The Battle is Over by TD Reynolds

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thomasreynolds
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Re: The Battle is Over by TD Reynolds

Post by thomasreynolds »

Not a bot! and thanks for the kind words, Lee.<br><br>It feels good to be thought of as a "sci fi poet." In truth, I've been writing poetry for years, and it was only several years ago that I wrote the first poem that might be remotely considered sci fi. It was around that time that I rediscovered Bradbury, Asimov, and other greats. Now my mind tends to drift in that direction more often than not.<br><br>I did publish two poems in Strange Horizons: one in March 2004 and another in December 2005, if you're interested. <br><br>Tom
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: The Battle is Over by TD Reynolds

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

Since I've never made it into Strange Horizons, congrats on THAT achievement. If you can stand waiting for a reply, maybe you should try Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (and/or Analog) as sf poetry markets. (Bruce Boston could probably use a break ... although I can't recall seeing anything from him in recent issues.)<br><br>Robert M.
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

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thomasreynolds
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Re: The Battle is Over by TD Reynolds

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"as to this specific piece, what was the inspiration? what imagery did you conjure when writing it?"<br> <br>Lee, this poem was written last April, and I honestly don't remember much about how it came about or what inspired it. I'm not sure there was much of a story there, even if I could remember it. In this case, I think I began with the title, and then the image of a pilot gripping the controls. The rest of it came very quickly. That's the usual process for me. It either comes together quickly or it fizzles out about the third or four stanza. There are plenty that end up trailing off unfinished. I'm not very good at building a poem one block at a time from the ground up. <br><br>The other poem you mentioned ("Close Call in Cell Block 17") was inspired by a real-life incident. In fact, all but the last two stanzas are close to a literal depiction of what happened. The spider was real; my discomfort was genuine, believe me. As for the last two stanzas, even though they are more figurative, they are also maybe true in a larger sense. Like everyone, I have thoughts that are better kept behind bars. They are sometimes very determined to escape, however, and then must be dealt with. On certain days, the prison is pretty full, not to mention loud.<br><br>(One of my past creative writing instructors would be dismissive of the above, as he disliked any discussion of what inspired a poem or story and whether it was based on real life. The poem/story, what was on the page, was to him the only subject worthy of discussion)<br><br><br>Tom<br>
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