[Mark McDonnell]

Hello everyone,
Well after a few weeks of lurking and posting critiques, I've been given the green light to throw my own efforts into the ring. Suddenly terrified!
I'm so pleased to have found this place (hope I don't regret those words when I'm torn to pieces haha). The standard of work here is intimidating but exhilarating and the seriousness of purpose of the 'sphere seems mightily impressive.
I'm an English secondary school teacher, coasting into my 40s. I came late to poetry. Have always read it and had a little flurry of activity in my 20s then nothing for years. Now suddenly it's an itch that can't be scratched enough.
Thanks to everyone who's been so supportive already, I appreciate it.
And I think that's all for now!
Cheers.

[Gregory Palmerino]

Welcome, Mark. Glad to hear you are coasting into your 40's and not stumbling. Good luck.

Cheers,
Greg

[Mark McDonnell]

Thanks Greg, you picked up on my desperate optimism there.

[Julie Steiner]

Welcome, Mark!

Prepare to receive conflicting advice on your work. This is done not because some of us critics are right and some of us critics are wrong. (We are all infallibly insightful and astute around here.) It's to keep you aware of the fact that you must ultimately decide for yourself whether, and how, to revise. Isn't that thoughtful of us? Yes, it is. We are lovely, lovely people.

[Mark McDonnell]

Thank you Julie,
Yes, wow, I just got back from work and am reeling from a whole demolition of my first post haha. Thing is, I sort of understand every point being made but goodness it can feel brutal! Steely resolve in order I feel.
Thanks again

[Alan Rain]

Hi Mark,
I like the comment you made about the irrepressible itch. I have had one for almost a decade now. It seems no matter how adept I become at scratching, the itch finds new ways to torment.
I did my required critiques, but haven't posted anything yet. (And being self-effacing, I wish Alex would remove my name from the notice at the top!)

Enjoy your time here.

[Mark McDonnell]

Thanks Alan, I plan to.
I posted my first poem a few days ago in non-met and the comments were a bit of a baptism of fire. This was followed by self recrimination on my part ('Why? Why did I post that? It's so slight! I have better poems!'), followed by panic ('Or do I? Maybe everything I've ever written is awful!') haha.
Then I calmed down and realised this was exactly what I wanted. Serious critique, good or bad, and a place to learn and improve. I think I'm going to like it here.
Do you plan to post soon?

[Alan Rain]

I'll take a look at your poem, and avoid the heat. I think some here actually thrive on mutual disrespect, but I intend staying well clear of any hint of mean-mindedness. I joined the Sphere for serious critique, and nothing else.
I've been working on my novel most of this year. I find the mindset for poetry is different, but I do intend posting sometime.

[David Danoff]

FWIW, Mark (and Alan)--try not to take critiques as anything more than comments on one particular poem, at one point in time, by just a handful of readers. It's a temperature reading, a few scattered data points. A test run to see how the poem performs. It's not a referendum on you as a person, or your overall talents, or everything you've ever written, or will write, or anything like that.

Of course it feels that way sometimes. And sometimes critters do have a tendency to phrase their comments in such a way as to suggest they're passing judgment on you as a writer overall, if not you as a person.... But try to keep it in perspective.

I should talk. I almost never post my own poems--partly because long periods go by when I don't write any. But even now, with half a dozen newish pieces I'm trying to steal myself to present at some point...I keep posting crits, and shrinking back from posting poems. So yeah, it isn't easy.

[Mark McDonnell]

Thanks David, I appreciate it. As I really appreciated your comments on the poem btw, they made sense to me.
Cheers.