The night a poetry slam in Portland rewired my whole writing process

Back in 2019 I went to this spoken word night at a tiny coffee shop off Hawthorne. A guy got on stage and told a story about his grandmother's hands that had zero metaphors, just raw details like the way she peeled potatoes and how her knuckles looked. I sat there thinking about how my own writing was always so flowery, trying to sound smart with big words. That one 5 minute poem made me realize I was hiding behind fancy language instead of just saying what I meant. Ever since then I try to write like I'm talking to a friend over coffee, not like I'm trying to impress a professor. Has anyone else had a random show or reading change how they approach their prompts?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilyo305d ago

Man, I used to be the same way. I thought good writing meant you had to have all these big words and complex sentences. I'd read stuff from other people and feel like mine was too simple. Then I went to this open mic night last year and heard a guy talk about his broken down truck. No metaphors, no fancy descriptions. Just the sound of the engine and the grease on his hands. Made me realize I was trying too hard to sound smart instead of just telling the story. Now I keep it simple and people actually seem to get what I'm saying.

jade_grant955d ago

That story about the truck guy really hits home, @lilyo30. Sometimes the most ordinary stuff told plain and honest cuts deeper than any fancy metaphor ever could.