Madison Cocchiaro
Professor Grant
WRIT 201-002
1 May 2021
Process Paper
I learned how to become a better and more developed writer from WRIT 201 and from
Professor Grant. The two processes I most enjoyed learning and utilizing throughout my creative
process are incubation and constraints. They almost sound contradictory as when one thinks of
incubation they think of growth and the very definition of creative constraint is to restrict an idea
or concept. These two processes work together oddly well. I think starting off with constraints on
the idea actually promotes a better incubation process than just going for it right off the bat. If
you have a solid base for a piece of poetry and you need to go into better detail in certain verses,
this is where constraints would come in. Developing a single line in a piece takes putting tight
constraints around the idea that you are seeking to develop. So before you can begin to use the
incubation process to further develop that line you have to first decide the very specific idea you
are going for. The reason I enjoy using this process so much is not because it is the most
efficient, but I think it yields the best result for my type of work. I typically write poetry and this
technique has come in handy when I am trying to just revise singular lines for a better effect. All
that to say that this class not only developed me as a writer, but taught me about how chrisitanity
and creative writing go hand in hand. The way the class was taught did not teach the concept of
christianity and writing separately, but taught it together as an intertwined process.
I have selected three journals from which I would be able to publish my work . The first
of the three is Angst, which is a journal for marginalized groups seeking to promote feminism
and physical works. I personally identify as part of the LGBTQ community and I also happen to
write poetry and creative nonfiction pieces that fit into that category of feministic pieces. The
pieces I write are about the pain we experience as females. Angst’s whole mission is to be a
platform for those who struggle to have a voice and be seen. I personally think that members of
the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups should have the same opportunities as
everyone else. I think by using this as my main submission platform I would be supporting an
initiative that actually in return is supporting my creative endeavors. The second journal I found
is called BatteryPack and it is known for publishing creative pieces, particularly poetry, in 70
words or less. This would be perfect for my poetry submissions because I tend to err on the side
of 6 lines or less when it comes to a majority of my work. The only slight issue is that they
primarily prefer horror pieces, but they do not limit their submissions to just that. The last journal
I found is called Flare Journal and it was founded by a group of young writers who have a
passion for exploring the human experience. The pieces I write typically are pertaining to the
unfortunate human experiences we experience, such as mental health, lost love, etc. The Flare
Journal would be a perfect platform to submit these types for work.
