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Lisa Dordal

Goodreads Author

Born

Chicago, The United States

Website

https://lisadordal.com/

Genre

Poetry, Memoir, Gay and Lesbian

Member Since

September 2017

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Lisa Dordal is a Writer-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University and is the author of Mosaic of the Dark, which was a finalist for the 2019 Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry; Water Lessons, which was listed by Lambda Literary as one of their most anticipated books for 2022; and Next Time You Come Home, which was listed by Lambda Literary as one of their most anticipated books for 2023. Lisa is a Pushcart Prize and Best-of-the-Net nominee and the recipient of an Academy of American Poets Prize, the Robert Watson Poetry Prize, and the Betty Gabehart Poetry Prize. Her poetry has appeared in The Sun, Narrative, Image, Christian Century, Best New Poets, New Ohio Review, Greensboro Review, RHINO, and CALYX. Her website is lisadordal.com.

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Lisa Dordal Mostly by reading. Writing is the speaking part of a two-way conversation. The other part of the conversation is listening. Both parts are equally imp…moreMostly by reading. Writing is the speaking part of a two-way conversation. The other part of the conversation is listening. Both parts are equally important. If I told myself that I had to get up every day and write, I might not ever get out of bed. But getting up to read is another thing altogether. And, more often than not, when I sit down to read poetry, I am inspired to write poetry. (less)

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Lisa Dordal Don’t compare yourself to other writers. The only person you should ever compare yourself to is earlier iterations of yourself. When I look back at wh…moreDon’t compare yourself to other writers. The only person you should ever compare yourself to is earlier iterations of yourself. When I look back at where I was eight years ago versus when I am now, I am immensely proud of myself. When I compare myself to other writers—certain ones in particular—I feel like a failure. And who wants to feel like a failure? No one does. And guess what. No one has to.

Also, focus on writing success, not publishing success. Publishing shouldn’t be your primary goal because whether or not you get published is completely out of your control (unless you are self-publishing). Your primary goal should be something you have reasonable control over—otherwise your happiness will be completely dependent on what others think of you rather than on what you think of yourself. This is not to say that publishing isn’t important. It’s just that if it becomes more important than the actual writing, then there’s a pretty good chance your writing will suffer.

Once you do start sending things out for publication, set reasonable goals. Some journals have a one or two percent acceptance rate. Others having a higher acceptance rate. Submit to a mix of journals at first to figure out how to target your work.

I also recommend finding or creating a writer’s group. Show your work to other people. Get feedback. Be open to getting feedback.

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Lisa Dordal’s books

Average rating: 4.36 · 72 ratings · 26 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	Mosaic of the Dark 4.26 avg rating — 43 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Water Lessons 4.45 avg rating — 20 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Next Time You Come Home 4.67 avg rating — 9 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Commemoration 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars