Michelle Maloney King, mother of two and writer, shares how she writes

​I'm Michelle Moloney King, mother of twin boys Regan and Dylan King. We lost Regan at 2 days old, so bitter-sweet and something we just have to live with. Dylan is two and a half years old and such a joy. I sometimes email the Gmail account I set up for him, with his news and some bits I have published.  I write avant-garde mainly, postmodern poetry, some asemic poetry and am now playing with constraint based poetry.  Work published in Streetcake, a glimpse of, The Pi Review,  Spillwords, Artistic Differences, Babel Tower Notice Board amongst others. Pushcart Nominee 2021. Visual Artists Ireland member.

Read more about Michelle on her website or find her on Twitter: @MoloneyKing

Who and what inspires you?

Surviving life inspires me, other mothers and how they can multitask, quantum physics and its many timelines and the observer effect intrigues me. I really like postmodern poets like John Ashbery, Joyce, Beckett, Christodoulos Makris, Steven J. Folwer, all unique and all avant-garde. I just want an outlet that allows different forms of expression. I get to write postmodern poems, erasure poems, asemic poems, play with surrealist short fictions... that really inspires me. And as a mother, daughter, sister it is so important to have an outlet and that people around you respect your time, talent, and give you that space.

How do you find time to write as a parent?

I started poetry during Ireland's first lockdown so didn't have much time. When childminding was open, I was lucky to still be at home but got to drop off my darling son and used to write. Starting a poetry journal though - wow, took all my time and 4 months in, I feel that I have the journal guidelines and its procedures better suiting me and my life. I'm going back into the classroom so writing will be during breaks... and for an hour in the late evening if it feels right. Weekend mornings are a good time to write. Writing is my Arsenal, so I use that metaphor in my family and that's understood

Which writing activities kickstart your writing when you're struggling?

I approach writing the way an artist does, I muddy the page with scribbles, notes, words, even a HI YA. That breaks the need for perfection and gets the ball rolling. Also, I write all the time by making notes of interesting things I notice, thoughts, lists... and that's the basis of my poems. I don't really use exercises to write. I layer it, flesh them out with bits and pieces from everything I find interesting.

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