Upcoming Video and Possible Reading

After receiving several "No"s when I asked about reading my poetry in different places, including bookstores and coffee shops (or simply not getting called back after leaving my info), I went into a process of deep thought. What does this mean? What should I do next?, I asked myself, feeling nonplussed about the responses I had received.

After much thought, I've decided to take two simple steps.

The first is to post a video on YouTube of me reading my poetry or a portion of my book (most likely poetry). I'll start off with just one, but as I rack up the views and receive responses, I'm sure I will post plenty more. Truth be told, I've always had a desire to post something of my own work on YouTube, related to music, writing or both, so I'm very excited about this new project! As soon as I have uploaded the first video, I'll post the info on here so that you can have direct access to the video through my blog!

The second is that I am going to try again. Even though social media and blogging are very pleasurable and two great outlets for me to communicate with people and become more well-known as a writer, I know that an in-person event, such as a poetry reading, is a great opportunity to connect with people, and just because I was rejected or ignored a few times it doesn't mean it isn't worth it. :) I will reach out to places a bit further from home for opportunities. If I can, I'll even enter a poetry slam and see how that goes. Once I know if I'll be doing a reading of any sorts, I will post the info here, in hopes that anyone who reads this blog will be able to make it :)

More updates on my work soon to come! If you haven't already checked out my Book Recommendations blog, feel free to do so: http://cjustusbookrecommendations.blogspot.com

If you have any comments, feel free to post! I appreciate your views ;)

More on "Promises"

Thank you so much for all the views!! Seeing how the number has gone up with each new entry gives me a lot of hope.

Today I've decided to share another piece of my book with you. (This is copyrighted!) Like the other fragment I posted a few entries ago, this portion is prone to change once it gets into the hands of a professional editor. But in the meantime, I'm sure that it'll give you an even bigger picture of my book. Hope you enjoy!
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Christine and Sebastian lay side by side, quietly watching the fireworks. There was no one else around, just a few lazy fireflies that drifted through the air. Sebastian was grateful for the peace he felt; it had been a while since he'd experienced this sensation.

“Do your parents hate me?"

Christine's small voice startled him out of his reverie. He looked at her. Her green eyes were intent on his, deep and innocent. Sebastian swallowed and muttered:

“No…"

Christine looked disappointed. He felt a pang in his heart. The look she gave him was not the one he had been hoping for.

"I feel like they do."

Sebastian felt his stomach twist. Christine knew the truth. Did he think she wouldn't see it just because she was different? How could he hide it when the truth leaked through his words and gestures?

"It's okay Seby." She reached for his hand, and he let his fingers linger near hers before he crossed his arms around his waist.

"Don't tell me it's okay."

"But it is."

Sebastian ran his hands through his dark hair, then crossed his arms over himself again. He didn't feel okay. He felt anything but okay.

"Seby?"

He didn't look at her. "Yes?"

"Promise me we can still be friends?"

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Promises Sample by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Did you like it? Feel free to comment on this post or on any previous or future posts. I'd be happy to respond and answer any questions you may have. :)

Have a good one!

Sample poem: "Scar Tissue"

So it looks like it might be a little while longer before I get to have a poetry reading. The library I was hoping to host it at said they didn't have the space or time for me, and I didn't have much luck with the other places I contacted.  :(

I have also been waiting to hear from a few literary magazines, which I should've heard from by now, but I have not yet received their responses. I still have my fingers crossed, but I can't guarantee anything.

Therefore, I have decided to post a sample poem through here, in hopes that it may still reach a wide audience who could enjoy it. So without further ado, I present my poem "Scar Tissue".

Scar Tissue

The question stands:
How much pain do we feel?
I can't recall being immune
To much of it; I know
That though some things no longer leave a scratch,
Memories will still resurface out of seas of darkness in my mind
And I will ask myself:
How much pain do I really feel?

It didn't feel real when you said "It's over.".
Only an email just before work
From a person with your name
Who was not you.

It couldn't feel real to lose her,
To have her skid from my fingers like reckless raindrops
And fall into a void somewhere
Between our schools and her old street.
Old photos and a letter stuffed away
Make me question what was ever there,
As must she.

And my high school friends couldn't see my love
With clear eyes; few of them smoked,
But life had blurred the eyes of their minds
And they would not let me in.
No Saturday night dancing, no VIP,
But why should I beg for their attention?

I wonder why this frustrates me,
Why I think I'm struggling to be someone
As I think of my possibilities,
Only half-immersed in the dream
That is not a teenage girl writing poetry
In an old spiral notebook,
Waiting for her poetry to be accepted
In magazines she had never heard of.
This is the girl who was nearly thrown in the trash
Because the French teacher wrote her recommendation letters
And the English teachers liked her work.
This is the girl who waited years for her Argentinean ID card
And cried her heart out
Because she didn't want to be called an undocumented immigrant anymore.

Probing scar tissue,
They knew which knife would hurt the most.
Familiar with the art of framing,
They would tear other things apart
Before I could figure out
How to put the rest back together again.
To me, they were two-faced.
To them, I was pathetic.

It may take them years to understand
What it took for me to let them in.
It may dawn on them that they should have taken in
How much I ached for love, blow after blow.
Scar tissue: a healing wound,
The perfect place to get in.

Let the world see my scars.
Let the world feel my pain.
I will not carry them like burdens anymore.
May the light guide you to where you ought to be.
May it illuminate my scars.
They're fading slowly.

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Scar Tissue by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Feel free to post your opinion in the comments section. I will accept both praise and constructive criticism, as well as any questions you might have.

Thank you so much!

Poetry Reading

Hello there everyone!

I hope your summer is going as well as mine :) I've been talking to my local library, where I'm hoping to do a poetry reading next month. Exciting! If the librarian approves of my request, I'll be reading my own poetry, hopefully for at least an hour. No entry fee required: it's totally free!

The date, time and duration of this event are still rather uncertain, but I should have a better idea of everything within the coming week as I talk to the librarian and look at my schedule. Once I do, I'll post the info on my reading here on this blog!

My poetry has yet to be published, but if it happens to get accepted into a literary magazine (I'm waiting on the answers to some submissions I made last month. Fingers crossed!), I will post the links or info you need in order to access my work. Hopefully I will also be able to live-stream my reading, or post a video recording on YouTube shortly afterwards.

If you have any questions about my reading, my work or about me, feel free to post in the comments section. I will keep you updated as more information (and inspiration :) ) comes in.

Have a great day!

:)
Courtney

More book details!

Hello there! If you're reading this, I'd like to say thank you :) I appreciate the page views and support!

I recently attended an intensive workshop on writing and publishing your book, and it was everything I had hoped for and more. The speakers were great, and I had an amazing time. This gave me hope that I may get published the traditional way, perhaps even sooner than I first thought! YAY!

While creating an overview of my book some days ago, I decided to modify the title slightly. It's still very similar to the one I already posted, but it's only my "working title"; it might change if I go into traditional publishing. (But the main speaker said he liked my title, so I think I will get to keep it :) )

Anyway, I'd like to tell you guys more about my book. It starts in the year 2002 and quickly fast forwards to 2011. Christine, the main character, is sixteen years old. She's been longing to be more than friends with her neighbor, Sebastian, for a while now. They are very close friends, and Christine has faith that they can take things to the next level, even with his parents.

Occasionally, when his parents are out somewhere during the night, he'll sneak over to my place to hang out for a while. Sometimes, when the sky is clear, we'll take some pillows out onto the roof and look at the stars. We talk a lot on those nights. Sometimes I just don't want it to end.

This quote is from the second chapter. It is prone to change with editing and all, but the essence of the passage shall remain the same ;) (However, this is still copyrighted!)

I'll be posting more info on my book in the days to come. Feel free to let me know what you think! I would love to hear your opinions on any of my posts.

Best to you all and happy summer break!

;),
Courtney

Upcoming: Book Number One!

Hello fellow bloggers!

Hope you're all doing awesome. :) Just wanted to tell you about my recent book project. It should hopefully be available at a bookstore near you by the end of this year or next year, depending on editing and publishing process. It's a YA novel of about 200 pages, and the working title (the intended title which may change) is Christie: Promises Made, Kept, Broken.

Sound like a romantic novel? It most certainly is. There's plenty of romance in the book, but there are key parts of the plot that involve friendship, bullying, maturing and the power art, in any of its forms, has to change your life. The story revolves around Christine, or Christie, a sophomore with a disability, her encounters with love and her trials in friendship and self-acceptance.

Interested? Feel free to ask questions; I'd be happy to answer them! Anything to spark additional enthusiasm about my novel :)

This is the title I have for it for now, but it may be prone to change once I find an editor. (Any day now ^^) However, I will keep you updated on any changes in title, length, etc. And, once the book has a release date, you'll be sure to find out as quickly as I can put it on here.

I'd love to give more info on the book, but for now I can't say much more since I haven't met up with my editor yet nor have I turned in my book proposal (in progress right now!). But if you find yourself intrigued to know more about Christie and her story, feel free to tell me and I'll post a few additional juicy details. ;)

Enjoy the rest of your day, and stay tuned for the latest details!

:),
Courtney

PS: If you read this and happen to know of a good editor who doesn't charge a fortune, please PLEASE PLEASE let me know. It would mean the world to me. :')

Have a great day and enjoy this photo.

Intro to Me

Hello everyone!

My name is Courtney, and I love to write. Short stories, novels, plays and poetry, especially poetry nowadays. I hope to see some of my work published this year, whether through literary magazines, traditional publishing or some nifty self-publishing.

I think your life experiences can have a big influence on what you write about. This is particularly evident in my poetry; you'll notice, if you read most of my poetry, that there are plenty of poems about love, loss and ups and downs in friendship, for example, but little or nothing from topics such as nature. You could say that real life situations, struggles and emotions inspire me more than just staring at a bunch of plants (although nature is beautiful and should be preserved! :) ).

One of my greatest hopes I have for this blog is that it will spread the word about my writings. If I get published in any of the literary magazines I submitted and will submit to (I really, really hope they say yes!), I'll post the links on this blog. I will also give book and music recommendations, for I also have a profound love for reading and music :)

If you've already read this far, I just wanted to thank you for giving a few minutes of your day towards reading this! You are awesome. :D And if you could share my blog, tell people all about it, that would be even more awesome. I'm going to try to post fairly often, so I hope you will follow me and enjoy!

Sincerely,
Court