Annular Eclipse, Original Poem & Photos Claire Kroening

Annular Eclipse, original poem & photos © Claire Kroening 🌫

Heads Up Seven Up

Thank you for tagging me, @maddstermind !

Rules: Post seven lines (or paragraphs, etc) from your WIP, and tag seven people!

Tagging: @enne-uni @iloveanimalsmorethanhumans @sm-writes-chaos @awleeofficial @dyrewrites @unmellowyellowfellow @petals4soho

After the cut is a recent excerpt from Colorblock Interlude!

In each nanoscopic slip of time, he transverses the bare limits of their outcomes. One glance at his star-splattered blue eyes and we'd aim to recover what’s lost from others; even if that meant losing ourselves along the line. Yet, that was the mere start—the mere start of how he roped me into another one of his schemes.

Afternoon sun slits through the window blinds into our apartment, an iridescent glow painting across the living room. Half-eaten plates of yakitori rest on the tabletop–a cold reminder that it has been nearly three days since we were absent from the present.

"Ready to take a risk, Astin?" Harper asks, a smirk playing at the cusp of his lips while his hand extends in my direction. I look up hesitantly, avoiding eye contact as much as possible or we'd fall back into a loop of the past.

I wrote this a few months ago, it's a very early draft from my novel, Edge of Being! I'm likely going to switch the POV to third person instead of first person. (Very rough draft snippet)

Find my Intro here!

I give up. The desk chair knocks back on my heels as I go to grab my wallet and keys before slipping out the door, abandoning my empty apartment after the last couple of weeks. It's for the best, even if I'll be a mere ghost in the crowded rooms of Chicago.

The early autumn air wraps itself around me. People pass by without a giving chance as though my social anxiety wanted them to notice my despair. Why did I decide to go outside again? All these faces and none are them.

I make my way to the navy pier. As the harbor comes into view a deep sigh departs from my lungs. Before I realize it, dark clouds splatter the skies, landing cool water droplets on my messy, brown hair. Of course. Skidding to a stop, I reach the railing along the pier. I gaze out to the world ahead. A small, barely noticeable grin shapes its way across my face.

Someone's hand brushes my right shoulder in a soft movement before appearing beside me. The smile on their face is full of care and light.

"It's nice to see you again after so long," they say tenderly, "I've missed you. We usually spend mornings at Two Zero Three until they close, the routine hasn't been the same without you."

WRITEBLR! how are you guys? what are you all working on these days?

use this post to share a snippet of your writing you're proud of (& link to your intros -- i'll boost!)

(This will be constantly updated!)

About Me:

My name is Claire but you can call me Eri or Echo! I go by they/them pronouns (also found in my bio). I'm an 19 year old based in the United States.

Since I was young, art and writing have played a major role in my life. Hense, it has been a passion of mine that I'm endlessly turning back to. I'm currently studying creative writing, book publishing, and graphic design online; later hoping to study art history and print production. If I could, I'd indulge in every form of art that there is. I deeply enjoy helping other indie writers and creatives alike out in their journey, from ARC reading to showcasing their small business'!

To date, my poetry has been published in 90+ magazines and lit journals across the globe. I plan on releasing 4+ poetry/prose chapbooks, so keep an eye out for any updates regarding them! Moreover, I'm in the process of writing a few novels in an array of genres, sneak peaks of the stories may be shone!

You can find out more about me on my Website as well as on Instagram, Pinterest, and Spotify.

Languages I know: English (native), Vietnamese, Thai, Norwegian, Irish, Japanese, Hebrew, Czech, Indonesian, Hungarian, Hindi, Finnish, Ukrainian, Italian, Icelandic, Arabic, French, Malayalam, Swahili, and Swedish.

Languages learning: ASL, Korean, Mandarin, Urdu and Spanish.

Some of my favorite things: Rainy days, any kind of tea, flowers, exploring, the night sky, sunsets/sunrises, bookstores, cozy coffeeshops, nature walks, old books, sweaters, making art, creating playlists, volunteering, and learning about other cultures!

Fun Facts: I have undiagnosed ADHD, dyslexia, am queer identifying, gender non-conforming, and practice Shintō.

Blog:

Erie Autumn Skies will center around creativity and where I find inspiration. Expect postcard-poems, letters of prose, possible short stories, translated works of original poems, artwork, and so forth! I may post book reviews and travel photos now and then, too! This will be a writeblr blog and a personal blog! I am open to tag games, asks, etc. as long as they are writing related.

I'm open to DMs and collaborations if you ever want to chat or write together! Everything is okay to reblog. However, no resharing my work outside of Tumblr without my permission. Additionally, I'm open to requests for short poems as long as the prefered theme is included in your request and credit is given wherever the poem is shared.

WIPs:

Poetry Chapbooks

Fiction Novels

Colorblock Interlude

Book Recs:

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

The Littlest Tea Shop in Lower by J. Lofton

The Mirror Visitor Quartet by Christelle Dablos

Secrets & Stars by Alix Klingenberg

Sakura Park by Bailey Rae

And numerous others!

Pov My Pinterest Feed:

All original posts will be tagged under erieautumn! Tag games will be tagged under erieautumn tags. Asks are under erieautumn asks.

It was nice to meet you! Happy to have you along on my creative journey and hang around for as long as you'd like! 🌸

Poetry Chapbook WIPs

Redamansy - A collection of poems themed around nostalgia and the seconds we long to return to. Sapphic love is also avid throughout the works.

Currently in the editing stage! Also in the process of finding a cover designer.

We Last Were Home-bound - Accumulated works on platonic and romantic love, where home becomes more than a place.

Midway through drafting, cover reveal below!

Aster Filled Atriums - An unthemed collection of ekphrastic poetry and prose.

Being drafted, will be in search of a cover designer soon!

Where Oceans Meet - Encompassing the seasons of love, change and mutual growth written in prose form.

Currently being drafted.

Museum of Unwritten Words - Works themed around what we keep inside and words that are held dear in our hearts from those we care about most.

Recently began drafting, cover reveal below!

Where to Find the Chapbooks

Ebooks will be available for purchase via Lulu Publishing. Order links will be found on here, Instagram, and through my website! Paperbacks may also be available in due time.

A portion of proceeds from We Last Were Home-bound will be donated in support of LGBTQ+ organizations! Similarly, a portion from Where Oceans Meet will be donated to organizations geared towards protecting our oceans and sealife. Lastly, a portion from Museum of Unwritten Words will be donated towards mental health organizations.

Storyteller Saturday/Sunday: Would you rather be the villain or the hero in your current writing project?

Definitely the hero(es) for Exiled Sanctum! They're quick-witted and know their way around the underbelly of the conflict, to a degree anyway until a sudden curve is thrown their way 😅. Even if their kind of advocating towards a government reform is a bit skeptical in some instances, it overall betters the vast majority of Qredo's civilians for the long run.

That's probably the most I can say (for now) without spoiling any major peices of information as to why I choose to be the hero 🌸