Fierce Writing: Finding Yourself Through Poetry

When you see the word fierce, do you imagine a wild animal with its fangs bared, maybe blood dripping from them? Fierce Writing is not violent, but it is wild because it’s free and uncensored, with no thought of whether it is good or polite but whether it is real and true.

Using “jump-off” lines from a poem chosen for its accessibility and ability to get the juices flowing, we write continuously for 15 minutes, pen never leaving the page, to bypass that internal censor who tells us what we write needs to be good and only show us in a positive light. Then we read aloud what we wrote so that we all get to experience what it feels like to share our real selves and hear others share theirs.

We don’t critique each other’s writing or even make verbal comments. We just give each other our undivided attention and then nonverbal gestures of support at the end of a reading. This creates a bond and trust that we don’t get in everyday conversations about the weather and how things are going at work. It's up to you what you do with your writing. Maybe it becomes a poem, a story, or a non-fiction piece, or maybe it just stays where it is in the safe container of our time together.

Fierce Writing is courageous writing. It’s putting it all on the page, so it doesn’t stay locked up inside. You will be surprised at what comes out when you can be your authentic self and be loved for it.

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