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Writers, here's a short thread sharing some editorial observations and tips about what catches our eye.
This is apropos of the fact that the last few issues of Visual Verse have yielded many submissions that are a literal interpretation of the image. For example, Vol 7 was inundated with submissions about gardening.
Volume 6 had an abundance of pieces about humans leaving earth in flying machines because we'd destroyed the planet. This month is an abundance of pieces about news.
There is nothing wrong with "seeing" an image in this way. Afterall, the way you respond is entirely subjective and entirely up to you. However, we'd like to encourage you to think beyond the first layer of perception and see where else the image can lead you.
To borrow from the champions of visual thinking @vtsnational: "What more can we find?". Spend time studying the image and let it take you beyond your first impression.
The first subs published this month and examples of thinking beyond and that's what catches our eye. Pieces that are original and show us sides of the image that we hadn't seen ourselves.
And finally, if you decide to write in first person for a black or brown person please be aware of issues around cultural appropriation. This article by @KitdeWaal is excellent: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/don-t-dip-your-pen-in-someone-else-s-blood-writers-and-the-other-1.3533819
And this one by @BinyavangaW also brilliant https://granta.com/how-to-write-about-africa/
And this one spectacularly highlights one of the absolute no-no's: using any kind of food or beverage to describe black and brown skin. https://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/if-white-characters-were-described-like-people-of-color-in-l
The global Visual Verse writing community is the most alive, dedicated and creative that we know and we are proud to publish you all. This thread is to encourage you to go further with your writing. Ours is a platform where you can be brave, experiment and push your boundaries.
With LOVE. x
