Author Spotlight: Braeden Michaels

Braeden Michaels won 1st prize in Prose Poetry in the Northwind Writing Award 2023 for his poem “Echoes of Stale Air.” It is an honor to feature his Q&A here on Raw Earth Ink as part of our promotion of truly exceptional authors.

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Q & A

Candice: In Echoes of Stale Air, you seem to master the genre of prose poetry, is this a genre you feel very attached to? If so, why? How do you feel it differs from poetry or prose alone?

Braeden: That is quite a compliment. I actually have not published much prose. I think prose for me is a bit more challenging because there is more structure than verse. Overall, I challenge myself as a writer to separate myself from others. I take a lot of pride in my craft in a few specific areas; creative title, imagery, and language. Prose for me tends to be a bit more challenging to incorporate imagery and to make the piece flow. I don’t see myself as a master but always looking to improve. I will say though I am very confident. There are pieces that I have finished and see that I have accomplished my goal after reading it. 

C: In I Am the Color Black, your description is so vividly written, it has such an unapologetic blunt approach that distinguishes your writing. Is this intentional? If a style you are drawn toward, how did this come to be?

B: As a writer, I want all of the senses to be felt within my work. Yes, I want the majority of my pieces to grab you by the throat. Is this intentional? Absolutely. I create conspicuous phrases and compelling lines to make you reread it again. To me it’s a recipe, a pinch of this and a pinch of that but never too much of one ingredient to consume you. As far as this particular piece I will turn into a book. This project will be layered meaning I will take a phrase from each piece and be the title of the next poem. Each of my books have a different feel and objective to them. 

C: What wakes you up in the night and gets you writing?

B: Actually, I get my best ideas from a good night sleep. I tend to wake up with titles or phrases in my head. 

C: Where do you feel you struggle the most as a writer, in terms of any aspect of the writing experience to you personally?

B: I started to write between 8 and 10 years old. I spent my youth hiding it and didn’t realize I was writing poetry until high school. My mother was constantly sick growing up and she was the only one who saw that I had a gift. Most of the pieces I wrote were dark and just felt misunderstood. My first book “The Raven’s Poison” is the only book where a reader will read pieces that reflect some of my personal experiences. I struggle to put myself into my work because I don’t want my work to be repetitive. My focus as a poet is to be a storyteller and tend to see the world from a different perspective so my work is gravitational. 

C: What do you get out of other writers and how? Meaning, when you read a book, you absolutely love, what is it specifically that really pulls you in?

B: I am generally pulled in by the details and intelligence of the writing. If I see holes in a plot, I stop reading. Dialogue has to feel realistic. I tend to analyze everything I read and watch. 

C: Which writers have cultivated in you an urge to write as well as them, even if differently and what was it about their writing or story that encouraged you to begin your journey as a writer?

B: The poem that inspired me to write and say I want to be a poet was “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg. I am a huge fan of the Beat Generation. It was first time you read poetry with curse words. The poetry from this group was unhinged, poetry that spoke the truth. I have read “Howl” a dozen times and wanted to do something similar but with my voice. COVID hit and the world begin to change. It inspired me to write “Growl from the Sun.” My approach to this poem wasn’t about sides but about humanity. If I had to pick a few pieces that someone should read, this poem would be one. 

C: If you were describing yourself to someone else, anonymously and they did not know you, what would you want them to know about you?

B: This is a great question. I don’t like to describe or advertise who I am. I want people to ask the right questions and let them decide who I am. Many of us advertise who we are, and our actions don’t often reflect who we are. I tend to speak the truth and people generally don’t want to hear it. 

C: What do you make of writers who do MFA programs versus those who do not? In other words, do you think a writer needs a degree of ‘education’ or do you believe a writer is born able to write or becomes able to write through lived experience primarily?

B: Education is subjective and there are different types of writing. I think most creative writing can be a combination of experience, natural ability, and some form of education. It depends on what you want to do as well. I seek out poets that I don’t know and try to read them to improve my craft. Reading and writing go hand in hand to improve. 

C: What role do you think mental health plays in our role as writers? Can you be entirely balanced as a writer? Does it tend to attract people who struggle in some way? Has it no bearing? How does it play into a writer’s output if at all?

B: I get the impression from society’s point of view that a writer is different, unique, eccentric, and a little off beat. The view of a poet is somewhat similar but add “broken” to that definition. A poet is writing to tell their story, heal, maybe help others. I think as a poet we attract those who can relate to it. I think writing is very therapeutic and again for me it is challenging because I need it to be. The day it’s not I will stop writing. I think we all write for different reasons and sure it helps our mental health. 

C: Share something random with me…

B: Most of us would rather be right and lose someone than admitting they are wrong and have someone.  

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To read The 2023 Northwind Treasury, including Braeden’s winning piece, you can purchase it (come December) in paperback on Lulu, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon or as an eBook on Lulu, Nook, Kobo, or Kindle. To see the list of contents and winners, visit our winner’s page.