The talent of writing is often a planted seed, and those who choose to nurture it can truly cause it to flourish. In this installment of Burlington’s Got Talent, we are featuring Aaron Grierson, a talented and creative local author who has done just that.
For Aaron Grierson, his first introduction to creative writing was in the 11th grade. Through a high school ‘writer’s craft’ class, he was able to dabble in short stories and poetry. Although this was the first time Aaron was introduced to creative writing, there is no singular moment that drove him to his pursuit of storycraft. He explains, “I think I more so just fell into it as the ideas for stories and poems fell into or otherwise materialized in my mind.”
Since then, Aaron’s been working on developing his own personal style. Within that journey, his vocabulary has and continues to evolve, as have his tastes and influences. For instance, his early fascination with dragons and high fantasy has given way to deeper explorations of folklore, science fiction, and horror pools. His writing process itself has also developed quite a bit. Rather than “pantsing,” a term used in the online writing world that means only mapping a chapter or two ahead, as he did with a Star Wars fanfic novel draft, he’s learned to fully outline stories.
Along with being a big fan of the speculative genres, Aaron has a wide range of creative capacity, spanning various genres and topics. Take a look at the following poem on justice:
The Nametag of Justice
Hello, My name is Justice
Not Justine, or Justinian
I am free of pomposity.
My creed is simple:
Justice for all
Big or small
Right or wrong!
For I am undying
This body may pass
But another always rises
Taking my place.
We are legion, for we are many
Always existing
Entwined with humanity
There is no escape from me
Only delaying the inevitable.
For We can seek, even after death
So safe us the trouble, don’t hide.
Instead, join us.
Be fair, and just
Spite crime for
The wastrel it is
Besides
We have
Free t-shirts and
Cookies.
A note from Aaron on this poem: “[This] started an exercise in an online class I took during the early months of the pandemic — one of random word pairings, you know the type. There’s a lot going on in a seemingly simple poem, from referencing memes to being contradictory for the fun of it, we examine justice not as something tangible, but as the immutable concept that always comes back — for Big Brother is always watching.”
Like this one, all of Aaron’s pieces come with a distinct flavour, blending unique ideas with his personalized style. Aaron states that his ideas often come to him at the worst moments — mid-conversation or while he’s in the shower. He explains, “I’ll have a line, or an image emerge in my mind and itch at my brain until I get it on paper.” Sometimes they come to him in the middle of his Dungeons and Dragons planning sessions, which he’ll sometimes use to create his next story.
“Early Morning Sky” is another poem that Aaron’s written. This one was spurred by the Canadian winter and other vibes. Have a read below.
Early Morning Sky
Cold breath of morning
Lies at my feet, the air dense and compact.
My spirits soar, though the sun is but a crack in the sky.
Lungs exhale excitement for the potential beauty of the day.
Nervous! My hands shiver in anticipation, glazing the last grass of the season.
Like Frost, I feel pastoral, a particular connection to the roots of this situation.
The snow is my saviour, a sweetly soft blanket comforting the hard ground,
Nipping my ankles all the while.
The air is calm, yet stories cling, all around, just waiting to be found.
Try as I may my hands cannot grasp what my eyes cannot see,
Perplexed sighs cloud the air, my vision edging in icicles dainty to the touch.
Upon my blanket bright sky marches over
Not stopping to notice my ignorant flavour.
Slowing, like clouds to a proper state
My mind drifts on, aimless sinking to a scene from posterity.
Aaron says about this poem, “Any other night owls ever been awake at the crack of dawn and gotten outside to enjoy it in the dead of winter, and actually enjoyed it? I have, at least once, and this poem was the result of that. Frost isn’t one of my role models, but when it came to early North American poetry about the outdoors, he’s got some great stuff. Moreover, I love the snow at any time of day, assuming it’s above -20C and after 9 a.m. Hiking in the winter is especially wonderful — the whole world is quiet and serene, yet there is life, and that life has so much to say. Sometimes, it’s just hard to hear it over civilization.”
Even with Aaron’s seemingly limitless flow of ideas, he too faces the inevitable writer’s block or lack of inspiration, lasting anywhere from a few days to weeks. Thankfully, he’s come up with a few strategies to help move past them. He says, “Writing exercises, or freewriting help. Sometimes I need to walk away from things for a week or two — you can get too close to the written word, and self-editing can be tricky.”
Through years of experience, Aaron has also collected a few simple yet crucial tips for aspiring writers: “Read. A lot. Read wide, too, both author and genre. Get feedback from friends, if they’re critical readers, or able to give feedback that you can take as impersonal — feedback is never about you, but the words you put down on the page.”
Currently, Aaron is working on editing a couple of stories and getting some more of his poems published. He has one poem slated for June in Polar Borealis, and a short story by Aaron titled “Flames and Fowl Play” is scheduled to be published in this very column in the coming weeks. Be sure to check those out as well as Aaron’s previous publications in Polar Borealis, Polar Starlight, The Sirens Call, and Spill Words Magazine.
Looking ahead, Aaron hopes to continue pursuing storycraft. While he dreams of making it a full-time job, Aaron’s “more rational side” hopes it can be a part-time endeavour. Regardless of where Aaron’s love for storycraft takes him, his passion and knack for writing ensure he has a bright future filled with exciting possibilities and creative growth. To close, we leave you with one more poem from Aaron, “The Quatrain,” along with three final pieces of advice.
The Quatrain
They always told me
Things happen in threes
Yet one day there were four
I loved who had fallen
And while I only have memories,
Of that place today
So much lost family
The right place at the wrong time
Still evokes dismay.
Four relatives, one station
Taken by some twisting fate
From the arms of close ones,
No ringed preserver kept even three.
A picture perfect moment
Of how time marches on
Beyond the lives of anyone
Grinding beneath our feet
To some great beyond
Where points need not be made
And our trifles and upsets
Blur beyond ourselves.
Regarding this poem, Aaron says, “This poem is, in many ways, about flying in the face of convention. Going against its namesake (typically a stanza of four lines with alternating-line rhymes), this is an ode focused on the loss of four people close to me in a brief span of time. The Rule of Three is something I’ve never liked, despite how effective a literary convention it is, much as I had to learn to be comfortable delving into my emotions. Despite being about loss, this poem is more about death at a distance, rather than the overwhelming melancholy I felt at the time. That distance is capturing a moment in time, before, like a snap, time forgets us.”
Three key pieces of advice from Aaron Grierson: “Only you can prevent forest fires; watch out for deepfakes, and never let a LLM (large language model) tell you what to do — always check your facts.”
Interested in Aaron’s journey and work? Make sure to give him a follow on Instagram or find him on LinkedIn.
“Burlington’s Got Talent” is a newly developed column where we will be featuring a multitude of talents and creative projects from different people all across the city of Burlington. If you are a local artist, storyteller, or have a unique talent you would like to share, please send an email to talent.localnews@gmail.com for an opportunity to be featured.
