Sometimes I feel the same, and I don't even have any good recipes. Oh who cares who's reading (I know we kind of all do, and don't) keep on keeping on. 💙
You are right. And yes I know this. Still it gets frustrating, especially when I read “trending” poetry that is clearly AI generated slop. I don’t care that folks do use AI to help refine and improve their own writing. It’s a tool, and it should be leveraged to assist.
I just wish the writers were honest enough to admit it. It’s a transparency thing. Sigh. 😪
That is most kind. I am surprised I didn’t get a notification for the link. I’ll check it out more tomorrow. It’s way past my bedtime. But now I’ll certainly have pleasant dreams!
I know it's really easy to get caught up in the algorithm. I'm trying to get better with chatting with those who I follow on my socials as well as those who follow me. I think there is a fine line between marketing yourself and driving yourself insane. Since we're all mad here anyhow, the line gets kind of blurry. Never compare yourself to others because you will never be satisfied. And it's okay to scream into the void. If it doesn't scream back, it's because it's listening.
Writers write because they have to; they feel a need and so they write. My guess is that's true for you. So live that. Writers wrote long before the internet existed. They had no chance of any daily reach. Did that stop them? Of course not.
Don't let the internet's siren song of viral fame and fortune steal your joy or distract you from the real reason you write. I promise you: it's not for clicks and cheap dopamine hits that are out of your control.
I'm not a Substack star. But I've found a few folks that occasionally prove grateful readers and often provide good writing for me to enjoy as well. And I am enjoying writing every day. That a 100% win for me. Remember what brings you joy. Why you write. Focus on that. 🙂
Thank you. Oh indeed. This is a venting. An expulsion of annoyance.
It’s my form of dry humour mocking my own spiral into meta metric hell. And mocking my own vanity that I deserve more attention.
Partly it’s because lately I’ve been deeply reading some of the more popular poets who are getting stupid engagement numbers while writing really lazy and (IMHO) uninteresting poetry. It is formulaic. It’s plastic.
All technique and rhetoric and no substance. It is disheartening.
As I write at the end: “Yet no matter what, I will always scrawl out my random mediocre stanzas that leak from another dimension. I can’t help it. Gotta write.”
I have always enjoyed your work and look forward to reading it. I know we have been trying to figure out what makes something a hit or not. I've accepted I'm an outlier. You don't know what to expect. I keep looking for the day that 20 people will like something. Ain't going to happen. If you write it, do it for you. Do it for the few people who do follow you. Do it for the comments that touch your heart. You have had an impact on my writing and my life. My numbers are really down. Could be a slump in my writing, could be that it is Spring, could be that poetry has never been popular. Whatever, it does not replace the joy of knowing that you wrote a good poem. I will always be your fan.
Thank you. And I do appreciate you and my several dozen regulars. You are treasures. I don’t understand why your own work isn’t more widely engaged and consumed.
I am always impressed and a bit jealous of your ability to create such deep and meaningful verse. But maybe we are too real? I like to explore the imperfections of being human. And I think you often do as well. The honest reality of living. It’s messy, achy, and sometimes broken.
Yet your work isn’t brooding darkness, there is light in there. Quiet contemplation and contentment. Asymmetry has its own beauty.
Thank you for your kind words. Our work doesn’t fly for the same reason that punk had no commercial success in 1979. Too different, too DIY, too varied and individualistic, too real. I hope it’s not bad poetry. But I find it difficult to uncover the rhyme or reason for the poems with beaucoup likes. I don’t have a clue. I just do my thing, and that’s why some people find me endearing. The best advice I ever got was when I told someone I just wanted to be normal. I was told I will never be normal. I would always be different and needed to find the glory in that. Find your glory Istvan. Your poetry is good.
Now I know the word for the fear of apples. I have always appreciated your words. Heartfelt. Heartache. I do understand the frustration of your words not reaching a wider audience. I just want you to know your words do matter.
You nailed it. It’s just me venting. Partly inspired by what @Rebecca Watson (ReBe) posted yesterday. This post was in draft form so I thought I would finish and scream at the void. All bettery.
and as I wrote in my essay, I’ll keep slogging.
“Yet no matter what, I will always scrawl out my random mediocre stanzas that leak from another dimension. I can’t help it. Gotta write.”
I think you’re a talented writer, man. I just don’t know how discovery and viralness? (Not sure if that is a word) works for good writing these days. I feel like society as a whole treats writing, poetry, literature as a fringe thing and video content reigns supreme. However, there will always be people who appreciate your art. Keep posting and pushing.
Thank you. One needs to occasionally scream at the passing Cloud digital infrastructure. I have raised my voice. Shaken my fists. And now feel reset and still peeved.
It’s partly because yesterday I read several posts by different popular poets on Substack and they were so awfully banal. Over 1000 likes on plastic poetic platitudes.
But maybe my tastebuds are all wrong.
I did say in my post.
“Yet no matter what, I will always scrawl out my random mediocre stanzas that leak from another dimension. I can’t help it. Gotta write.”
I controlled my spew, but I think that half the “big names” I read were AI enhanced content. It’s got this oily sheen that looks like rainbow swirls, and feels wrong. But. That is also just “technically perfect” writing. It’s possible to write like a robot without using one. It’s already been show that AI detectors often detect classical 19th century writers as “mostly AI”. Training data does tell.
Oohh, do I know.... I'm always enjoying your writings ✨️🦋
Sometimes I feel the same, and I don't even have any good recipes. Oh who cares who's reading (I know we kind of all do, and don't) keep on keeping on. 💙
Thank you.
You are right. And yes I know this. Still it gets frustrating, especially when I read “trending” poetry that is clearly AI generated slop. I don’t care that folks do use AI to help refine and improve their own writing. It’s a tool, and it should be leveraged to assist.
I just wish the writers were honest enough to admit it. It’s a transparency thing. Sigh. 😪
I actually included your poem in my post a few days ago. https://areadingjourney.substack.com/p/day-134-summer-reading-for-kids-with
Oh you glorious human! Thank you. 🙏
That is most kind. I am surprised I didn’t get a notification for the link. I’ll check it out more tomorrow. It’s way past my bedtime. But now I’ll certainly have pleasant dreams!
I know it's really easy to get caught up in the algorithm. I'm trying to get better with chatting with those who I follow on my socials as well as those who follow me. I think there is a fine line between marketing yourself and driving yourself insane. Since we're all mad here anyhow, the line gets kind of blurry. Never compare yourself to others because you will never be satisfied. And it's okay to scream into the void. If it doesn't scream back, it's because it's listening.
It never screams back. It just whispers. And honestly, thats so much worse! 🫣
Thank you.
It’s a feeling many of us share, not that that makes it better nor right.
I, for one, value your words - but I know how tough it is to pour your heart into something and get nothing.
Appreciate the Labyrinth meme too… one of my favourite films 🖤
Thank you. 😊
I am always happy to read your words. :)
Thank you. It is appreciated. 🙏
Writers write because they have to; they feel a need and so they write. My guess is that's true for you. So live that. Writers wrote long before the internet existed. They had no chance of any daily reach. Did that stop them? Of course not.
Don't let the internet's siren song of viral fame and fortune steal your joy or distract you from the real reason you write. I promise you: it's not for clicks and cheap dopamine hits that are out of your control.
I'm not a Substack star. But I've found a few folks that occasionally prove grateful readers and often provide good writing for me to enjoy as well. And I am enjoying writing every day. That a 100% win for me. Remember what brings you joy. Why you write. Focus on that. 🙂
Oh one needs to occasionally simply vent at the passing digital clouds.
Hey internet I am here!!! See me.
It is a form of therapy in the vein of bloodletting and leeches.
I did write in my essay that.
“Yet no matter what, I will always scrawl out my random mediocre stanzas that leak from another dimension. I can’t help it. Gotta write.”
Because it’s an addiction.
“So tell me, does anyone actually care about reading these posts? Or should I just pack it all in and fuggedaboutit...
I know mainly what I am doing wrong is writing crappy, meaningless poetry without any pretty pictures.”
This indicates to me that you’ve lost sight of your “why.” Nothing wrong with that, but get clear and find it again.
You do not need validation or “persevere or pivot” advice from external sources. You are the keeper of that answer 💜
We show up because we believe we’re making a worthy trade of our time for your words.
Thank you. Oh indeed. This is a venting. An expulsion of annoyance.
It’s my form of dry humour mocking my own spiral into meta metric hell. And mocking my own vanity that I deserve more attention.
Partly it’s because lately I’ve been deeply reading some of the more popular poets who are getting stupid engagement numbers while writing really lazy and (IMHO) uninteresting poetry. It is formulaic. It’s plastic.
All technique and rhetoric and no substance. It is disheartening.
As I write at the end: “Yet no matter what, I will always scrawl out my random mediocre stanzas that leak from another dimension. I can’t help it. Gotta write.”
And we are here for those words too 🤗
I have always enjoyed your work and look forward to reading it. I know we have been trying to figure out what makes something a hit or not. I've accepted I'm an outlier. You don't know what to expect. I keep looking for the day that 20 people will like something. Ain't going to happen. If you write it, do it for you. Do it for the few people who do follow you. Do it for the comments that touch your heart. You have had an impact on my writing and my life. My numbers are really down. Could be a slump in my writing, could be that it is Spring, could be that poetry has never been popular. Whatever, it does not replace the joy of knowing that you wrote a good poem. I will always be your fan.
Thank you. And I do appreciate you and my several dozen regulars. You are treasures. I don’t understand why your own work isn’t more widely engaged and consumed.
I am always impressed and a bit jealous of your ability to create such deep and meaningful verse. But maybe we are too real? I like to explore the imperfections of being human. And I think you often do as well. The honest reality of living. It’s messy, achy, and sometimes broken.
Yet your work isn’t brooding darkness, there is light in there. Quiet contemplation and contentment. Asymmetry has its own beauty.
Thank you for your kind words. Our work doesn’t fly for the same reason that punk had no commercial success in 1979. Too different, too DIY, too varied and individualistic, too real. I hope it’s not bad poetry. But I find it difficult to uncover the rhyme or reason for the poems with beaucoup likes. I don’t have a clue. I just do my thing, and that’s why some people find me endearing. The best advice I ever got was when I told someone I just wanted to be normal. I was told I will never be normal. I would always be different and needed to find the glory in that. Find your glory Istvan. Your poetry is good.
I am not certain we are “too different”. I don’t know that is actually a thing. And yes to everything else.
And yeah. I have no idea either. 🤷🏻♂️
Now I know the word for the fear of apples. I have always appreciated your words. Heartfelt. Heartache. I do understand the frustration of your words not reaching a wider audience. I just want you to know your words do matter.
You nailed it. It’s just me venting. Partly inspired by what @Rebecca Watson (ReBe) posted yesterday. This post was in draft form so I thought I would finish and scream at the void. All bettery.
and as I wrote in my essay, I’ll keep slogging.
“Yet no matter what, I will always scrawl out my random mediocre stanzas that leak from another dimension. I can’t help it. Gotta write.”
You gotta write
I think you’re a talented writer, man. I just don’t know how discovery and viralness? (Not sure if that is a word) works for good writing these days. I feel like society as a whole treats writing, poetry, literature as a fringe thing and video content reigns supreme. However, there will always be people who appreciate your art. Keep posting and pushing.
Thank you. One needs to occasionally scream at the passing Cloud digital infrastructure. I have raised my voice. Shaken my fists. And now feel reset and still peeved.
It’s partly because yesterday I read several posts by different popular poets on Substack and they were so awfully banal. Over 1000 likes on plastic poetic platitudes.
But maybe my tastebuds are all wrong.
I did say in my post.
“Yet no matter what, I will always scrawl out my random mediocre stanzas that leak from another dimension. I can’t help it. Gotta write.”
Yeah I get that. The AI slop is what gets me upset hahaha
I controlled my spew, but I think that half the “big names” I read were AI enhanced content. It’s got this oily sheen that looks like rainbow swirls, and feels wrong. But. That is also just “technically perfect” writing. It’s possible to write like a robot without using one. It’s already been show that AI detectors often detect classical 19th century writers as “mostly AI”. Training data does tell.