Written by Esther Son
When people think of April, there are many things that come to mind. Rain, green, and blue skies are what I think of. For writers, however, April means the beginning of a relatively new writing challenge. Aptly named Escapril, this writing challenge was started in 2019 by YouTuber Savannah Brown. A month before the first of April, Brown posts all 30 prompts onto an Instagram page dedicated to the challenge. These prompts range from single words to short phrases. Examples from this year include: dawn, the view from up here, and chemical reaction. The prompts allow an immense amount of creative freedom, and the rules for the challenge itself are very relaxed. Here are the instructions posted on the Escapril website:
1. Write a poem
The event is centered around poetry but other types of short form writing such as prose and flash fiction are also welcome.
2. Post it online
A screenshot of a Word document, a photo of your handwritten work, a filmed performance – the form it takes is up to you.
3. Hashtag your work
…with the hashtags #escapril and #escapril2019. This makes your work easy to find, enjoy and share.
4. Repeat
…for the entire month of April. The event is all about challenging yourself!
This challenge is incredibly useful for writers who are yearning for a new source of inspiration. In addition, because this challenge is focused on shorter pieces of poetry and prose, it removes the burden of producing something of a longer length. Escapril provides a routine, enjoyable activity to complete daily, especially with the self-isolation and social distancing being put into practice during this virus outbreak. The best thing about this challenge is how it revs the motor of your mind and allows you to produce content you would not have thought of otherwise. Personally, I have been struggling with a creative drought and writer’s block for months now. Escapril has changed that. Just as its name entails, it lets me escape the dullness of everyday life by writing whatever strikes me. Although I am not versed in poetry, I have been taking part in this challenge since the first day. Here is one of my favorite pieces that I have written so far:
Escapril Day 5: “The view from up here”
Clouds thick like honey
Traipse across the sky
Arrogant in their monotony
Time cannot be accurately measured
When it is constantly slipping through the sieves
Between our fingers
Each grain of time holds a memory
The ones forgotten replaced by those with more weight
And the scale is full of numbers we cannot control
Too many zeroes and decimals to count
They have eyes and mouths and buzzing bodies
Nestled in capsules that grow closer and closer
It is only then that the entrance is opened
Difficult to let in but even harder to get out
There is no key underneath a welcome mat
Or strewn on top a table in the foyer
An invitation that cannot be declined
Sealed with a blood red stamp
Emblazoned with the symbol of scrutiny
Sent from somewhere above
Necks can bend backward
With arms outstretched to the heavens
But they will never be able to reach
The depths of what they cannot see
Savannah Brown’s writing challenge is an activity that all writers can participate in. Moreover, because it is social media-based, it makes it that much easier to share and leave feedback for fellow creators. It also showcases the distinct writing styles of all the diverse writers taking part in the challenge. I challenge everyone reading this to take part in Escapril. Challenge yourself, fuel your mind, and most importantly, do not hesitate to go out of your comfort zone! As Sylvia Plath said, “…everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
Sources
TWU Write Site 