Let's Talk Writing: Issue 5

Let's Talk Writing: Issue 5

Let's Talk Writing is my new article featuring five different writers that I've discovered here on deviantArt. It will be published every Friday. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to note me. I will take them into consideration. Now, Let's Talk Writing!

rose-from-the-ashes won my Kiriban! I'm featuring five of her works:

City Night LightsI think it was the city lights and
the sound of speed
It was the buzzing traffic circles
and your sparkling azure eyes
It was all the shiny boutiques, little smoky cafés
and the spider web of narrow streets and secret short cuts
And it was you, my self-proclaimed guide, with your
hands in washed-out jeans pockets, wry smile
It was the scent of rotten pizza and
temptingly sweet but wickedly expensive candy,
the scent of white roses and too many cigarettes
It was the fluttering sound of cold-blooded thieving pigeons,
our roller-coaster screaming choir and your half-drunken
whispered lover´s oaths, 4 o´clock in the morning
It was the deafening disco beat, the sweat, the dance,
the rhythmic heartbeats of thousands of people around us,
it was the muggy air and your body, shaking with ecstasy
We smoked everything we could get hold of and believed
that reality was actually made of all these pretty colours
We were young and breathed the hot air of the roads
and the constant long Starry NightIt was a starry night
when I chose your eyes
from all fixed stars to be the ones
to illuminate my night skies
It was a starry night, we
sat on the rooftop and I
didn´t want to touch you because then
I wouldn´t be able to let you go anymore
It was a starry night, the stars
were dancing through the galaxies and
wrote our names on the ink-black sky
It was a starry night when you could
hear the voice of the universe
and we recognized our own insignificance-
when we sat there in infinite power,
risen above the city lights
It was a starry night when I was afraid
that the next moment anyone would
make the march of time continue
paint the sky in another colour
break the silence and
catch the shooting stars
cause if something´s perfect, it will never last
It was a starry night, we watched the falling stars,
you were smiling when you forgot to think of a wish,
no problem, fate, right next to me is everything I would ever wish for
It was a starry night, and if you were compl Fragments of You and MeI
fell in love with a stranger´s laugh
in the kitchen, Monday afternoon
He forgot his front door keys here and
concluded he had to stay for a while, so sorry
I said, if I find it I´ll throw it in the lake
You
locked us in the paradise garden
painted flowers on my body
and let the starlight breathe life into them
I
counted the times my heart skipped a beat when you called my name
stopped counting when my brain didn´t work anymore
- why did my heart still work
You
said you´d buy me a respirator
so you can kiss me until we can´t breathe anymore
and don´t have to fear you´d kill me
She
suddenly
appeared in your thoughts
like a summer storm
Maybe she dived in the lake
And when you called her name
I could feel your heart skip a beat
I
was
strangled
drowned
My blood froze
My face faded to black
It took such a long time until you noticed
That my trust breathed its last
You
with your absent-minded smile
forgot the respirator
I
left you Monday morning
like wome The Ice Princessperfect by nature,
everybody´s darling,
rulebreaker number one,
queen of broken hearts,
blue-blooded whore,
scientist´s mind and angel´s body,
the ice princess - entering the stage in deathly pale grace
her eyes illuminating the world
her hands dictating the rhythm of the dance
but her lips
bursting with unspoken words
she´s wearing glowing steel, roses and diamonds
robing herself in self-indulgent coolness
in brilliant cynicism
shining arrogance
absolute self-confidence
irresistible purposefulness
superior smiles
untouchable disinterest
in the most beautiful facade
and in secrets which will never see daylight
and nobody discovers the cracks in this fragile mask
nobody´s there to fix her halo
and nobody notices
her soul
going to splinters ImagineI watched you sitting there, in front of the window, alone
with the scent of night, as if you were caught in
a moonbeam spider web, alone
with pen and paper
I love to watch you
writing left-handed,
as if your words needed protection
With this absent-minded look
in your ocean blue eyes
which see more than all the others see - maybe
they see things more clearly, or rather
they see them how they really are
I love to watch you
breathing life into dead things
and turning sentences into melodies
How you´re able to give the little things significance
and write down what life keeps quiet about
You can make the stones cry and
bring a smile on the lips of the inconsolables,
apply a plaster on a broken heart with a couple of sentences,
you can drown out the ticking of the clock
and stop the world for a handful of seconds
You paint rainbows across thunderstorm-shadowed faces
and jot down the notes of the songs only hearts can sing,
you can touch my body more intensely with a few letters
than other

Writer #1: AngelWingss07

:thumb257972225: :thumb310044012: :thumb301946952: :thumb260517620:

What inspired you to start writing?

I actually began writing when I was in middle school. My inspiration for the written word began because of the many opportunities available in the essence of writing. Being able to create and shape a world of my own was, and still is, quite appealing. I wanted to essentially shape my own style and be able to pull in readers so they can dream and create their own world as well.

How much do you feel you've improved in the last few years?

I feel I have improved quite a bit in the last few years. I did have writer's block for a while, but I continued to write every now and then. My reading horizons expanded as well, allowing me to see new perspectives and shores. I have improved tremendously recently because of experience as a young adult.

Why do you post your writing to deviantArt?

DeviantArt always fascinated me with its many talented artists and unique people. I really respect the atmosphere and the website tremendously, and it was this that pulled me to post my writings. I used to be shy about sharing my works, but DeviantArt made me realize that experience, in both the form of comments and criticism, gives me a huge advantage as a writer.

Do you write with pen and paper or do you type on a word processor?

I actually write with both C: I do prefer typing on a word processor since it allows me to write faster, but sometimes I think it rather romantic to plan on a simple piece of paper. It also sometimes depends on where I am; it would be easier to pull out paper in a car than my entire laptop.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?

The first piece I ever wrote actually takes me back to when I was in 4th grade. It was my first, grand story of a teenage detective which I named "Nancy White." It probably sounds familiar to you, ha-ha, but that was indeed my first story. It had to do something with a haunted house, I believe. I wish I could find that story.

What room is your favorite to write in?

I actually do not have a favorite place or room to write in. Any place is great for me, as long as I have my trusty paper and pen/laptop. But I can safely say it is my dream to write while on my dream house's wooden porch overlooking a forest, sipping a cold glass of lemonade C:

What is your favorite place for thinking?

I have two favorite places to think in, and I am sure most people will have the same. I reflect on thoughts and the like when I am either in the shower or in bed. The quiet, personal moments like these do wonders for the mind!

How do you beat out your writers block?

I tend to beat out my writer's block by reading other pieces of writing, whether it be classical literature or fan fiction. I find reading will inspire my own creativity and thoughts quite a bit.

Do you listen to music when you write?

Every now and then I will listen to music. The music usually has to match the theme of my thoughts while writing, and I find that the lyrics and the melody will often inspire the words I do write. In that sense, my taste in music ranges very much.

Writer #2: Gary-thedreamingpoet

:thumb309827853: :thumb304272451: :thumb297219617: :thumb296461604:

What inspired you to start writing?

A year ago I was still recovering from a broken heart (it's a long story but if you check out my deviant id it's all there) when purely by accident I stumbled across DA on the web. Up until that point in my life I had never written a single poem, but I set up an account and began writing poetry. More than anything I was searching, trying, after all the pain, to find myself again and to my amazement, I did!

How much do you feel you've improved in the last few years?

I think, in the year that I've been writing, that my poetry has evolved and changed rather than 'improved'. I say that because although I know that some poets and critics judge poetry on technical merit, for me poetry has never been about that. I try to make my poems a window into my heart and soul, a 'painting' of what lies within and so to me the most important thing is the emotional content. I hope that despite changing my style and technique that 'window' approach has remained constant and true.

Why do you post your writing to deviantArt?

When I set up an account here it could easily have been a temporary and maybe even fleeting experience, but I quickly discovered that this place is far more than a website, it is a community. Here I have found wonderful and treasured friends who have helped me in so many ways and I hope I have helped them to. DA is a special place, a community that brings people together from across the world and breaks down barriers. I post here because to me this is home.

Do you write with pen and paper or do you type on a word processor?

I write directly onto Da. I sit in my chair, push the 'submit art' button and write!

What was the first piece you ever wrote?

It is called 'Don't ask me not to love you' [link] technically it would probably be considered by some a poor effort, but to me it's a very special, it was the first time I had shared with anyone some of the pain and hurt that I had been feeling inside. I like to think of it as a 'heart' poem and I've been writing 'heart' poetry ever since.

What room is your favorite to write in?

I always write in my study. I like having a 'writing place' somewhere with no other distractions. To me reading the work of others here is also very important so again having somewhere with no other distractions enables me to focus.

What is your favorite place for thinking?

I live in a seaside town. My favorite thinking place is the beach but only when it's deserted! Just the seagulls and me...

How do you beat out your writers block?

I almost always write from my emotions, from what's within, so if I developed 'writers block' I would write about the struggle and the anguish that was causing. I don't think anything will ever stop me writing although sometimes when I have hand surgery I have to take a break.

Do you listen to music when you write?

Almost always. Well chosen music can amplify emotions, a brilliant tool for an emotional poet! Sometimes I will even put a link to the piece I was listening to while writing in the comments when submitting a poem.

Writer #3 justlittlemusings

Forgotten SoulShe dreamt she was travelling the world, visiting landmarks, an experience she'd always thought exclusive to those with weighted pockets. The great American presidents were watching her with wisdom eyes, and she dreamt their stony expressions curved smiles that glinted, and their crinkled eyes winked to her in secrets.
        In the sky above, the clouds weren't lined with silver, but sewn together with gold thread, taut to tearing.
She dreamt she was flying, with fingers entwined in downy white swan feathers.  Dark shadows floated on the hills, the violet turrets of a fairy castle. Her breath was mist encircling the great stone walls, and her tears filled the trenches with broken promises.
        She locked her hopes behind the castle walls.
She dreamt of red-topped mountains, jagged peaks, and a stairway carved from rock, leading upwards in stepping-stone leaps of faith. She drea The Elephant in the RoomHave you ever heard the saying, "There's an elephant in the room"? Well, that's my Uncle John.  I asked Mummy what she meant and she said he's not a real elephant. She said he's an invisible elephant. I'm not sure if that's true. I've never met my Uncle John so I don't know. I asked Auntie Patricia if we could visit him once and she started crying. Mummy came in and sent me to bed, but nobody told me where he was.
Sometimes I lie awake when I'm supposed to be asleep, and Mummy and Daddy and Auntie Patricia have all gone to bed and it's just me. I count the glow-in-the-dark stars on my bedroom ceiling. One, two, three… forty-nine, fifty. Uncle John sent them from America when I was little. They came with the postman in a big, brown envelope with that see-through plastic stuff that pops when you stamp on it. Daddy glued them up for me and I held on to the bottom of the ladder so he wouldn't fall. (He said that was a very important job.)
I lie there and count the sta

What inspired you to start writing?

I can't pin down one particular event that inspired me to start, but I was always the one lost in a book and writing was just a natural accompaniment to reading. That, and I can't escape the need to share my thoughts with the world.

How much do you feel you've improved in the last few years?

Oh, gosh, so much. It's a strange feeling comparing my writing from a couple of years ago with what I write now because I feel very conflicted about it. On the one hand, I can see a great improvement, and I understand my own writing a lot better now. On the other hand, I know how much more I have to learn and that my writing has a long way to go until it's something I can be proud of. I don't think I'll ever stop learning though - at least, I hope not.

Why do you post your writing to deviantArt?

I started posting just to share, I think, but pretty quickly that turned in to posting for feedback. I really enjoy giving and receiving feedback and I think any improvement I've made over the last two years is largely down to the literature people here.

Do you write with pen and paper or do you type on a word processor?

I prefer to draft with a pen and paper, or even a pencil. Then I type the piece up and print it out, double-line spaced, for editing with a coloured pen. So, I guess most of my actual writing work is done by hand rather than on the computer. I don't really have a reason, except that it feels more natural.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?

Oh, wow, I don't really remember. The first piece I clearly remember working on with any seriousness was a novel I started when I was eleven, maybe twelve, entitled Lottie's Bird. Unsurprisingly, it was about a girl called Lottie and a large blue-and-white bird which I gave some nonsensical name. I had a whole plot planned out and wrote quite a few chapters, but I never finished it because I took so long writing it that I realised how awful it was and gave up. I don't think it's at all redeemable as a story! Whether that was my first piece, I'm not sure (I doubt it), but it's the first I remember properly.

What room is your favorite to write in?

The exam hall. For some reason I always get inspired in the middle of exams - normally ones with a tight time limit. There's a probably a psychological explanation for this. Other than that, I don't really have a favourite place for writing. It has to be somewhere where I'm on my own, or with enough people that I can pretend I'm on my own. I tend to become self-conscious when around small groups of strangers and that makes it hard to concentrate on anything, including writing.

What is your favorite place for thinking?

I do a lot of specific writing-related thinking at work; I work in a shop during the holidays which doesn't require much concentration, allowing plenty of time for developing ideas. I also think whilst walking - I look like a right fool writing on the palm of my hand and trying not to trip over things. General thinking takes place in bed just before I go to sleep. I find that to be one of the only times I completely focus on my thoughts sometimes.

How do you beat out your writers block?

I'm not sure I really get writer's block very often; I'm just lazy about my writing, to be completely honest. I'm trying to find ways of setting up a routine for writing at the moment, but I have a problem with always letting everything else take priority. I do find prompts useful though, when I think I don't have anything in me to write at any given time. I'm going to plug #transliterations here, as it's one of my favourite groups on dA, and they have some really creative prompts. I'm saving those I haven't attempted for the next time I have no ideas, or need a push.

Do you listen to music when you write?

Never. I love music, and spend a lot of time just appreciating it, but that's not a good thing for my writing as I get distracted by music I like, and irritated by music I don't like. Either way, no writing gets done. Sometimes I can play certain music when I'm writing an essay, but only very particular music works.

Writer #4: Pinkiesdontswear

What's on your mind?Sitting here, listening to the rain..Trying to block out my thoughts, they're driving me insane.I'm tired of this confusion that's stirred up in my brain. I know what I'm doing is right, but it doesn't stop the pain. It feels like I'm starting all over again..This isn't easy, believe me.
You're on my mind day and night.
And even though I love you,
I can never trust you on a level where my love for you is;
that's how I know we're not right..
You hate me, I know.
But can you really blame me?
Look at all that you've put me through!
You know what? Go ahead, hate me.
I hate you, too Running away.I swear one day I'll leave this place,
without ever saying goodbye or even looking back.
And some might wonder,
"Where did Kirsten go?"..
Just remember me as
somebody that you used to know. Do you dream?You go to bed every night
truly believing that you're not wrong, you're right?
How sad.

What inspired you to start writing?

Reading books and having a shitty childhood inspired me to write.

How much do you feel you've improved in the last few years?

In the last few years I actually feel like I've gotten slightly worse with my writing; I have no motivation, no inspiration.

Why do you post your writing to deviantArt?

I post to DeviantArt because I know my work will always be there and also because I like to get some feedback from other writers.

Do you write with pen and paper or do you type on a word processor?

I mainly type up my work, every once in a while I'll sit down and write with pencil and paper.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?       

The first piece I ever wrote was actually a song, I was about eight or nine years old.

What room is your favorite to write in?

My bedroom is my favorite room to write in.

What is your favorite place for thinking?      

My favorite place for thinking would be my bedroom, my backyard, and the beach.

How do you beat out your writers block?

When I have writers block, I usually go for a long walk, take pictures, read poetry from other's or even go back and re-read some of my old work. That's usually how I beat it.

Do you listen to music when you write?

No, I don't like to listen to music when I write; I need it to be quiet.

Writer #5: Vigilo

The Pursuit of SolaceNor for this only do I love thee, but
Because Infinity upon thee broods;
And thou art full of whispers and of shadows.
– Stephen Phillips.
Does not lord Apollo sing? More eternal than man ever could,
our blueeyed Phoebus knows the scorn of loving one, alone
and not with two hearts, but his head cannot fathom lyre sorrow.
Behold running Daphne, once bore this lord's young love,
now, immortal laurel, knows his desire, leaving, would
only lend to his golden youth, unlike the silver age of earth.
So find you a lad with halting speech, a lady of blushing earth.
For Idas, for Marpessa, time did as it might, may and could,
but never could find one without the other, though try it would.
Yet time found him, the god, and led him to a rose lady, alone,
without remorse. Lo, Apollo, beheld Marpessa dreaming of her love,
and by Eros' bow or nay, swore to make her his bride: without sorrow.
How daughters dream while their fathers are given to sorrow,
and Marpessa's own, Evenos, proud and On the Poet: zebrazebrazebra.=zebrazebrazebra is everywhere, in the awesome sense that one moment her name will be as a suggester for this or that literature daily deviation, and the next, spearheading the revolution that is her group, #transliterations, but her poetry is one that amazes and (quite often) tongue-ties. Her language bubbles along delightfully to the ear, and her poems are works of exquisite craft that deserve much more attention.
rondo one
I've got mould on my soul, that awful grey-green grubbiness
that comes of living too long--but I've been scrubbing it,
I have: going out when the street lamps are dimmed
and rasping my fingers on the moon.
rondo, one may look tricky to say aloud but is in fact a poem stuffed with sweeping rhymes, and imagery of summer spark. It isn't just =zebrazebrazebra's rhyme and technique that makes this poem one to be "printed in some kind of mind-book to be called up and read in dark times"

What inspired you to start writing?

Uhm. Tough question. I love reading, so that's a huge part of it, of course, and I love language, so that's another thing that egged me on to start writing. And I've said this before, but another big part of it is that I'm actually terrible at speaking. I pronounce things wrong all the time. I still struggle with the words like (for example) "geisha" and "realm", and I almost always pronounce "border" wrong. Writing helps with that, you know, because there's that pleasure of getting the right two words next to each other. I don't know if there's one thing that inspired me to start writing; it was more like a lot of little things that just spurred me on, I guess.

How much do you feel you've improved in the last few years?

Considering my first, serious poem (i.e. not for homework) consisted of nothing but horribly trite images (really, it was an amazingly meaningless poem), a lot. I'll probably say the same thing three years later, and three years after that. You can never improve enough.

Why do you post your writing to deviantArt?

To improve, mostly, by feedback and the like.

Do you write with pen and paper or do you type on a word processor?

Word processor. It's quicker, and neater.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?

I was in fifth grade, and it was a limerick about snowmen. It was a very sad, soggy specimen of a limerick, so I shan't rewrite it out here for you (but it alliterated 'carrots' with 'cold') and I'm not proud of it.

What room is your favourite to write in?

I don't have a particular favourite, actually. I usually write in the living room, but that's just because of my insanely comfortable sofa.

What is your favourite place for thinking?

This is odd, but I usually think best when I'm in the bus, or in a car, or a train - anything that moves, basically. I don't know why that is. I also really like anywhere by a window. I like being able to look out while writing, I suppose.

How do you beat out your writer's block?

I've been fighting writer's block since the end of April; believe me, when I figure it out, I'll definitely let you know! But in other times, what I usually do is start reading, a lot, of books, any sort of books at all (but mostly fiction - nonfiction really messes with my poetry sometimes).

Do you listen to music when you write?

I always have music playing, but when I write, I usually tune it out, unless it's a song I don't care for at the moment, in which case I stop any music from playing at all. I like listening to music before and after (most of the time), not during.