Ritika: What do you remember from your days at The School for Young Writers and/ or being published in Write On magazine?
Marissa; So many memories! The best part was being together with other kids who cared about the craft of writing. For one story, I wanted a character to drive a fancy car, but wasn’t sure what. Another student suggested Peugeot. I didn’t know how to spell it, so she wrote it down for me in my writing book. I can still picture it – Peugeot –- in her cursive script. I remember us saying Peugeot over and over to each other. Words were our currency, and the perfect word had high value.
The Write On mag was memorable too. Every time a new edition arrived, we’d all get a copy and thumb through to see which pieces had been included.
Ritika; Which early experiences/ opportunities/ classes have influenced your writing the most?
Marissa: The most influential aspect for me was probably the repeated honing of core skills which occurred in every class. We’d read or listen to sample work or each other’s pieces and discuss what makes good writing good. We not only discovered what kind of writing we liked, but – more importantly – why we liked it. These conversations established my ability to recognise when an image is tired or fresh. Along with those reflections were so many exercises and prompts to generate new material. Writing freely and then editing for ages and ages. I developed the stamina and motivation to push my work beyond the obvious.
Importantly, I learnt what it felt like to be a writer in the world as we found a nook or went on excursions with our notebooks, exploring the Arts Centre (where our classes were at that time) or the Botanic Gardens. Keenly observing with all senses. Listening to how people actually talk.
It made me appreciate writing as a process, like swimming or cooking. You can feel it when you’re doing it, and you can improve if you’re committed to it.
Ritika: How has your writing evolved over the years?
Marissa: I reckon my writing has evolved with my increased self-awareness over time. When I was younger, I sometimes wrote things that didn’t ring true. Some pieces lacked vitality, burdened by a trope or a form or the idea of what I wanted to do rather than the work being alive to itself. I’m better at avoiding that now.
I’ve always been drawn to lyric writing, and I’ve had phases of writing songs more than writing poetry. I’m probably more on the songwriting side now, but I’m sure I’ll swing back again.
Another gradual change is that I’m sharing a lot less of the things I write. I used to be comfortable splashing words around in the open, like wild paint. I still do that now for myself, but I take more pains over deciding when a piece is ready for publication as opposed to still being more of a private doodle.
Ritika; You seem to write poetry the most. Why do you think that is the form you have gravitated to?
Marissa: That’s a really good question, Ritika. “Poetry” is a fuzzy concept, but let’s not get caught up in that.
I gravitate to poetry, I think, partly because I’m attracted to both perfection and adequacy. Between those points of tension, a poem tends to drop out more easily.
I’ve heard a quote: A poem is never finished, it is just abandoned. That seems right to me, but the opposite is equally so. Poems can be so small. A few crumbs can be enough. Or you can add more. When is a poem a poem? When is a pile a pile?
As a perfectionist, shorter forms suit me. The fewer words you have, the less work it is to get just right.
Ritika: What is it you most want to say/ convey through your poems?
Marissa; Of course it depends on the poem. I find myself driven by emotions a lot. When I swell with gratitude, I might write an ode. Giving thanks is a common motivation for me, especially for simple, strange or overlooked things. I also love the succulence of words. I sometimes write for the sounds themselves, and what tricks they stir up.
Ritika: Thanks, Marissa. And thanks for the inspiration to write my new piece inbetween.
