creative writing

My Notebook – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
if you want to get to know me, take a look
inside my tattered blue notebook

a hidden treasure in the back of my drawer
i whispered my stories to the pages-

they're dog-eared, words spilling out into 
the margins, pieces of myself perfectly

preserved on the paper almost like i
expected you to come across this

royal blue notebook of mine. if you've 
flipped through these fraying pages
                            you know the real me.

I hope you enjoyed this poem! It honestly isn’t my favorite, but I wanted to share it at some point and I wasn’t sure what else to post this week. Let me know if you have any suggestions, feedback, or challenges for me to incorporate in my writing in the near future 🙂

Brooke

How I Got Back Into Reading and Writing

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might’ve seen me mention a couple times that I used to be an avid writer and reader when I was younger, but went through a dry spell for quite a few years. I really only got back into it a little over a year ago, halfway through my freshman year of high school. If something similar has happened to you for whatever reason and you’re trying to get back to your old book-loving self, or you’re trying to get into these two amazing habits for the first time, keep on reading to hear about my journey.

I think the biggest thing is just to treat it like any hobby that you have to make time for; just because you used to be super into it doesn’t mean it will automatically fall into your life and become an automatic part of your schedule again. If it does, that’s great! But don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t. That’s the most important distinction to make, but other than that, let’s dive into my story and tips.

In the middle of freshman year after my cheer season was over, I found myself with a lot more free time than I’d had since starting high school. I was evaluating what I wanted to do and how I wanted to spend some of my free time, and there were a lot of activities I was interested in doing- I started volunteering more, and I joined some other groups outside of school. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much time I used to spend writing random stories, and reading books. I’d read a poetry book or two in freshman year, but other than that I was only reading and writing in my classes at school.

I was also going through kind of a hard time, so I decided I would start journaling and just write about all the thoughts I was having. My journal entries turned into pages and pages of writing, and eventually I realized how much it was helping me to just get everything out on paper. I started writing poems that reflected my current thoughts and feelings as well, and just writing as often as I could. I applied to be on my school’s yearbook staff for the next school year with a writing sample, and I got in! Writing was becoming a bigger and bigger part of my life. I think the catalyst for me to really get into writing was starting this blog in June 2019. I knew I wanted to do something different and write in a new way, and I figured I would have plenty to write about on my summer trip to France and Italy, so I started the blog under the guise of covering my trip.

I kept writing for this blog throughout the summer (and throughout this year, and I plan to keep writing), but my next writing endeavor was signing up to be on the editorial staff at Polyphony Lit, an international teen magazine. I’ve learned so much about writing and read so many amazing pieces during my time as an editor there, and I even got a promotion a few months ago from First Reader editor to Second Reader editor (the level above)! If you’re in high school, I highly recommend checking out Polyphony Lit and the opportunity to be an editor; if you’re not a teenager, I just recommend checking out the publication in general because the work is amazing!

After being inspired by starting to edit submissions for Polyphony, I started to write more poetry over the summer. I would sit in a lounge chair in my backyard and just write, drawing inspiration from anything and everything and trying to make it into something beautiful. As I wrote more and more, I started submitting some poems to contests, and I had my first poem chosen for publication in the fall.

As you can tell from my journey so far, for me it was easier to incorporate writing back into my life first, and reading came shortly after. I realized that in order to improve my writing and develop my own style, I should read more and get inspiration from other authors. At first, I just reread some of my old favorite books to get my feet wet in the book world. Next, I asked for poetry books for Christmas and read a bunch of poetry. I signed up for Poem-A-Day to get a poem in my email everyday and get exposed to different authors and writing styles. I got books from my parents’ bookshelves and just started reading them, and I asked my English teacher for a couple book recommendations.

Now that we’re in quarantine, there’s more time than ever to experiment with reading and writing. Hopefully my story gives you an idea of how an inkling of wanting to read or write can eventually lead to a complete rekindling of your love for them, but if you’re looking for more specific tips, here’s a little list!

  • Sign up for Poem-A-Day. I know I already mentioned this above, but it is a great way to make sure you’re reading a poem everyday and getting exposed to so many different poems and writing styles! It’s free, and it’ll only take you a few minutes each day to read the poem.
  • Look up writing prompts or exercises. If you’re in a writing mood but aren’t used to writing or you’re not sure where to start, look up some writing prompts! Your creative juices will start flowing and it’s always great to practice.
  • Keep a journal. As I mentioned, starting to journal and get out my thoughts that way was one of the things that really got my writing going. When you’re putting pen to paper all the time, eventually the magic will happen or you’ll be inspired to write something else.
  • Ask your friends what they’re reading and read it. This way, you’ll have people to talk about the book with, and you’ll be more likely to enjoy it if the recommendation’s coming from a friend! It can be a loose/informal book club.
  • Read the book version of your favorite movie/TV show. This is something that’s overlooked- you already know you like the story, so why not read it and compare the differences? It’s always interesting to see what scenes/details aren’t translated to the film/TV version.

Hopefully this helps you all out or inspires you in some way. I’d love to talk to some fellow readers or writers, so let me know what you’re reading/writing at the moment 🙂

Brooke

Metamorphosis – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
who knew what a talented artist you are
in the art of manipulation

your skill is unparalleled: the masks you
wear, the metamorphosis i've seen you undergo

like that of a caterpillar to a butterfly in that
you showed your true colors

but quite different in that i don't like what i see
i know you don't care, so i won't waste my breath

on lecturing you for your actions
i'll just watch you fly away

I hope you enjoyed this poem! I know most of the work I’ve posted lately is pretty short, so I’m hoping to experiment with different styles and some longer work soon. Let me know if you have any suggestions, feedback, or requests!

Brooke

A Silent House – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
in this house that's not a home
the air is grey and thick. the fridge

is full but our bellies aren't; they 
crave love and genuine feeling.

voices are raised and the wind 
whistle, zipping through the 

dusty windows to egg us on.
silence settles in, along with our 

disdain for each other
in this house that's not a home.

I hope you enjoyed this poem! It’s kind of inspired by the poem I posted about a week ago called “Four Walls” (go check it out if you haven’t already!) so if it seems familiar or similar to that, that’s why. I feel like with quarantine and spending so much time at home, family issues and tension that’s been fairly buried for a while are bound to rise up. I wish you all the best- stay healthy!

Brooke

How To Beat Writer’s Block

Brooke2 Comments

Welcome back everyone!

Have you been sitting down to write with all your newfound free time at home, only to stare at your paper or laptop blankly? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Writer’s block is a threat to writers everywhere, but today I’ll share a few of my favorite ways to shake it.

Method One: Use writing prompts and/or exercises.

This is a pretty standard way to try and help, but I feel like this only works when you’re having mild/moderate writer’s block and are still able to write something. You can look some up on writing-related Instagram accounts, Pinterest, or even just Google images. If you’re trying to finish a specific story or piece but can’t get the words out, it helps get your creative juices flowing if you write about something completely different.

Method Two: Go do something completely unrelated to writing. When you’re done, try to write something about it.

This could be anything depending on how much time to spare and how desperate you are to cure your writer’s block. It could be going for a drive, baking a cake, watching a sad movie, or getting your household chores done. Sometimes, a break is all you need to get some inspiration again. However, if you’re still not ready to return to what you were writing before, try writing about whatever experience you just had. Again, it’s all about getting the creative juices flowing.

Method Three: Try implementing a plot twist.

Depending on what you’re trying to write, you may or may not be willing to do this. If you are, just try taking your piece in a completely different direction and taking it from there. This goes along with using different parts of your brain/getting your footing back, but it’s a more direct approach to your piece. Also, you may end up loving what you write! If not, you can always edit, rework, or completely rewrite.

Method Four: Read something new.

I get a lot of my inspiration for writing from reading different works anyway, so it always helps to take a reading break and observe ways different authors carry their storylines. It’s also just a nice brain break in general, because who doesn’t love to read? You could also read a different genre than you normally do- it might give you a new perspective.

I hope these tips help you beat any case of writer’s block you may encounter! I had a pretty bad period of not being able to write anything I was proud of a couple weeks ago, but these tips helped me a lot. I’m actually working on a bunch of writing right now, so keep an eye out for new content related to my writing if you’re interested 🙂

Brooke

A Stream of Consciousness – Prose

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, so I figured I would share my thoughts with you guys in a different form of creative writing than usual. Surprise, I’m sharing writing that’s not poetry! I guess I would just consider this prose- it definitely doesn’t have any real structure to it. I hope you enjoy 🙂

something’s waiting inside of me. i can feel it; it’s brewing, bubbling, growing, shaking, expanding, and soon it will come out. a breakthrough’s been a long time coming, and you never know what’s around the corner. i feel trapped inside this house, but we’re all trapped in different ways, in our own little bubbles. all of a sudden, we know what we’ve always wanted to do and the things we enjoy and how much we love to go outside. but we can’t do any of it. our minds erase any awareness of the things we’ve always wanted to do around the house if we only had more time, and our creative juices get blocked. or maybe they don’t- my sweat is in the form of words trickling down my forehead. they drip down my pale cheeks, taunting me until i write them down. i get more done than ever but i get nothing done. i read more than i’ve ever read but see less words than i ever have. //

// time alone is time with your mind. my mind and i have been stirring up plenty. whenever i become conscious of my inner monologue and the elaborate plans being created, they vanish with an anti-climatic poof, as easily and silently as they materialized in the first place. the wheels never stop turning, but can you see them?

I hope you enjoyed this little mind-dump. It was clearly inspired by being stuck in the house, but it definitely has a few layers, which I’ll leave you all to interpret for yourselves. Let me know if you’d like to see more of these in the future, because I can definitely make that happen. As you all know if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, I’m happy to experiment with new things, writing being a huge part of that.

Brooke

Inevitable – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
i always loved tilt-a-whirl rides
even when the people next to me threw up as they stumbled out 

life is an amusement park 
(have you ever felt more alive anywhere else?) 

but i'm afraid of going on the gleaming steel rollercoasters making loop-di-loops, seemingly defying gravity (actually adhering to it) 

fluffy cotton candy, the rickety benches on the brick roads, watching others have the time of their lives is sometimes more my speed 

but when you go to an amusement park, you've come along for the ride and that means you go on the giant rollercoaster

This is a sillier poem, but I suddenly had the inspiration to write it and decided to go for it. I normally keep a running list of ideas for poems to write, but I lost that mega-list recently and I’ve been really upset about it, so I’ve been coming up with random, more cheerful writing ideas. I hope you enjoyed it- feel free to leave feedback or writing challenges/topic suggestions in the comments.

Brooke

Four Walls – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
four walls makes a house, but it doesn't make a home
and there's more walls between us than there are in 
this house that's not a home

hearing the birds chirp and peck at our windows,
looking out to see dreamy blue skies with white puffy clouds-
reminders of how much prettier the world is 
                    on the outside.

there's always crumbs on the floor. every door is
tightly shut, not unlike us. i used to want things to get
better; to laugh, to play, to load up the car and go 
be a family

now all i wish for is semi-peaceful co-existence 
because even though i reside within the same four walls
as you, you've put up another four
i'm not interested in tearing down your fortress

I hope you enjoyed this poem! Feel free to leave feedback or requests for certain topics to write about in the comments below 🙂

Brooke

My Poetry Writing Process

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I will be sharing how I write my poems and basically my whole writing process. I will admit it’s nothing special or anything that can’t easily be replicated- it’s mainly based on how I’m feeling or what I’m inspired to write about. That being said, I’ve seen and heard other writers talk about what works for them and what their writing processes are, so I figured I would share. Keep on reading if you want to know what I do when I’m ready to write a poem!

Obviously I don’t go through the same process every time I write something. Occasionally, ideas will pop into my head and I’ll quickly jot them down in my phone’s Notes, but this is for when I’m churning out a lot of writing in one sitting, or I’m feeling particularly inspired. I decided it would be best to outline it step-by-step, so here are the main points I wanted to hit.

  1. Gather my materials. I’m not super picky about what pen I’m writing with, but I do have one spiral notebook that I tend to write all my handwritten poetry in/lists of inspiration for my writing. I sometimes type rather than writing since I can get my thoughts out quicker, so if I already have an idea of what I want to write about or I’m planning to write a poem about a specific experience/topic for my blog, I’ll just start typing my poem in a Word document. However, if I’m just feeling like writing or using poetry to cope with a stressful, emotional day, I’ll usually choose to write it in the aforementioned spiral and determine whether or not I’ll share it somewhere later on.
  2. Find the right environment/position. Again, this varies on what I’m feeling/what level of inspiration I’m at/what purpose I have in writing at the time, but I have three main places I write. If I’m just writing for fun and myself, I’ll usually spread out on my bedroom floor. If I’m trying to write something for this blog or a different purpose that’s more structured but I’m not quite sure what I want to write about yet, I’ll go and sit outside in my backyard for a while to think while I write and draw inspiration from nature. If I’m writing for a structured purpose and already have an idea of what to write about, I usually sit at my desk and write there.
  3. Start writing and get my thoughts out. I don’t edit myself while writing or stop to think about what words are actually going on the page. I just try to express my ideas before I lose my train of thought, and I stop when that train of thought comes to an end. I think it’s important to remember that you can always edit later, but you can’t always retrieve a lost thought from your memory.
  4. Title the poem. This is a personal preference, but I like to title my poems right after I finish them, unless I really can’t think of a title and feel it fits better to leave the piece without one. I’m not sure how other people come up with titles, but for me they’ll usually just pop in my brain as I reread the poem I’ve just written, or I’ll pull from the general subject matter of the poem. It helps to ask yourself, what do I want people to think this poem is about?
  5. Self-edit and/or restructure the poem. Honestly, a lot of times I don’t edit my poems until long after I’ve written them, if I’m planning to submit them for publication or something. I do a light edit on the poems I post here before I schedule the post to go up just to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes, but I don’t really polish my work too much unless I’m sending it in somewhere. However, sometimes I will restructure my stanzas/lines if I think the structure of the poem looks a bit odd or uneven/lopsided in an unintentional way. It’s all about personal preference, so I just eyeball it.
  6. Save it/type it/decide what to do with it. Like I said, I write all the time, often with different purposes in mind. There are a lot of poems I’ve just written to get myself through hard times and express my emotions; I prefer doing so through poetry rather than journaling or something similar. A lot of the poems I write myself are quite short, random, and frankly, I don’t think anyone would be interested in reading them or publishing them. However, for poems that I share on my blog, I usually know that a poem will go on here as I write it. Any other poems that I don’t share on here and that I think are good enough to make their way out into the world, I research a good place to submit them for possible publication in contests or teen publications. I really haven’t submitted many of my poems anywhere (besides my huge writing sample for summer program applications) so as you would guess, I haven’t had much success with getting published. I had my first poem published this fall in the Just Poetry National High School Poetry contest fall anthology, which was an awesome honor.

I hope this was interesting or somehow helpful; I’m not sure how unique or necessary my specific writing process is, but it is what it is! Feel free to share any essential steps in your writing processes in the comments- I would love to hear about them 🙂

Brooke

Am I Selfish to Keep Writing?

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I’m just going to touch on some of my thoughts about blogging amidst the chaos in our world at the moment, and ask once again what you would like to see from me on this blog. I’ve been at a loss for what direction I want to ultimately bring this blog in; I feel a lot of you guys might be here for different types of posts, since I’ve dabbled in so many different categories of posts on here. If you want to see where my head’s at, keep on reading.

First of all, I would like to address the question in the title of the post. Am I selfish to keep writing? The world’s kind of falling apart at the moment, people are shifting their lives to be fully online in order to prevent leaving the house, my school’s now online, and every person/age demographic has been affected at this point. It’s no longer just elderly people being frightened or the few countries like China where the virus first spread being hit really badly- it’s so much more than that now.

When my quarantine first started, I was aware of how serious it was, but I was trying to turn it into a positive thing. I thought I could write a ton of posts for this blog and have tons of new content to churn out, and work on my writing a lot in turn. It’s true that I have had more time to brainstorm ideas and work on posts, but something doesn’t feel write. I feel selfish using this time to make myself better and put my words out when they’re somewhat unrelated to the major issue that’s going on right now; I don’t want to take away or distract from that. Please let me know if you want me to continue sharing my writing/regular posts during this time, or if you would prefer me to adapt my posting to the current world situation.

That brings me to my next issue: I’m not really sure where this blog is going. I’ve always just written about whatever strikes my fancy, and recently that’s been sharing my poetry and other things related to creative writing. I love to write and I’ve been writing poems a lot longer than I’ve been sharing them on here, so I’m completely fine with that; however, I’m not sure if that’s what you guys want to see, or if it is, if that’s the only thing you guys want me to post on here. I’ve noticed that I’ve gotten a lot more traffic on my writing posts/poems, and barely any on posts related to anything else in the past few weeks. However, I’m not sure if that’s due to other things (people not being online, different posting times, me generalizing by just grouping my posts into creative writing vs. not), and I want your guys’ opinions.

I’ve been thinking of eventually transitioning into this blog as mainly for sharing creative writing and focusing on that, but I want to make sure that’s what you guys want to see. When I started this blog, I wasn’t posting anything related to creative writing, and I’m not sure if people that have been reading my blog since then are enjoying the creative writing content. I’ve read from many guides to blogging that blogging should be a conversation (that’s basically a direct quote from Cristian Mihai, The Art of Blogging), so here’s me, starting a conversation with you.

Please let me know what you would like to see from me, and if you’ve been here since the beginning, thank you. I don’t know what’s in store for the future of this blog, but I’m obviously just going to keep writing! I just wanted to open up this conversation to you guys, and hopefully get some more feedback/interaction. As we can see with the coronavirus craziness, things can change in the blink of an eye, and communication is key.

Brooke