How to create a black-out poem

And why it's great for creativity ✨

Do you ever feel like doing something a little different with your writing practice?

Good! Because I’m going to walk you through how to create a black-out poem.

But first: what is a black-out poem and why should you create one?

what is a black-out poem?

A black-out poem is a form of creative writing that involves “blacking out” the words (either with a biro, felt tip or sharpie) in another piece of writing to reveal a different selection of words. When you use your pen to cover some of the original text, what is left behind is referred to as a black-out poem.

Some writers are distraught at dog-earing pages in a book, let alone scoring black sharpie all over them. I am not one of those writers. And if you’re here, most likely neither are you. But what’s the point of marking a book like this?

why should you create a black-out poem?

Experimenting with different forms of writing is a great way to

👉🏻 boost your creativity

👉🏻 shift writers block

👉🏻 enhance your writing skills

But also experimentation is supposed to just be fun! And this is what creating a black-out poem encompasses; the mischievousness of drawing in books, playing around with words, engaging in a more arty form of poetry.

All you need to create a black-out poem is:

🖊️ a black pen (sharpies usually work well)

📖 an old book that you don’t mind scribbling all over

See the below example:

Now it’s your turn: grab your book and pen, score out the words you don’t want, and keep the ones you do!

That’s it!

Let me know if you try it below 👇🏻