Where Do The Dead Go?

On By Mick CanningIn novels, poetry, publishing, short stories, writing

I know. It’s been a while.

I’ve been thinking about how I publish my poetry and stories, and concluded that the simple way is the best way. I don’t wish to spend a lot of time and money submitting them to competitions and magazines, putting them to one side where they may end up forgotten or just unpublished while I decide to submit them ‘just one more time.’ I’m not interested in putting a lot of time and energy into chasing the best deal or the most prestigious publications.

The whole purpose of writing is firstly for myself, and secondly because (naturally) I’d like to be read. It doesn’t have to be a large audience, I’m quite chuffed when anyone let’s me know they’ve read something of mine and enjoyed it. In which case I might as well just write some more zines and publish work on this blog. It feels like far less pressure. And the novel I’ve finished (Long Shadows) and which is still being edited I might submit to an agent or two, but I’ve no intention of spending months and years trying. If I’ve no luck I will quite quickly just self-publish it.

Anyway, putting my writing where my mouth is, here’s a poem.

30 thoughts on “Where Do The Dead Go?”

    2. Good decision, great to see you back here again.😊The poem made me, of course, ponder yet again on what happens post death but it struck me that it could apply to releasing the living dead, too. Hope this one got published and earned a wider readership. It’s beautiful.

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      1. Thanks, Diti. Yes, I think we all ponder on that at times. I take your point about releasing the living dead, if I understand you right. Sometimes we have to let relationships go when they’ve gone wrong.

        But no, it’s not been published. But if a few dozen people read it here that’s probably as good as many small press releases. I will probably put it in one of my zines at some point, though.

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  7. Excellent poem, Mick. Thoughtful and thought-provoking. I’ve long thought that dead is dead, that there is no “hereafter” or “ever after” … but then, I don’t know yet, do I? I’m just speculating like everyone else.

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  8. I’m so glad to see you again, and I was especially taken by your poem. It captured me in a way many poems simply don’t, and I’m so glad you shared it with us. I’ve come up with titles and concepts for a couple of books, but I finally decided I’d rather write about whatever was interesting me at the moment, rather than focusing for months or years on a single project. It was a liberating decision!

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    1. I good decision indeed. Once we start on a project it’s easy to find out it’s not perhaps what we intended, or that we’ve rather lost interest, but we can get sort of stuck in it – in thrall to it, and feel obliged to finish it come what may.

      And yes, I think I’m back…

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  9. Hi Mick, I share your thoughts on publishing and my approach is similar. With regards to your thoughts on ghosts, I found this poem to be very interesting. It is those of us who remain behind who suffer the anguish when someone dies. I suppose we do create our own ghosts.

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  10. Michael Graeme's avatar Michael Graeme

    I also share your thoughts, Mick. I’ve not sought publication now for decades, and always go the self publish for free route. I have a new novel coming out shortly, and though it’s months of work, I always feel the reward is in the writing itself. When it’s done, I just want to post it, and I’m on to the next thing. I did break character back in May and submitted a short story to a magazine – just for the hell of it – that’s three months, no idea where it’s up to, and I can barely remember what it was about any more. It’s no fun doing it that way.

    That’s a great poem.

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    1. Thanks, Michael. Yes, those submissions. I’ve submitted a few short stories and poems and usually get no response at all. one I chased kept saying ‘ooh, we’re really busy, but I’ll get around to it this week’. Nothing. I just can’t be arsed with that now.

      I’m not sure about the for free bit, though. I know that’s what you do, but I feel that weeks or months or years of effort should be recompensed, if only a little occasionally. When my novel was published, a friend of a friend asked where they could get a copy for free, since they didn’t want to pay for it. The implication that it obviously wouldn’t be worth paying for rather stung me.

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      1. Michael Graeme's avatar Michael Graeme

        Hi Mick, yes, I would have been offended too. There’s still this perception that unless you’re a “famous” author with books on the shelf at Waterstones, our stuff’s not worth paying for – mind you I’m struggling to give mine away at the moment – downloads are definitely waning. Still, we do it because we can’t stop ourselves!

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  11. A beautiful and honest reflection, and I admire your pragmatic approach to writing and publishing, Mick. Probably, because I, too, find such personal satisfaction with writing and photography… engagement with others is priceless. And your poem is pretty much up my alley, too: the existential theme about life, death, and letting go is thought-provoking. The act of creation and the connections we make are what make us a bit more whole. Cheers to a great finish to summer!

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    1. Thanks, Randall. Pure pragmatism really, yes. I suppose if someone just turned up and offered me a publishing contract, I would accept it. I guess we all would.

      I’m glad you liked the poem, too. Yes, cheers!

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