How to Write a Blackout Poem, Step by Step

“So explain these poems you’re making,” my cousin said. “How exactly does that work?”

She’s not the only one who’s asked. Since May 5, 2019, I’ve committed to 100 days of creating blackout poems (#the100dayproject). Each day, I create one original poem with art, which I share on social media.

That conversation inspired me to document. So here, for my sweet cousin Karen and everyone else who’s interested, is an explanation of my blackout poem process.

What is a “blackout poem”?

Blackout poetry is a form of poetry born from existing text. For example, noted writer and artist Austin Kleon uses newspaper. Many people use books. Essentially, redacted (or blackout) poetry is a derivative work, using selections from another writer’s work as the basis for making new creative content.

The “blackout” or “redacted” aspect refers to removing the unwanted words. The simplest way is a thick black line. But imagination is your only limit.

I decided to use Artemis, a science fiction novel by Andy Weir, as my basis. Why Artemis? The font is clean; it’s printed on lovely, thick ecru-colored paper; and I already had a copy, which I was willing to sacrifice for the sake of art. To simplify and standardize across all 100 days, I devised my own rules:

• solely use Artemis
• choose pages at random (open the book and tear one out)
• no put-backs or substitutions (two sides to a page, so make one work)
• live with screw-ups (no starting over due to mistakes)
• share the finished product, no matter what

I also decided to try different blackout techniques in the hopes I’d be inspired to discover my own style.

What do you need to start?

Absolutely essential to creating blackout poems? An old-fashioned pencil and quality eraser, plus a sharpener to keep that pencil point perfect.

Here’s what I have in my blackout poem tool chest:

• pencil, eraser, and sharpener
• hardback copy of Artemis
• assorted Sharpie markers (fine and thick)
• variety of pens
• colored pencils
• Wite-Out Extra Coverage (I prefer bottle with applicator to tape)
• rulers (long and small)
• washi tape (thin Japanese masking tape)
• glue stick
• 160-page spiral sketch book

I’ve organized a container so all pen colors are visible. The basics–pencil, eraser, small ruler, glue stick, sharpener–are easily stored and transported in a Blue Avocado reusable bag.

Also important: dedicated work space. Sitting on the floor, in front of a big window, surrounded by pens and working on a portable lap desk, best suits me.

How do you write the poem?

After I’ve torn out my page, I skim the text for interesting words or phrases. It’s not important to actually read the page–in fact, I think the original text provides too much influence. Lightly box or circle interesting words or phrases (lightly, because you’re going to do a lot of erasing).

Read what you’ve chosen and consider those words. Do you see a theme? Are certain words calling to you? Does something spark an idea?

Erase the lines around words you decide you don’t need. Then, look for ways to connect the interesting words and phrases you’ve selected. What needs to be added to complete the idea? Feel free to use parts of existing words (for example, the “exist” found in “existing”) or make new words by choosing letters (turning “exist” into “exit” by covering up the “s”).

Take your time. Erase lots. Try different combinations. When the words you’ve chosen convey what you’d like and make you happy, your poem is complete.

How do you make the blackout part?

I’ve learned it’s important to mark my poem first. Take a pen and make colored boxes around chosen words. It’s easy to accidentally color over or redact lightly penciled boxes.

Once the poem’s in place, distracting readers from the outside words is crucial. How you do that is a large part of the fun in blackout poetry.

There’s classic redacting (hey, we’ve all seen the Mueller report, right?), where text is covered by clean and simple black lines. But it’s possible to be much more artistic. This example poem, created on Day 50, had been heavily influenced by my earlier chat with Karen; we’d talked about aging, spirituality, and yoga (among lots of other things). The concept of yin and yang naturally sprang to mind, and that symbol was a perfect way to surround to my poem and cover unwanted text.

Sketch your design. Decide your colors (use a test sheet to try concepts before committing). If desired, search for existing images as model and inspiration.

What to do with blackout poems when you’re done

Make sure you’ve erased all unwanted pencil lines. Read over your poem a few times. Scan to make sure your design is complete. Touch up lines as needed.

I collect my blackout poems, each numbered, titled, and glued on a page in a dedicated notebook. Looking through that book–something I do surprisingly often– is a true source of joy.

Social media (especially Instagram) is a great way to share blackout poems. Some don’t translate well to photographs, so work to get the best image. Many writers transcribe their poem in the post’s caption area.

Use hashtags to help people discover your poems. Following #blackoutpoetry on Instagram has revealed a wide variety of styles, content, and materials, and introduced me to a supportive community of poets, artists, and makers. To see my blackout poems, search Instagram for #100dayprojectblackout–that’s the hashtag I use to tag each daily exercise (“most recent” shows poems in chronological order).

August 15, 2019, will be Day 100! And you know what? I already know what’s coming next.

Links for More

Legal stuff: “Copyright in Derivative Works and Compilations”

read the redacted Mueller report online

“Why Yin Yang is one of the most important designs in the world” by Rohan Harikumar

all my poems at #100dayprojectblackout on Instagram