the craft. create space. where it fits.
Written by: Kimolee Eryn
Back in the day, I grappled with how to define myself as a writer. It was a combination of imposter syndrome’s “you could never” and the idea that I needed to prove myself before embracing the title. The title I struggled to accept at the time was poet. But the struggle didn't stop there; it continued with questions like, 'If I call myself a poet now, does that mean that’s all I’ll ever be?’ I already had dreams of screenwriting and had started to experiment with short stories. In my mind, I nurtured the dream— ‘I want to write everything that can be written,’ but in my heart— crickets.
The entire crisis felt trivial after a few years, but what came from it was the realization that inspiration arrives unannounced, in ambiguity, and there are no take-backs. It’s yours once you embrace it. Then it’s up to you to tag team with the vision that develops in your heart to see it through. For me, this meant that I’d been a poet since middle school and a performer since that awkward night at the City Steam in Hartford my senior year of high school— also that there were ideas beyond what I was already comfortable with. These ideas waited patiently for the opportunity to shape me into all the things I aspired to be, things I didn’t even realize I could actually become.
Inspiration doesn’t just hold your hands to mold letters into words and words into full bodies of work. It’s a force that transforms you from the idea of who you can be into the person who takes the steps to becoming. Creativity is like a mental game of Twister, where inspiration challenges you to find the right spot for the thoughts that come. The constraints of our experiences may whisper ‘I can’t do that, it’s beyond my reach,’ but we’d be surprised at what a little bit of stretching can do.
Reaching beyond the creative boundaries you’ve confined yourself to and exploring ‘what if’ in the direction of something new is a great way to stretch your creative muscles. Even within the realm of poetry, experimenting with various poetic structures allows inspiration to flow through different creative veins. What a haiku demands is different from what a sonnet creates space for. Practice both, and over time, you’ll discover that your words begin to naturally conform to these forms with less effort.
If you allow yourself to ask questions when those moments of inspiration push you through the door of a new writing form and something seems to resist, you'll realize that there's no real reason not to give it a shot. You’ve seen those videos on social media where someone does something outrageously outside-the-box like sinking a basket by hitting the basketball with a golf club off of a wiffle ball stand and you wonder, ‘how did they even figure out they could do that?’ Short answer— they tried. If they can achieve the extraordinary through effort, how much more you and the completely normal, by sitting with it.
There are benefits to dipping your toes into different writing styles, even if there's no strong inclination to pursue them long-term. It becomes an exercise in the craft of writing, less specific to the medium, that allows you to see what the same ideas can do in different forms. I’ll show you. Here are some lines from an original poem that I’ll rework into a few different writing forms:
Poem: “Where I’m from closed mouths go hungry, so written word don’t give full scope. I’ve learned to load words like clips and take shots that don’t miss”
Novel: Where I’m from, closed mouths don’t get heard or fed. I knew that I wanted to write but somehow the written word didn’t feel sufficient— I needed to be heard. I watched poets, saw them stand and deliver with a power that moved the room. I studied them. I found my voice. Opportunity was next. I scoured social media for open mics while I loaded up new poems that could work the rooms I wanted to be in. I was ready to take my shot. There was no way I could miss.
Screenplay:
INT. Kim’s Room — Night
Camera pans around Kim’s bedroom, slowing on the cork board of photos with friends and family, some who had long since passed.
KIMOLEE (O.S)
Where I’m from, closed mouths don’t get fed
Camera focuses on Kim sitting in bed. Notebook in hand. Crumbled pages scattered. She writes.
KIMOLEE
Where I’m from, closed mouths—
She taps on the notebook with her pen.
KIMOLEE
Go hungry…
She continues to write before coming back up for air.
KIMOLEE
Where I’m from, closed mouths go hungry
so— written word don’t give full scope
I’ve learned to load words like clips and—
Take shots that don’t miss
She nods, smiling.
FADE TO BLACK.
Emily Krivograd is accepting pitches about general lifestyle, travel, food, effective workouts, or home/relocation (figuring out where to move, especially with a family). Rates start at $200 + no hard deadline. emilykrivograd@insider.com.
New America’s Us@250 is accepting applications for their fellowship. Ideal candidates for this fellowship are journalists or reporters, whether working in a newsroom or as a freelancer, who are working on local stories about communities that come together across differences to solve hard problems, confront local history, or build community in a polarized country. (Deadline: May 3).
Electric Literature is accepting submissions including essays, Recommended Reading, and The Commuter. (Deadline: Apr. 14).
Watchdog Writers Group is accepting applications for their 2024-2025 fellowship. An annual fellowship to authors that hires students to be reporters alongside them. The program hopes to revitalize newsgathering in the middle of the country about vitally important issues. (Deadline: May 1).
E! News is looking for an experienced, passionate candidate to join the NY digital news team in a hybrid weekend writer/editor role. This person will be responsible for writing and publishing content daily while editing junior writers and conducting interviews for E! Online. This person will also spearhead E!’s weekend coverage, working Saturday-Wednesday. ($70-80k).
ABC News is hiring an Audience Engagement Editor charged with curation of ABC News content, including sending mobile push alerts, updating the website homepage and other entry points as well as communicating with external partners to obtain featured placement for both daily and tentpole stories as well as major events. ($69-84k).
