Writing, Where to begin?

Writing

Is it a lost art? Is it sappy, illogical or prehistoric? A non entity, no longer necessary? Does it have to have a purpose? In any form? Post card, letter, note, song, story, history, movie, novel, business communication, etc.

Is it a gift or a learned skill? Is it creative or methodical, subject to a set of unalterable rules?

Is it caught or does it have to be taught?

As an art form, writing is not that complicated. The rules of sentence construction are simple. A sentence at it's most basic structure or form consists of a single noun and a verb.

Example

She shouts!

The Art of Writing

You have to first ask yourself a few questions?

• Where to begin
• What do you write
• When do you write
• What words trigger writing, musings, or how do thoughts become converted to words
• How to put feelings into words
• What am i doing it for

I suppose we no longer do anything without a specific purpose. Striving to accomplish something or just to get a task completed.

Relaxation, fun or entertainment these days are regulated, spontaneity has to be penciled in, what a shame.

This modern society is all about getting things done! Achieving goals. Hidden behind technology taking pot shots at others just because we can, it is our constitutional right? Right.

Yet, i suppose the art of writing is cathartic or spiritual because it is an expression of what the human heart wants to exclaim, verbally. But most of us don't have the kahunas to say.

Trouble is it shouldn't be done without a warning attached. Just like our mouths for that matter. With words written or verbal there are no 'do overs'. They cannot be snatched back once they are uttered and the hearer has registered them on the brain and the heart.

I have a personal motto, "if or when i say something about someone or something i have already made it known to the person." Lame but no surprises. And when or if it is ever repeated the individual has already been enlightened, - by me, the originator.

Writing has also lost it's trust factor. Today we all filter what we read by asking questions like, "Can i really believe or rely on what i have just read?" or what is the propaganda behind what is being reported? or is there another version i am not hearing?"

Skepticism and sarcasm seem to rule the day. Unbelief in anything is the new religion!

Sad but true.

So writing, where to begin.

With the heart of course? Or is it the mind? Or what have you been thinking about?

But please ask questions like

• is it beneficial to others?
• will it make someone better?
• does it need to be said?
• how will this be beneficial?
• is it just for me?

Personally, i prefer simplicity in my speech and in my reading. Complicated thoughts always cause me to inquire what the author is trying to hide.

Timeless classics, when readable are typically set up that way. No complicated words or themes to throw off the reader, well not exactly - depending on the genre and sometimes the language!

Sitting down and pouring out one's heart is a huge deal. Yet, that is where writing begins, because it always betrays what one is either hiding or afraid to communicate verbally. Whether it is fictional or some version of the truth - real events.

How the mind works

Funny thing is we think in pictures!

Ancient civilization's based their communication on pictures. The alphabet and words are relatively a new form of human communication and expression.

If i say a word, an image flashes in our minds, not the word itself or how it's spelled ..I have always found this interesting.

Example

• dog
• cat
• car

Typically things we have some experience of or are familiar with through exposure...

Yet, modern day communication is in words, although when i look at what people are doing with technology, i wonder if we haven't reverted - just a little.

Symbols, graphics and drawings seem to communicate so much more than the words it takes to express them. Yet the civilized man insists on words. Symbols are only to capture one's attention.

Right or wrong? That all depends on the individual, i suppose.

Writing, an art?

Why write

• Therapy
• Expression
• Message
• Truth
• Fiction, entertainment
• Or just to do so

Other considerations

• The art of letter writing? Is it dead..
• Writing what the heart won't allow the mouth to speak...
• The lost value of words...
• Meaning what you say, when you say it and how you say it...
• The humility it takes to really write, to expose it to others, even to one's self...
• the purpose of writing...

Writing is a vital form of communication. Nowadays we can do it from anywhere at anytime but is it of any intrinsic, worthwhile value, or are we just being bombarded by mediocrity and calling it evidence of brilliance.

Needless to say, my philosophy is and will always be to encourage writing in any form because it does give the individual a voice to their voice, but we need to have a warning label attached!