I Want To Be... A Poet!

[ 30 September 2008 ]

Claire Askew

Is it really possible to eke out a living in the literary world? As a poet, no less?! Just ask Claire! The fabulous redheaded Claire Askew is a working poet, arts editor & part-time tutor living in Edinburgh, Scotland. She’s a very busy & ambitious girl, with lots of good advice as to how to make it as a writer!

<3 Tell us about what you do.
First and foremost, I see myself as a writer, specifically a poet; but I juggle a variety of jobs and projects which also help keep me financially afloat. When I’m not writing, editing and redrafting poems, I work as a private tutor for kids aged 11 – 18, teaching English and Creative Writing. About a year ago I set up my own literary magazine, Read This, and I now also have a blog called One Night Stanzas which is designed to involve and encourage young writers. I’m currently working on my first collection, and I’m also about to embark on a postgraduate MSc in creative writing at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

<3 How long ago did you start on this path?
I’ve been writing since before I can remember – which is a cliché, but I genuinely can’t remember the first time I picked up a pen. I wrote my first poem aged about seven, and won a prize for it at the local fair. I reckon that’s when, subconsciously, I abandoned my childhood ambition to be a farmyard vet, and set out on a more literary path!

<3 How long were you doing it before you made it into your career or primary form of income?
I’ve been treating my writing as more than a hobby for about the past four years, when it began to be accepted by magazines, and I’ve been getting paid work (mostly publication in larger journals and anthologies who can afford to give out fees) for about the last two years. As I say, I’ve been doing it all my life, but I think it was only quite recently that I really sat down and thought “this could be your career. You might not be a millionaire, but you could probably do it.”

<3 Did anything significant happen to get you to that point, or was it a series of small steps?
I was in my third year of University, and I’d joined a writer’s group and started going to workshops and whatnot, and people started to “notice” my work and tell me it was pretty good. Crucially I think, I met the poet Brian McCabe, who really liked my stuff and was (and still is) incredibly encouraging. I realised that I was rapidly coming to the end of my four years in further education, and I really needed to start deciding what I was going to do with my life afterwards. Eventually I got to the point where I thought “why not just do what I love?”. I set up Read This at around the same time, and soon after, I won three quite big poetry prizes. I think that really cemented my decision… it was a good omen.

<3 Do you think official qualifications are important for someone entering your industry?
It’s an interesting question, and the issue of should-you-get-a-creative-writing-qualification is hotly debated. Many writers actually see qualifications as counter-productive: they reckon creative writing courses teach you bad habits, and that they contribute towards poetry’s transformation into an increasingly “academic” artform. Other people reckon you need to be “vetted” by a qualification – that they sort the men from the boys, so to speak. I’ve chosen to do a postgrad qualification mainly out of a need to step things up a gear – I want to take my writing to the next level and I hope it will help me to do that. But I don’t think it matters either way whether you’re qualified or not. To be successful in poetry, you just need to be talented, thick-skinned, and willing to work really hard.

<3 What do you think is the best thing about working for yourself?
I can control my time, and my environment, which is important. I’m one of those people who can’t just write anywhere. If you work in an office and you get halfway through the day and feel trapped and burned out, you can’t just grab your laptop and go to the park. You can’t take a break for an hour and read a book or sleep or whatever. The best thing about being in control of my own time is being able to decide what I do with it, on the spur of the moment if need be. Right now I’m very lucky – many writers have to juggle other jobs and outside commitments, and it can really dry up your creativity. But I think the best thing about doing what I do is using my experience to help brand new young writers to get a foothold in the poetry industry – that’s what Read This does, and although One Night Stanzas is still very new, I’m hoping that eventually it will also be able to help people in the same way. It’s great when people email you and say “thanks for your advice, I just got published for the first time!”

<3 What’s the worst thing?
Distractions. I live with my boyfriend, who’s around from 4pm onwards every afternoon and, as you can imagine, he’s pretty distracting. I’m also a bit of a tidy-freak and so if there’s housework that needs doing, I kind of have to do it before I can sit down and write. And I absolutely love my tutoring job and all the gorgeous young people I teach, but sometimes you get home from four back-to-back ‘Hamlet’ study sessions and feel like you never want to see a word on a page ever again!

<3 Rate how happy you are with what you do out of 100 (100 being the best, 0 being devastatingly awful) on an average day.
About 87. Sometimes higher, sometimes lower, but that’s my happiness average.

<3 Would you call yourself a workaholic, & if so, are you alright with that? Do you think that’s normal for your industry?
I’m not necessarily a workaholic – I can spend four hours reading books and not feel bad about it – but I like to have heaps of things on the go, and I’m very driven. I love getting Read This off the press “on schedule” every month, and I make myself write at least one post to my blog per day – usually two. I write for anything from 8 to 15 hours per week, and I’m happy if I’ve written four poems by the weekend (but happier if I’ve written seven). I’m also keen to get involved with any poetic activities that other people are organising – last week I spent an afternoon being “a poetry terrorist” in a local park (running up to people with print-outs of famous poems and, in most cases, getting them to read them). I think if you want to be a poet, you don’t need to be a workaholic as such, but you do need to be willing to work.

<3 What would your number one suggestion be for someone who wants to do what you do?
Read. Read, read, read, read and then read some more. Reading other people’s poetry is the only way to make your own poetry better, and that’s something you should always be trying to do. Read the magazines and journals you want to send your writing to. The more poetry you read, the better you’ll know the industry, and the better equipped you’ll be to succeed. Kenneth Patchen once said, “people who say they love poetry but don’t buy any are cheap sons-of-bitches,” and I’d add to that: “people who say they write poetry but don’t read any are deluded sons-of-bitches.” You have to read widely to write well. You have to read to succeed!

<3 ...How about number two?
There are million pieces of advice I want to dole out… just look at my blog! But the second most important thing is: persevere. You might never make any money out of poetry, you friends and family might never understand why you do it, and there will be times when you’ll get rejected and think “am I actually just rubbish?” You have to be prepared for that, and you have to keep on going; keep writing and submitting and publishing even through the knock-backs. No matter what anyone says to you, if you love doing it, keep doing it.

<3 What do you wish you had known when you first started out?
There are a whole lot of people who move in literary circles – and particularly poetic ones – who want to see you fail. Don’t ask me why, but there’s a massive amount of negativity around when it comes to poetry, and particularly when it comes to young writers. Just look at some poetry blogs – everyone has a view, and often its not a nice one. You get pessimists telling you poetry is dead and writing is pointless. You get countless people who’ll tell you that “your style” of poetry is rubbish, or that you’ll never succeed because you’re too young. You’ll get people attacking you in online forums and ripping your work to bits and sending you poisonous emails, even if you think you’ve done nothing to provoke them. Perhaps worst of all, you get a lot of websites that are set up to suck inexperienced writers into money-making scams: beware of anyone who says they can publish your work for a ‘reading fee’! I don’t want to freak people out, but I never knew about this stuff, so it really shocked me. It still shocks me. It’s the main reason I started One Night Stanzas – I wanted to provide a safe place for writers to get advice and feedback on their work. And just to prove my point, the blog is only about two weeks old and already some snide comments have appeared… so be prepared!

<3 Are there any major misconceptions about your job or industry?
The whole ‘poetry is a dead artform’ thing. I disagree! Poetry is on the downlow right now because there isn’t enough young blood around to stir things up, but I don’t think it will ever die. It might be on a dialysis machine at the moment, but I’m convinced that’s only a passing thing. So, young ‘uns, get writing and get out there and revive your artform!

<3 What motivates you to keep doing what you’re doing?
I’m motivated to keep writing by the random emails I get from people I’ve never even heard of, saying things like “your poem touched me.” One girl a while back wrote her English Literature term essay on my poetry, and another wrote one of my poems out in gorgeous calligraphy and put it on public display. I love reading my work at events, too, because I get some lovely responses from total strangers. I’m also encouraged by all the young people whose names I see in publications here and there, and I think “I gave that person some advice once”, or “Read This was their first publishing gig.” I like the idea that there is a creative community out there, and I’m part of it, and – even with the aforementioned negativity floating around – that’s a great feeling. And I think I’ll always write, whether I continue to be successful or not. I’m one of those people who does it because they’d go mad if they didn’t, basically!

<3 Who do you look up to within your industry & why?
He’s dead now, but I still love Allen Ginsberg to bits. He did something new and radical with poetry, and flew in the face of all the people who said he couldn’t succeed because he was gay, because he was Jewish, because he was unapologetically political, because he was a college dropout, because he wasn’t a conventional writer, etc. He’s a household name in spite of it all and his poems are funny and shocking and gorgeous. I’m also a big fan of Edwin Morgan, and I’d love to meet him – he seems like such a kind soul, a very genuine man. Roddy Lumsden is a great, plain-speaking poet and he does a lot of teaching and working with younger writers. He also came to my rescue once when my poetry was under attack on a very poisonous forum-thread, even though he didn’t know me at all, and I love him for it to this day. And I’ve met so many wonderful, hard-working editors who rarely get any credit for what they do – so appreciate your editors, people! They’re the people who keep the poetry industry ticking over!

Extra For Experts:
<3 Claire also wrote this excellent piece, Writing In The Face Of Adversity, which is worth reading!


Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala <3


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Comment

  1. Really interesting…...i have always wondered how a poet could make a living….most important of all is doing something you love.
    Great hair too!

    <3 emma gahan · Sep 30, 03:19 AM · #

  2. what a great interview! i love to write and this has truly made me feel a bit more up to pursuing it.

    <3 kathryn. · Sep 30, 03:29 AM · #

  3. exactly what i wanted to hear at exactly the right time. thank you.

    <3 taurus · Sep 30, 03:29 AM · #

  4. Oh her hair is just fabulous… fantastic that she is making her way in the world with words.

    <3 Kate · Sep 30, 03:36 AM · #

  5. This is such an interesting perspective.

    <3 Dawn · Sep 30, 04:26 AM · #

  6. Hi Gala,

    I’m so excited to see this article! It looks great, and thank you so very much for interviewing me. Sounds like I’ve already made a couple of people feel better about their career prospects, which is beyond brilliant. And thanks for linking to the blog. You’re an inspiration as always!

    ...& everyone else: I hope my responses to Gala’s quizzing questions inspire and help all you aspiring writers out there. Please do check out my blog for more info. & thanks for all the compliments about the hair!

    xxx Claire

    <3 Claire A · Sep 30, 04:29 AM · #

  7. thanks so much for posting this, gala. i had a creative writing teacher in high school who told me that being a poet wasn’t a career i could support myself on, which is why most poets are also teachers. she meant well, though. thanks again for giving me some hope for a career path i thought was closed off.

    <3 nikki · Sep 30, 04:36 AM · #

  8. Poetry totally isn’t dead as an art form. I use poetry to feed my artwork.

    <3 Melanie · Sep 30, 05:08 AM · #

  9. She’s a real inspiration. What an amazing woman.

    <3 Sal · Sep 30, 05:17 AM · #

  10. really nice to see this up! i’m a submissions editor for a magazine that’s published claire (http://pomegranate.me.uk – shameless plug) and publishes lots of other young poets – it’s so cool to see a piece about her & what it’s actually like attempting to do stuff in poetry, as i’m trying to do it too.

    thanks for this xx

    <3 charly · Sep 30, 07:14 AM · #

  11. This article is awesome Gala! It’s inspired me to pick up poetry books again :) Since I have found your blog and the many blogs of your wonderful friends such as Nubby it has helped reinforce my decision to work towards working for myself in the very near future. There are many blogs around but you guys take it to the next level. Thank you for being so inspiring and motivating! much love, B x

    <3 Bianca · Sep 30, 10:21 AM · #

  12. PS- I don’t think it is necessary to have qualifications. I have been writing for over a decade professionally and I have interviewed hundreds of individuals in music all without quaifications. I have made my own (maga)zines since I was 15, put on concerts, ran a mail order, co-owned a skate store and a whole bunch of other things all solely because I believed in what I was doing so much. I learnt as I went along and still do learn everyday. I believe that the most important thing is to have genuine enthusiasm and passion for what it is you’re doing. It’s also important to surround yourself with a good team of people that you can learn from and that inspire you. And ask many, many questions!

    <3 Bianca · Sep 30, 10:30 AM · #

  13. Great interview, and I can’t wait to devour Claire’s blog.

    I have several friends who are part-time poets earning money for their work thanks to the London performance poetry scene – so you’re in a big city try to get involved in its performance poetry scene, it can get your work out there, increase your confidence and get you a reputation that’ll get your poetry in print and you paid gigs.

    <3 Lady Julianne le Fay · Sep 30, 10:47 AM · #

  14. GALA! I just want you to know how absolutely amazing you are.
    A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I want to be a graphic designer, so I loved your post on that, and my best friend ever wants to be a creative writer, so now she can learn from you too! CRAZY.

    I’ve been a long time reader and you’ve totally inspired me in each and every way.

    Check out my etsy, imaginepirineos(dot)etsy(dot)com!
    You inspired me to follow my dreams.

    <3 Sprinkle · Sep 30, 11:16 AM · #

  15. Yay! I was hoping you would interview a creative writer. Her blog looks really interesting, too. And the title ‘one night stanzas’ made me giggle.

    Off topic, but Gala, I’m a big fan of the Vlog Brothers (http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers) on Youtube. Not sure if you’re familiar with them, but John (who is also a writer) does a ‘segment’ once a week called ‘Question Tuesday’, where he answers as many questions from fans as he can in four minutes. The questions range from riddles, to personal questions, to professional advice, to political and social opinions… and I can’t help but think that this would be a great addition to your blog.

    Just a thought, anyway.
    Thanks again for the great interview!

    <3 Cally · Sep 30, 01:52 PM · #

  16. Delightful interview! (& girl!)
    I especially love how important it is to her that young writers be given a voice & “a safe place”, & how she goes about doing just that — she’s a poet-activist! In my experience (& in hers as well, from what I gather), generous writers are (unfortunately) not the norm, & I’m glad to finally see someone who can encourage new talent instead of being threatened by it. :)
    & love the bit about Ginsberg — sosoSO true.

    & now I’m off to read her poems!

    <3 Amélie P · Sep 30, 03:54 PM · #

  17. xlovelovelovex

    I have no other words to express my happiness at seeing this article.

    <3 Boom Kitty · Sep 30, 05:13 PM · #

  18. this is fantastic! just what i’ve been needing to read.

    i’m about to move to England and i’ll probably be jobless for a long while but i’m so happy and excited because i’m going to really start writing and committing to making it my job, because i know there is nothing else i’ll be happy doing other than writing!

    <3 Maggie · Sep 30, 07:59 PM · #

  19. Hi again guys!

    Glad to hear you’re all being encouraged by the interview! Means a lot to me to know you liked it! x

    <3 Claire A · Sep 30, 10:51 PM · #

  20. This was a fantastic interview! I’m so excited! And it came at THE perfect moment in time! I want to be a writer (namely of fiction and poetry) and I was starting to feel kind of down about it, simply because I know how hard it’s going to be to find work in that area and make a career out of it. But this was so encouraging!! Thank you so much, Claire and Gala!

    <3 Mary · Oct 1, 03:09 AM · #

  21. wow , this is EXACTLY what I needed to hear , perhaps I wont have to be a lwayer after all ! :)

    <3 hebe · Oct 1, 04:36 AM · #

  22. this came at just the right time! i’ve decided I’m giving up my career as a hairdresser to pursue my dream of being a writer and an english teacher! definitely saving this for future reference!

    <3 charley · Oct 1, 05:52 AM · #

  23. Too cool! I live in ed too :D

    <3 Ro · Oct 2, 01:12 AM · #

  24. Thanks Claire – really interesting insights!

    Gala, may I make a teeny request for someone who is a fashion writer for mags or stylist? That would be amazing!

    <3 Amber · Oct 2, 03:38 PM · #

  25. Great article. I was wondering if you could interview a circus or street performer for an upcoming one? That’d be really cool.

    <3 Hannah · Oct 2, 06:07 PM · #

  26. lovely interview of a really passionate writer/ poet!

    <3 raq · Oct 3, 03:51 AM · #
 

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