If you're on Twitter there are some pretty awesome writing accounts to follow. There are also some very cool poets out there too. Check out this Writing Corner Wednesday poet, writer, and cool Twitter handle artist @iammalicool.
Malcolm's debut book is titled The Unspoken: An Anthology & Ballad of the Mind. He says his home, in Jamaica, is best known for their Christmas grand-market, "that’s when the streets are a lot more crowded than normal, parties, music, food vendors, etc."
Poet, Writer, & Artist Malcolm Whitby
Don't let the first book fool you, Malcolm Whitby is dabbling in a lot of other artistic endeavors like drawing, and says he is working on creating a graphic novel titled "Technovance, a Sci-fi, Fantasy, a little cyberpunk." What inspires him to come up with his stories? "Life, personal experience and experiences of others, from observation and current events and mostly random thoughts and imagination. I have an overly active imagination, If I exaggerate it a bit, I have several thoughts per second."
It's when The Writing Wall Blog inquired about what got him into writing poetry that the answer linked back to music. "Close to end of high school and rest of University, I use to write rap lyrics, my transition to poems was influenced by one of my friends who wrote some lovely poems and I wanted to know if I could write in a poetic flow rather than a rap flow. Also, I need a way to vent."
Speaking of music, Malcolm said it depended on his mood but he enjoys, "Hip-hop, R&B, souls, etc. or on YouTube - instrumentals, Jazz/Jazz Beats, type beats, classical beat mix, Lo-Fi mix, house music." His all-time favorite genre is anything, "Fantasy, sci-fi, cyberpunk, steampunk, romance, action (whether watching or reading, manga or novel)."
Malcolm told the Writing Wall Blog that he was currently reading Chronic Calamity by George Styles, Sunflower by Corinne Brown, and The Moon Hunters by Anya Pavelle. Definitely a multi-reader, and a writer who admits that he will write anywhere he gets the opportunity saying, "my thoughts are quite random and spontaneous."
The Unspoken: An Anthology &
The Ballad of the Mind
The Writing Community of Twitter and Instagram has been a great place to meet all kinds of writers, storytellers, poets, and authors. Moreover, it is a place of great support. Malcolm echoed this sentiment saying, " The support, the love, the friendship, and the vast knowledge to learn from."
In his spare time, Malcolm says he enjoys watching anime, learning something new, drawing, playing music, or gaming. His second book is about to drop too! Logopoeia: The Dance of Intelligence Among Words will be released this month (August 2020)! He also added, "I have ‘many’ graphic novels and possible novels in the storyboard phase, as well as more anthologies to follow thereafter. "
Advice to poets, writers, and others who are looking to self-publish in the near future, Malcolm gave this advice, "Go for it, it’s quick, it’s not easy but it’s not hard, it’s a learning process and also you will be doing 100% marketing of your book, before and after it’s published, so do your research before jumping in, but it’s worth it."
This poet's favorite quote comes from Paulo Coehlo of The Alchemist, "Only those who find life, find treasure." I believe Malcolm has found both in his first book, The Unspoken, and I know his readers will too.
Be sure to tune into The Writing Wall Podcast on Wednesday, August 5th at 6 p.m. to hear Malcolm discuss his books, his writing, and to read an exclusive excerpt for listeners.
To learn more about Malcolm, purchase his book(s), or follow him on social media check out the links below:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/iammalicool
Instagram: www.instagram.com/iammalicool
Blog: The Quiet Writer: www.iammalicool.wordpress.com
Book Link: www.iammalicool.wordpress.com/books
Malcolm's New Book, Coming Soon, Logopoeia!
Author’s Bio: An upcoming indie author, introverted/ambivert, lover of music and the story it tells, I draw weird stuff sometimes, I do digital art, space art, graphic designing and I have an imagination that is second nature like breathing. Writing became a way to express through words that which I couldn’t better elaborate with speech and to empty my mind of emerging worlds, a leash for my imagination if you will. Oh, I am the author of The Unspoken: an anthology from the Ballad of the Mind.
A new Writer of the Week is featured every Monday. Be sure to also follow The Writing Wall on Twitter @TheWritingWall, or on Instagram @writingsonthewall85 for the latest. You can also listen to the podcast every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month. Just search for The Writing Wall on Spotify, Google Cast, Breaker, and more. Thank you to our Writing Corner Wednesday authors, writers, and poets!