Tip of the day: Let's talk About Blackouts

You've probably seen them on Pinterest and Tumblr, floating around various social media and whatnot. They're beautiful aren't they? So simple!
I've always loved them because I've always been a minimalist.
But what I found is that these things are HARD!
So here are some tips for writing some blackout poetry.

• Choose the right material. Sounds easy enough right? Maybe. Pick something that goes with your mood. Newspapers are super popular because there's a lot of material you can get from them. But think about your mood, if you're feeling super chill, the gun violence article probably isn't going to inspire you.
•  One of my latest projects has been taking the love letters I received while I was a military girlfriend, photocopying them, and using them for material. If you're using a handwritten article such as a journal, it might help to sit down, type them out, and print them. 
• Try not to read the material! Of course it can't be helped if it's something you're already familiar with but going back to newspapers, don't read it! 
• Some people leave trails of white between words to lead the eye to the next word, but general these poems will be read left to right, top to bottom, keep that in mind while choosing words. 

Someone once told me "Words don't bleed themselves, you have to cut them." 

Write on my brave poets and start gathering your inspiration because there's only 17 days left until OctPoWriMo! 

Inspired? Thoughts? 

Follow and tweet me at @beverlytanfilm on Twitter and instagram! Stay tuned for updates for my upcoming memoir in poetry!