Brecht De Poortere

Yes, I’ve had an unusual upbringing. I was born in Belgium, but I barely lived there. I spent pretty much my entire childhood in Africa – in Senegal, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania. And then later I worked in both Mozambique and Tunisia. Now I live in Paris, France. @intrepidusink https://t.co/XLrqKSVYBQ

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

Nearly all my stories take place in Africa. I love the colours, the smells, the sounds, and I try to recreate those in my writing. There's a lot of nostalgia. But growing up the way I did also resulted in torn identity and lack of roots, themes I often explore. @intrepidusink https://t.co/xANm4Icdhd

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

I think was naive to begin with and I am sure my first submission was to the New Yorker 😂. Of course I got rejected, many times, but I don't take rejection too seriously, because I know how few stories get accepted at magazines and that it can be very subjective. @intrepidusink https://t.co/NDI9I44dFY

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

.@brecht_dp your brilliant words appear @xraylitmag @emergejournal @consequenceF & more. 💥

You ALSO built & maintain the Top 1000 Literary Magazines on Twitter! 🤩🤩🤩

Why tackle such a huge project when writing so obviously beckons?https://t.co/SxCAn6HbAs

4 of 9#reading

— Intrepidus Ink (@intrepidusink) April 19, 2023

Building the database is an integral part of my writing process. I think that writing is only half the work. The other half is getting published. There are so many magazines out there and you need to find the right home, which takes a lot of research. @intrepidusink https://t.co/BO1kwWyjYK

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

Maintaining the database is hard work. So I do a bit of it every day, a few journals at a time. It's like writing: I try and write every day, even if it's just a few words. I get there one step at a time. Many a mickle makes a muckle. 🙂 @intrepidusink https://t.co/kRLQzZ7m6W

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

I built the database to help my own writing, but I hope others find it useful too. Sometimes, someone will send me a nice message, and that always makes my day. Some journals also like the database because it helps them reach more writers. @intrepidusink https://t.co/QXgB9zoqYT

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

I am glad you think my project performs a positive function within the writing community. 🙂 I guess my main advice would be: if it's helpful to you, it's likely to be helpful to others as well. As writers, we struggle with many challenges, so every little helps! @intrepidusink https://t.co/CAPZWlHlbW

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

I'm working towards a new update of the database, which will be released later this year. In the meantime, I continue to write, of course. I have a number of stories forthcoming in: Grain, Collateral, and Barren Magazine – which I am very excited about! @intrepidusink https://t.co/pQ2d5Ar9OM

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023

It was my pleasure talking to you! And happy to answer any questions people might have! @intrepidusink https://t.co/RGniQoVKWL

— Brecht De Poortere (@brecht_dp) April 19, 2023