Recently, winds of change blew through Ewing Publication, which released its first collection of poems called « The Storms of Suffering. » The author Eric April is a busy man. Today, Toombow Kids will give you the map that will lead you to this actor-poet’s private world.
Toombow Kids: Hello Eric, thank you for accepting our invitation! Can you introduce yourself?
Eric: Hello everyone! Thank you very much. My name is Eric April, I am 24 years old and I currently live in France. I am an actor, and also a writer at Mason Ewing Corporation. « The Storms of Suffering » is the first book I ever wrote!
Toombow Kids: Do you remember when you wrote your first poem ?
Eric: If I remember correctly, I started writing when I was about 18. That coincides with the time I left home.
Toombow Kids: Why did you choose the title « The Storms of Suffering » for your collection?
Eric: Actually, the inspiration for these poems was the personal suffering I experienced as a child that left its mark. I hope that the young readers who read my poems will feel all the emotions that I wanted to convey.
Toombow Kids: It must be complicated. What is the process of creating a poem?
Eric: It depends, but for the most part, I only write when I have an idea. Sometimes it can start with a few lines that I have in my head that I like. In that case, I stop whatever I’m doing and write them down quickly so I don’t forget anything! Inspiration can come at any time, for example, when I listen to songs that move me or even when I sleep!
Toombow Kids: Sounds intense! What is the most complicated part of writing?
Eric: Hmm… The most important thing is to make the readers feel what you want them to feel, and that is sometimes very difficult! You also have to construct the poem in such a way that it sounds pleasant to listen to when you read it out loud.
Toombow Kids: That doesn’t sound easy! What do you think are the essential elements of writing a good poem?
֤Eric: No, it’s not! (laughs) I admit I don’t know. Actually, there is no indispensable element. Everyone has a different way of working, and they will use different techniques to write. After that, I think it’s important to study rhymes, to know verse forms like tercets, quatrains, and alexandrines, to be able to play around better with the text.
Toombow Kids: What is your advice to all the children who want to write poetry one day?
Eric: They should read poetry! In school, since we had to recite poetry, I read quite a bit and it gave me an idea of how poems were made. Reading also allows you to enrich your vocabulary, but the most important thing is to always draw on your imagination!
Toombow Kids: Thanks Eric, it was fascinating to learn about the creative process.