Kern Carter's Blog, page 2
May 8, 2023
The One Who Sits in the Chair
In the beginning, there wasn’t.
Not but a colour incomprehensible;
like matter was still in its womb,
like language was impossible
like thought unimaginable.
This is the way it was,
till a gust of wind came where no wind could be,
and what’s become came to be.
This, and nothing more.
And the first blossom of light was gifted with the sight of a beautiful birth.
The womb of thought burst — its placenta — the home of soul —
and from it, the six lords emerged.
The lady of Love,
The lord of Sin,
The lord Sun and lord Moon,
The lord of Fire,
and the mightiest of them all,
the One who sits in the chair.
The chair — above and below all else,
between and through reality,
here and there, neither here nor there;
all who seek to defile his likeness have come to forfeit existence.
No one knows what he is lord of,
no one knows of his shape,
and very few have lived to see the back of his chair and tell the tale.
This, and nothing more.
In the beginning, lady Love had only her beauty to gaze upon
and so she was her own obsession —
unable to help in creation.
The lord of Sin,
Stared in what could not be comprehended,
and he did so in silence
unwilling to help at all.
Lord Sun and Moon emerged conjoined,
unable to help at all.
The lord of Fire tried creating,
but was unable to help at all.
And the One in the chair was a gust of wind in a place no wind could be.
And as the gust of wind shot by the lords,
it broke the two twins free,
and with an ivory tear from the Suns left eye
and an ivory tear from the Moons right,
they both took their rightful place in creation.
Lady Love saw Sun and Moon,
and found two things to love.
Their story, their light, their shade and all;
she found two things to love;
and the lord of Sins’ mouth grew wider,
and it did so in silence.
Lord Fire asked lady Love for aid,
and gladly she complied,
and with fiery love they kindled a plane
for all those who shall die;
and the lord of Sins’ mouth grew wider,
and it did so in silence.
Lord Fire and Love,
fell in love, and soon birthed Daughter Earth,
who came upon the fiery rock
and soon became the dirt.
And the lord of Sins mouth grew wider,
and it did so in silence.
And lord Sun smiled.
And lord Moon cried of joy;
and his tears brought the ocean shore
and with it, the son of Sea.
And Daughter Earth thanked his kindness,
and lady Love kissed the moon,
and the lord of Sins mouth grew wider,
and it did so in silence.
And the Sun and Moon began to dance;
their cycle set in motion,
and from this came the son of Wind —
and then something peculiar;
the clouds began to move,
and from no one came son of Sky.
Son of Sky;
a mystery among himself;
knew not of where he came and not of where he’d go;
but son of the sky peered down at daughter earth,
and from instinct, he knew…
and lady Love felt a singe in her heart,
and the lord of Sins’ mouth grew wider,
and it did so in silence.
And for a time, it was-
this, and nothing more.
Photo by Jonny Clow on Unsplash[image error]The One Who Sits in the Chair was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
May 6, 2023
As We Lay Dying
I wish my friends would die from terminal cancer or a plane crash or something
May 4, 2023
Let’s get you published
That’s what I’m here for
Book proposals are the true gatekeepers of publishing. I’m kidding (kinda), but other than your book itself, understanding how to put together a proper proposal when querying agents is the most important step to getting published.
Book proposals are typically for authors who have a non-fiction book idea. A memoir, an autobiography, or a self-help book are the common genres. Fiction books rely more on queries, which is a section of the book proposal. However, there are benefits to developing a full book proposal whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction.
If you have a book idea and are serious about securing an agent and getting published, sign up for my book proposal Master Class. My team and I will coach you step by step to make sure you write a proposal that gives you the best chance at securing an agent and getting published. And because we’re a small team, we’re only taking the first 10 people.
How does this class work?
Week 1GoalsDeveloping your book idea — what’s your big idea?Publishing Opportunity — how does your story/book fit into the culture or popular trendsTarget Market — who are you speaking to?StructureSunday email — Your homework for the week
Homework complete — You send back your homework and we provide detailed feedback
Conversation 1 — We talk through the draft of what you have come up with
Week 2GoalChapter by chapter summariesStructureSunday email — Your homework for the weekDetailed feedback from your homeworkConversation 2 to review your draft and provide final feedbackWeek 3GoalsMarketing plan — Packaging yourself as an author and amplifying your voiceComps — What books are similar to yoursStructureSunday email — Your homework for the weekDetailed feedback from your homeworkConversation 3 to review your draft and provide feedbackOnce your proposal is complete, we will be open for “office hours.” These are one-one-one conversations to answer any lingering questions you may have.
Some things to keep in mind:
If you have a non-fiction book idea, you DO NOT need a completed manuscript to submit your book proposal to an agent.If you have an idea for a fiction book, your manuscript must be completed before submitting to agents. However, you can still get started on your query once you’ve completed at least one draft.We will be starting the Masterclass at the beginning of June.If you’re ready to secure an agent and give yourself a chance to be published, this Masterclass is for you. All you need is your book idea and we’ll help you through the rest.
Sign up here and let’s get started.
[image error]Let’s get you published was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
May 3, 2023
My Creative Journey
There’s a moment when an artist or writer stares at a blank page or canvas, where he or she sees their vision before it is made. It’s a moment that can never be fully transcribed into words, never fully encapsulated in pictures and paintings. It is this perfectionism, this resolve to exactly replicate the treasures in our minds that drives young creatives; this raw attempt to show another exactly what they see — as if the words are saying, “Do you get what I’m trying to say?”
But with time, we realize this is not the way.
We learn of the connections shared between the creative and the reader. It’s when our work comes to stand for something greater than ourselves. It can be through personal anecdotes. It can be through social topics. Whatever it is, we can always reach into the mind of a reader, and grab their heart instead. They could love it, or they could hate it, no matter what, it’s still a feeling — no, not one you sparked inside them, but one they turned on all by themselves.
A good creative learns to touch the vision laying within the mind of the beholder. I like to do this by leaving some holes for the mind to fill in, valuing what I don’t say as much as what I do. As many would put it: “Less is more.”
Though it took me some time to learn this, (around two years,) ironically enough, my very first poem encapsulates this notion rather perfectly. The first poem I ever wrote was as simple as you could make it. A classic rhyming poem ready for just about anybody who wandered its way, it’s called “Make The Most of Every Day.” I simply wrote, “Make the most of every day.” About ten seconds later, my hands jumped back to the keys; “The time you have don’t waste away.” Within another second, the next line popped into my mind, and with this line, I knew, I was meant for this; the joy that filled the pours of my skin making goosebumps, and the passion coursing my veins like adrenaline were something I had never felt, especially sitting down: “The months go by, March, April, May,”
“And you have the choice to go any which way…”
I never said what they could do, I never pointed out any one dream. I let them put themselves within the narrative. What every person imagines hearing this poem is unique and special. Personally, I imagine you reading that poem and leaving with a smile of inspiration — one that speaks for itself — and it says “I’m ready to seize the day.” Then again, it’s not about my vision, is it? I’ve already brought that to life, it’s about the vision inside you.
Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash[image error]My Creative Journey was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Lost in Love We Forgot the Laws of Life and Living
Living with Dad taught me love; living without him taught me life
May 1, 2023
Call For Submissions — Who, or What, Do You Turn To in the Face of Rejection
You’ve heard this before and you’ll hear it again: rejection is part of writing. Hearing “no” over and over again is almost like a right of passage.
But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Every no takes something from you emotionally and you need to build yourself back up to give it another try. For this week’s writing prompt, we want to know who or where you turn when you’re trying to get over rejection.
Is it a friend? A family member? Do you journal about it? What is the key to helping you not feel so deflated that you completely give up?
Same rules as always:You can submit to this or ANY of our past writing prompts. Just scroll through our previous newsletters. They’ll be marked “Call for Submissions.”If you’re already a writer for CRY, go ahead and submit.Be as creative as you want in your submissions. As long as you stick to the topic, we’ll consider it.Just because you submit doesn’t mean we’ll post. If you haven’t heard back from us in three days, consider that a pass.[image error]Call For Submissions — Who, or What, Do You Turn To in the Face of Rejection was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
April 26, 2023
She Chose the Good Night
A poem on death and dying and what happens when someone you love is “gone too soon”
