didn't seem like an attack on those subjects and forms - we've published quite a few fine sonnets, at least one villanelle that I can recall, and a rather wonderful sestina about the painter Richard Dadd by Barbara Cumbers that was so subtly achieved it did take me until the third reading to spot the repetitions. The intention here is merely to point out that because so many poets use these forms, and write about these subjects, it's probably more likely good examples will be returned, as there are always so many to choose from: obviously, poets using the sonnet in very inventive ways are <em>exactly</em> what we are looking for, and were we to receive several very different sonnets we'd use them, just as we would were there two contrasting poems about Paris, or stories about relationship break-ups - the problem is, generally, that most submissions approach the sonnet (or Paris) in broadly similar ways. And the mention of workshops is because we do receive a great deal that is obviously written in these contexts: it wasn't to suggest that those forms are confined to workshops, only that workshops increase the numbers of examples in circulation. I don't know if that <em>is</em> why we receive fewer examples of good blank verse, say, or terza rima, or even ballad stanzas, than we do of sonnets and villanelles, but I suspect a relationship exists... Hope it didn’t seem like an attack on those subjects and forms – we’ve published quite a few fine sonnets, at least one villanelle that I can recall, and a rather wonderful sestina about the painter Richard Dadd by Barbara Cumbers that was so subtly achieved it did take me until the third reading to spot the repetitions. The intention here is merely to point out that because so many poets use these forms, and write about these subjects, it’s probably more likely good examples will be returned, as there are always so many to choose from: obviously, poets using the sonnet in very inventive ways are exactly what we are looking for, and were we to receive several very different sonnets we’d use them, just as we would were there two contrasting poems about Paris, or stories about relationship break-ups – the problem is, generally, that most submissions approach the sonnet (or Paris) in broadly similar ways. And the mention of workshops is because we do receive a great deal that is obviously written in these contexts: it wasn’t to suggest that those forms are confined to workshops, only that workshops increase the numbers of examples in circulation. I don’t know if that is why we receive fewer examples of good blank verse, say, or terza rima, or even ballad stanzas, than we do of sonnets and villanelles, but I suspect a relationship exists…

]]> Comment on Five Reasons Why A Writer’s Work Might Be Returned By An Editor…* by Sheenagh Pugh http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-386 Sheenagh Pugh Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:25:10 +0000 http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?p=336#comment-386 Most of this is good sense, but re the phrase "poems that use standard workshop forms like the sonnet and villanelle", I would point out that these forms were in use a very long time before workshops were ever thought of, and are used by many poets who have never been near a workshop. I use a variant of the sonnet form if I think the poem suits it. I'm sure some folk use the villanelle for the same reason, though personally I can't fathom why anyone would want to read a poem when they know from line 6 exactly how it's going to end. I can understand why you wouldn't want more than one (or even one) villanelle in an issue, but sonnets are very various and often very hard to spot, as indeed are most forms in sure hands; I have read a Paul Muldoon poem three times before realising it was a sestina. While I can see how the same theme repeated five times in an issue might be a bore, I don't really think the same applies to form; if I were an editor I doubt I would say "oh dear, here's a fine sonnet by X but I've already accepted ones from Y and Z. I think I'd take all 3 and assume people would read them not as sonnets but as poems. Most of this is good sense, but re the phrase “poems that use standard workshop forms like the sonnet and villanelle”, I would point out that these forms were in use a very long time before workshops were ever thought of, and are used by many poets who have never been near a workshop. I use a variant of the sonnet form if I think the poem suits it. I’m sure some folk use the villanelle for the same reason, though personally I can’t fathom why anyone would want to read a poem when they know from line 6 exactly how it’s going to end. I can understand why you wouldn’t want more than one (or even one) villanelle in an issue, but sonnets are very various and often very hard to spot, as indeed are most forms in sure hands; I have read a Paul Muldoon poem three times before realising it was a sestina. While I can see how the same theme repeated five times in an issue might be a bore, I don’t really think the same applies to form; if I were an editor I doubt I would say “oh dear, here’s a fine sonnet by X but I’ve already accepted ones from Y and Z. I think I’d take all 3 and assume people would read them not as sonnets but as poems.

]]> Comment on Editorial by Susanna Roxman http://www.staplemagazine.co.uk/?page_id=29&cpage=1#comment-369 Susanna Roxman Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:59:17 +0000 http://staplemagazine.wordpress.com/extracts/#comment-369 Oops!! "snail mail" should be "email", of course. So sorry! Oops!! “snail mail” should be “email”, of course. So sorry!

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