@Lara Katz Yes!! I can't believe you remember my name. I believe I responded to that last night in another comment. I need to tell you - I shouted "WHAT?!" when I read it. I've wanted to put a name or face to that for so long. Your notes were a model for me for a few months - very gentle but informative.

@Lara Katz I can't tell you how much your words mean to me. It's funny - I've also been telling myself, "if it matters enough, you can make the time," for quite a while now. You make me realize I actually need to listen to it. 😁

Overall, I'd spend probably five to eight hours on a poem (much of that sitting and thinking). The process (if you are interested): I would get out a sort of rough draft in a day. However, it wouldn't really be finished. I'd have a general idea of what ideas or images I wanted to touch on in the unfinished part of the poem, and then go back to it the next day to complete. Then, over the three months, I'd revisit the poem and condense and reword.

*sorry for late response* Yeah, since I started at Polyphony last summer, I feel I've been neglecting personal writing. I thought I'd ask this question because it's been one of the more distressing aspects of my life (hey, I thought of it like my identity for a couple years. Losing it is hard). Seeing these other responses makes me feel better. These past couple weeks that I've tried to get some stuff out on paper has been hard, like I'm losing my creativity. I'm out of the swing. I always thought editing for Polyphony would make me more in-touch with writing . . . It's a yes and no.

@Lara Katz Wow! I always wanted to put a face or name to those words. You write beautifully. Your advice was quite gentle but meaningful. I've always hoped to come off in my commentary like you do.

Add me if someone makes it! I'd love that!

I feel that writing and art stretch into so many other subjects. That's why so many people are interested in telling stories but don't feel it's their focus. I love forensic science and hope to do criminal profiling or something FBI. And you know where my interest in this began? Reading Holmes stories and watching the movies/show. I hope to be able to apply this to writing, having the criminal knowledge to help me build unique characters, and maybe create my own mystery stories. Stories really can come off any career branch. Some writers can be closed off from anything but their journals, but I think every experience in one's life can only benefit what s/he may create one day.

@Lara Katz Haha - relatable. I got berated by a friend for thinking that a 1450 is a great goal for the SAT (97th percentile). Apparently I should be going for at least a 1550. **Not gonna happen for the non-calc math portion . . .

How often would you say you just say no to taking on new submissions? Sometimes I want to just say "I can't take a submission for two weeks" so I can work on short stories or something. But, I also feel I need to save those requests for when I have weeks of long, mandatory theater rehearsals, exams, etc.

I tried at the Adroit Journal last year. I'd say it's pretty competitive, but in the decision of who wins something, there seems to be little to no bias. You can come from any background, even a non-art background.