Illegibly K.M. West

Category: Writing

  • Temples & Stained Glass

    Temples & Stained Glass

    On this, the first day of Advent, I keep thinking about this season as one of preparation while also for some reason returning to the phrase, ‘our bodies are a temple.’ When I think of temples, I think of stained glass, of ritual prayer. I think of protective walls and pews in which to rest.…

  • Lions and Asians and Lit Bits, OH MY!

    Full transparency: I’ve been one foot in the grid and one foot off for some time now. My writing has taken a backseat to introspection and a desire for tactile satisfaction–I want to see, to hear, to touch, to taste. It’s been a great honor and privilege that my family and community have rallied around…

  • Deconstructing Design: Joy in a World Where ‘Wild Things Will Roam’

    Deconstructing Design: Joy in a World Where ‘Wild Things Will Roam’

    I ran a poll several months ago to ask what scene(s), if any, readers might want to see deconstructed. One of the suggestions that caught my attention was a snippet that actually happens off screen and spans only two paragraphs, but serves as the height from which the story is dropped in the last quarter.…

  • Write What You (Don’t) Know

    Write What You (Don’t) Know

    I distinctly remember the word problems in my High School physics class asking me, “If Trent wants to push a box…” so that I might determine how much force he’d need to get the damn thing moving. Lo, and behold! It’s that same static energy that holds us down, holds us back, holds us in…

  • Halloween Tease – Coming 10/31/21!

    Halloween Tease – Coming 10/31/21!

    Looking for the #HalloweenTease? Sign Up for my Newsletter for the link to drop on 10/31!

  • Why Read “The Collapse” When the World is Collapsing?

    There’s a reason why the Walking Dead, Supernatural, and pandemic films are so popular. It’s not just our morbid fascination that leads us to consume art that touches on our fears–there’s a real psychological benefit to it, too.

  • Writer’s Whirlwind.

    Writer’s Whirlwind.

    ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ʙᴇ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ. I tend to turn everything I love into work. It’s almost like there’s this subconscious penance to be paid for all the amazing things I’ve been blessed with — this feeling that if I don’t suffer (at least a little) for it, then I will no longer be…

  • This Moment.

    This Moment.

    “I’m not sure I enjoy living through all this history…” — the resounding feelings of everyone collectively. I don’t like to write when I have to pry the words from my mind. Usually, if I have nothing wise or witty to say, I just try to refrain from leaving paper-trail proof that I, too, am…

  • You’re lonely. And you’re not alone.

    Let me know if this sounds familiar: You’re feeling out of touch. You notice you’re now awkward around your closest friends and family. Every conversation you have is either superficial or about all the anxiety-inducing horrors going on around you. You feel stupid, kind of jealous, and just… on the outside, even with people you…

  • Millennials Called in Crisis to Make America Great

    Millennials Called in Crisis to Make America Great

    At the beginning of this year, a friend of mine committed suicide. It shook me in a way I hadn’t really experienced before. I questioned myself, my intention, my right to discuss his life–and his death. As his friend, I had done more than was required, but it wasn’t enough. I was kind and inclusive,…