Wayne Adam

Wayne Adam
Writer/Poet/Author

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Being Published

The ultimate goal of every writer/poet is to be published. It is great feeling to see your work in print and knowing that millions of people will read your words, your thoughts and will benefit from your work. I recently had a poem of mine--Invitation to the Faire--published in Renaissance Magazine, vol. 14 #3, issue #67, page 26 (for anyone interested in reading it).
I went out and bought 12 copies, distributed signed copies to friends and family and made copies to hand out to anyone I meet who shows interest.
Since I attend Renaissance Faires, I will take copies with me and may even request an audience with the Queen and her court for a reading. Why all of this? First, cause it's a great poem. Second, it's a great way to market your work and to spread your name around. Third, it's an exciting time and by doing all of this helps to keep your inspiration and creativity thriving to write more outstanding work.
Any poet knows that it's hard to get their poems published. In my case, I've had a couple poems published in anthologies, but this was my first poem published in a major, largely distributed magazine with a large readership, so you can understand my extreme excitement. Hopefully, my success with inspire other poets to keep writing and submitting, knowing that although the journey is long, there is a place somewhere for your work.

Monday, June 1, 2009

To the Faire!

Will you go milords and ladys to the faire on this fine day?

Renaissance Faires at very cool. For those who don't revel in the Middle Ages, I'll explain. Renaissance Faires are held through out the U.S. They are held in a replication of middle age villages complete with a royal court, knights, maidens, and merchants. Faires are in natural settings--woods, dirt paths and open markets/store fronts. Everyone associated with the faire are in their period costumes and speak in old English and anyone attending can also come in costume, so you will see wide array of characters, from knights to vikings, to pirates, to faeries and more. There's also period craftsmen, shows, musicians, jousts, beer, and food a plenty.

The best way to enjoy the faire is to accept the simplicity of the times. Ditch all of the modern grind and attitude, and relax in the tranquil setting, the smell of various foods, the sound of soothing music, the beauty of nature, and the colorful visual of characters in costume. It's a great time for all who wishes to partake.

Let's move on. I just came back from attending the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire in Wentzville, MO (45 minutes west of St.Louis). This was a medium size faire (90 booths) in a beautiful wooded hilly park. This faire was a French theme versus the more common English theme which meant a lot more french accents were used by the villagers. The merchants were friendly, although there was and issue with the pottery people (maybe a later blog), and some of the wares were different from the norm. I was a little disappointed about the jousts, more talk than action, and they could use a little wider variety of vendors, but still I was able to come away with some trinkets that suited my fancy. All in all, I would recommend this faire.