Writing can be an outlet used for all different reasons, which makes it unique for everyone. For some, writing is an escape. For others, it is a way of releasing the stress and anxiety one might have.

Seattle Pacific University 2018 alumni Christopher Moreton helps publish the writings of many up-and-coming authors with his publishing company “Behind The Vision”. A major characteristic of this company is its writing contests and the vast array of writing topics they cover.

“Completely Random Writing Prompts” is a collection of written works created by the submission winners from these contests, which allows writers to gain more publishing credit.

This year, “Completely Random Writing Prompts” published their first book, “The Story Behind Poems” and their second book, “The Story Behind Stories,” giving many readers different perspectives on the same topic.

“The first book we published is a poetry anthology that features 20-plus writers that range from 14-32,” Moreton said. “The second book we published is a short story collection that features 20-plus writers that range from 14-63.”

The prompts within the poetry book were spread throughout the topics of the edge, full moon, highway or champagne. From haikus to rhymes to sonnets, these poems are full of emotion to touch the readers’ hearts and make them think about the true message being brought forward by the author.

Similarly, “The Story Behind Stories” consists of word counts ranging from a single paragraph to two thousand-word stories, as well as many topics such as hatred, moon, blind, banging on the ceiling” and deer.

These books also include explanations from the authors, such as what inspired them to write about the given topics the way they did, along with the authors’ social media accounts. These give the readers an opportunity to connect with the writers on a more personal level.

Corwynn the Great, a featured poet in the anthology, sheds light on how their inspiration is sparked in a more subconscious way.

“I have very vivid dreams so I write a lot about things I dream about,” Corwynn the Great said. “I also try to write about the emotions I’m feeling, or take personal experiences or stories I’ve heard and expand on them in my own way.”

“Completely Random Writing Prompts” was founded with the goal of having the writers use their imaginations to create stories. These opportunities give the writers a chance to reach more audiences, as well as allow them to analyze their individual storytelling processes.

One of the poets from “The Story Behind Poems,” Avery Weddell, mentioned that her favorite aspect of writing is character building.

“I took a character-building class in college where we would come up with new characters and do an in-depth storyboard for each one,” Weddell said. “Now when I write, I always make character sheets and go really deep into the details.”

Another poet, Kae Osei, talked about those emotions that go into their writing.

“The main theme I like to convey through my poetry is the power of emotions, with the hope being that I can capture and move my readers the way that musicians are able to with song.” Osei said.

The purpose of writing is seen differently for each individual throughout the books . Some write for themselves, others write for the reader and some write for a specific audience they want to reach.

Many might say that starting to write a poem or story is the hardest part, but once the words start flowing, there is no holding back for many of these authors who have been given a chance by SPU alumni Moreton to share their work, thoughts and life stories.