Interview with a poet: Britt

Any other poetry-related questions you would like to ask Britt (our Twitter Poet of the Week), fire away! (I think such future interview-type threads will be posted here in the main forum where people visit).

- Denotes the question
* Denotes the answer

- Britt, thanks for agreeing to answer these few questions! I'm sure the members would like to read about some of your poetic habits. First up, when did you begin writing? Can you describe your early poems: were they triggered by specific events? Or was writing for you a more gradual or natural process?

*Thank you! :) I first started writing when I was 15, right after my Grandpa died. I was really close with him and I had a hard time expressing what I was feeling. A silly rhyme came out and it got me hooked since. They were all your typical young teenager poems, about love or the world being against me. I pretend to have a lot of angst to make my poetry have more "edge".. haha. Now it's just a part of me.

- You have been quite prolific, with 117 poems on your profile and many more on your previous profile. You must write often? How do you go about the process of writing a poem? Do you have a secret antidote for writer's block?

*I used to write multiple poems a day, and then I went a year and a half without writing a word. I was at a "zombie" period in my life, I went through emotionless. I write when I have something to say about my emotion - anxiety, stress, pain, love, excitement, exciting news I feel the need to share. My poetry is my journal. The only antidote I've been able to find is writing a terrible acrostic. I take a random word given to me, write something cheesy, and it usually loosens the block a bit. Sometimes you have to write something bad to write something better later.

- Has P&Q influenced your writing? To what extent? Do you think your writing would be much different if you were living in the pre-internet era?

*It's extremely influenced me in ways I can't imagine. I don't write when I'm not on PnQ. I took a short hiatus and I couldn't come up with anything. I don't know what it is, maybe constantly reading gives me inspiration, or feeling the need to share my feelings and emotions with people who I think will understand me in ways others can't/won't/don't. I don't think I would write anything I'm proud of if it weren't for the site and the suggestions I've gotten along the years. I'm no where near amazing, but I see progress from when I started 10 years ago. Pre-internet era, I probably wouldn't write poetry. I'd probably write novels.

- We see a wide range of themes in your poetry, many of them overlapping. What do you feel you write about most? What are the things you feel you most need to express in written form?

*I feel I write about love the most.. it's something that influences me. I've had a string of rocky relationships (both romantic and platonic) and I've finally found my safe haven. That has given me a ton of inspiration that I just can't help but share with people. The feeling I need to express most is probably my frustration. I will sometimes write poetry that people call "vague" because I call someone out without actually leading to who or what I'm talking about. It just releases my anger and helps me from saying something I would regret to someone else.

- How do you view your own poetry? What do you think when you read through some of your older poems?

*I view my own poetry like a movie to my life. I've been writing my life for the last 7 years or so, and looking back I get kind of sad. I have a lot of depressing poems from when I was unhappy, but I didn't realize just how unhappy I was until going back.

- What poets do you feel have influenced you? Do you have favourite poems, and how often do you read poetry?

*Shel Silverstein as a kid definitely influenced me. His poetry was just so fun. I don't read much that isn't on PnQ, there is enough to keep me busy. My favorite PnQ poets are: Melpomene, Lu, Sibyllene, Jane (silvershoes), and Abby (abracadabra) and all of them have influenced me in various ways. I read poetry daily, it often helps me sleep. Favorite poem would have to be from Melpomene or Sibyllene, though I don't think I can pick just one.

- And finally, you have been asked to define 'Poetry' in a dictionary or in an encyclopaedia. What is your entry/definition?

*Poetry is a silent way of breathing the emotions you can't always show on the outside.

More questions!

- Did you study poetry at school? What were those classes like for you?

- What is your opinion on formed poetry? Do the Sonnet, haiku and Co. still have a place in today's world?

- Do you write anything other than poetry?

- Did you study poetry at school? What were those classes like for you?

*If elementary acrostics and haiku's count, then yes. lol. We got to write our names out and put "good features" about our personalities. That was the extent of it.

- What is your opinion on formed poetry? Do the Sonnet, haiku and Co. still have a place in today's world?

*I think it's definitely been modernized... not quite the same but it isn't terrible, either. I personally loved formed poetry and used to only write in a form. I rarely did free verse or prose.

- Do you write anything other than poetry?

*I'm writing a book (that no one knows about). Cat's out of the bag now, I suppose!

These are great questions (and awesome answers!). Thanks for posting this up, Colm. I love hearing about how people go through their writing process. I think it's interesting and great that poetry can mean so many things for so many people.

Now I feel like I ought to write more.

Britt... I like you. Thank you. I'm feeling cheesy.

This is a great idea Colm, I'm really enjoying the questions you've chosen to ask. Britt, some lovely answers. Thank you for appreciating my poetry.

LOL Sib, you crack me up.

Ever thought of making a recipe poem?

I would like to repeat Abby's question.

Ever thought of making a recipe poem?

Do it, Britt.

No, I hadn't. I'm not good with recipes and directions. I usually can't follow one and just wing it anyway (cooking). I shall try!

- What kind of book is it, if you dont mind my asking, is it a love, horror, documentry, ect?

- Whats the genral outline of the book?

-Can I get a free copy with autograph if/when you get it published?

It's a chicklit love/romance genre with a twist. Often I read books that can be anti man, how men ruin relationships and have to bend over backwards and do this big grand gesture to be a prince again. My book is a little more realistic approach.

The outline I kind of alluded to up there... I don't really know the twists and turns yet, I just write as something comes to me.

Free?!?!? Bahahah yes my pnq family would get them, I won't forget the little people when I make it big! (Total joke, I doubt I will even finish this book hahah. I lack confidence)

You need more confidence, make it the best damned love story EVER, thats one thing I always preach to my soldiers, if your ganna do something, be the best at it. Make your book the absolute best, beleive its the best and it will be.

Britt, do you care to impress your readers when you write? How?

Why short poetry? WHY.

I don't think about anything else when I write, just getting out whatever I am feeling at the time. Usually the poems I am most confident in gets no traction with people, but the ones I'm iffy about or don't like gets more attention. Go figure lol

Short poetry because I don't like long poetry. I lose interest when reading long poetry and lose interest when writing it too. I just say what I need to.

Umm, I can ask you twice or thrice in a row, right? lol

Agree or disagree:

Simple is beautiful.
Poets are born not made. And
Twilight sucks.

Agree
Kind of agree.
Disagree :)

How long have you been planning your wedding thats only a few short days away now? how long have you and your Groom been together?

We have 10 days left, yikes! We got engaged August 20, 2011 and picked the date the next week. So 10 months.

We started hanging out in June 2008 but decided to be offical and exclusive in August of 08. He actually proposed when we were out to dinner (he created our first date for our 3 yr anniversary).

Who is Jason to you? Express that in 1 line. lol.

Do you play any kind of music?

SOOOOOOOO cliche but he is my better half. He complements me and brings out the best in me, and I in him. We're a good match :)

Yeah that was more than one line. It's impossible lol

Nope, I am definitely not musically gifted.

Music and your sentimental poetry would be a nice mix!

Thanks for answering, baby Britt. Muah.