I have always been a lover of writing and reading. When I was in preschool, I used to write short stories about heroic cats, rock men, and loads of other things I’ve now forgotten. I still have that book wedged in the corner of my closet, and I think from that point it just took off. I had been published twice by the time I finished high school, and the prospect of joining a writing club was something I was very excited about. So, I went to a Bolo Tie Collective Open Mic, and it was there that people like Dakota Miller, Derek Lantz, and Molly Gisela Staley invited me with open arms. I had never felt so supported. They pushed me to write a piece for their Volume VIII Anthology, and I happily obliged. I am lucky enough to have two poems coming out, titled “Delusions of the Telephone Wire” and “Homecoming.” 

Side note: At that open mic, I sat by myself until I went over to join someone also sitting by herself. That person is now one of my best friends, and I would not know them without this club. 

In all honesty, I was quite nervous to publish these poems. I had only started writing poetry four months before I submitted them, and this would be my first publication of poetry. This, combined with some of the personal fear associated with “Homecoming,” made me quite apprehensive. 

But it is this apprehension that makes writing worth it. 

We must take risks as writers. It is all well and good to write for oneself, and one should not strictly write for the public, but writing is not a solitary activity, no matter how much it might look like it. Interactions with other creatives will leave a mark on your work, and I promise your work will be all the better for it, even if it feels uncomfortable.

Meeting with my editors was unlike anything I had ever experienced. And, as I had two poems, I had two separate editing teams. The differences between the two were quite shocking. With my team for “Homecoming,” we only conducted one face-to-face editing session and multiple back-and-forth emails about metaphor, repetition, and punctuation. I was very thankful to them. They allowed space for the poem to be itself, not forcing much of their personal craft into the poem. They were the first team I met with, and as I had never had editors before, this approach made the whole process more palatable.

The team for “Delusions of the Telephone Wire” took a different approach, and I am thankful for the previous experience with the first team. We met multiple times, each session focusing on symbolism, concision, and metaphorical strength. This process was quite intense, especially for one of my first times editing with a team, but they did an excellent job, and even if I was initially opposed to some of the changes, I am now very proud of the poem. To take a quote from Stephen King, “kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” 

We killed the darlings in editing these poems, and the pieces are all the better for it. 

After the final touches were done on the editing process, I was contacted about the possibility of an illustration for “Delusions of the Telephone Wire.” The illustrator in question was one Rae Richardson, who is an incredibly talented artist. I was taken away by the art they had done for the prior anthology (please check it out – Volume VII), and a chance to work with them was a dream. Rae did a beautiful job. I gave them very few prompts, but the work was better than I could ever hope for. As I was excited to show the piece, I texted a picture to one of my friends back home. Over and over again, my friend said how much she loved it, and the Roald Dahl-like quality it held. It fits perfectly with the poem, and I am excited to show the finished, printed version to everyone.

I highly encourage everyone who’s even had a trembling interest in writing to submit to next year’s anthology. It’s a great experience in traditional publishing, and the Bolo team is nothing but supportive. So submit! Write! It can be about anything — the sun, failed relationships, that weird mole on the bus driver’s chin — but make it yours. And let it shine. If you want to get an idea of the professionalism and utter care of the Bolo Tie Collective, please look at any of the previous anthologies. I promise you won’t be disappointed.