Do you often write with the intention of making life better for individuals and/
Do you often write with the intention of making life better for individuals and/or the world?
If so, what subjects do you write about? How to you write something that "matters"?I write sometimes to amuse others. In this way I may be making the world a better place for my readers. Making someone smile or even laugh can help them get through a bad day. Does that matter? To the overall world probably not. There are lots of little items in my novel Desk Job that I have been told can improve one's day.
Just taking someone away from the day's care by taking them elsewhere in your writing can have benefits to that someone. This is what is so great about SF and Horror. You can walk away from a good Horror thinking your life isn't so bad after all. I wrote Disco Evil ages ago with that in mind.
Sometimes you want to write to remind people of the past and how it is connected to the present. Sometimes the connection is rather strange. For example Australians were fighting in Mesopotamia in 1916. So what you say? Well, of late Australians have been fighting in Iraq. The connection? Iraq is basically modern day Mesopotamia.
Afghanistan has quite a history with the west. First the British in the late 19th Century. Then the Russians in the 20th Century. And the USA, British, Australians, etc in the 21st Century. So who has tamed Afghanistan? No. Not the British. No. Not the Russians. Hmmm! This is a hard nut to crack and maybe best left alone or maybe better approaches to the question of what to do with the place made.
Oh yes. Into history. I have asked a number of people with a background in history to find a complete 10 year period in the 20th Century in which military forces from Australia haven't been engaged in fighting somewhere. It seems that it can't be done. I wonder if the USA would fare any better?
I believe that figuring out where we have been and where we are likely to end up is important. Novels like 1984 and Brave New World really get me where I live. So do the Alice books written in the 19th Century. They may have been intended for children by the author but, like anything good, they go beyond that. The same can be said for the Wizard of Oz books (yes, there was more than one.) My Desk Job was a slightly more adult salute to the Alice (UK) and Oz (USA) books. I wanted to say something about the times I live in and the absurdities of life. Amusing? Sometimes...I just finished my third book. The first one was inspired by the 911 catastrophe. A 711 page book called "Up[ One Level" dedicated to possibly help mankind save itself from annihilation.
I have four children out there and I felt obligated to do what I could to help them and all others on the planet see the error of their ways I'd already seen at 68 when I wrote the book.
The problem is not so much publishing but marketing. It's a complex and expensive process and if not done properly, not one book will reach the general public no matter how good it is.
I wrote another called "Treasure in Your Backyard" for fun and to help people learn how to find unbelievable treasures with a metal detector while developing a life long hobby. And with gold well over 1000 dollars an ounce these days, a very lucrative hobby indeed.
The third, just finished but not published or entitled yet is an 800 page science fiction book I wrote just for fun in the hopes it will make it to the big screen. This one was purely for fun and profit but much harder with more than a dozen characters.
I don't believe it matters what you write as long as you write something. We all have something to offer. If you can help others in life great but I would point out that even a frivolous book loaded with humor can be a great help as well...My main intention for writing is for me to remember a certain place, event, or activity. If someone finds what I write of value to them in their circumstances or plans, I have exceeded my expectations. I hope like-minded people can learn from my experiences, good and bad. Most of my writing on Hubpages is a record of my interests, travel and personal history.
I always try to write something new, that makes others attract towards my matters. Even, I am thinking of something great, that must be published everywhere in the world. But, It is not a easy task to do. But, I don't want to give up my idea.
I write different subjects or topics that I know about like gardening, languages, cooking and different country recipes. I like to write and share my knowledge about other languages that I know how to speak like Spoken Arabic language, my own language which is Tagalog. I found that my hub about spoken Arabic has helped a lot of people who speak the Arabic language to learn the English language and I am quite happy with that. I also like writing about gardening because I learn as a child growing up in my own country how to grow lots of vegetables and flowers. If it helps other people then I am happy. Plus if it gives me a little spending money earned then that would be a bonus. Thanks for the question.
When I was young and idealistic I did think in terms of wanting to improve the world or something of the sort. As I got older I concluded that it was kind of arrogant for me to think I could be able to make people of the world better. I adopted the philosophy of trying to write the best stories of articles that I could and maybe hope the reader will find them entertaining and/or useful.
Not directly. When I write fiction, I do so to satisfy an inner need to create something artistic. However, I remember books that truly moved me and I think about the impact they had, not just in my writing career, but in my mood and outlook at the time. So, in that regard, I would like the books I write to have a similar impact on someone. It doesn't have to be everyone, but if a single reader is able to escape into what I've created, and come out with a better outlook, or a more defined goal of what they want to do with their own work, then I think I've accomplished more than I could have ever hoped.
No.
I don't.
Apparently the two answers above didn't contain enough words... but the answer is still No.As a literary artist, I would have to say that I do not, unless making entertainment, beauty, etc. count.
But these days I mainly write about education and I'm completely hoping to make life better for everyone. I believe in education as an absolute good. Our Education Establishment, on the other hand, believes in dumbing down the country to the degree they can get away with it.
(If you don't understand how true that is, here's an article: religion.rantrave.com/Rant/Cannon-Fodder-1814-Ideology-Fodder-2014.aspx )My newest novel is for the purpose of exposing the wrongdoings of the legal professionals in the United State. The story is based on my personal experience. It’s an open secret that many judges have become political straws, and lost sight in what the judicial system stands for. Lawyers win lawsuits not based on the facts, but on good relationship with the judges, and judges everywhere abuse their power in public without the fear of consequences. I witness the Presiding Judge of Bergen County, NJ forces a disabled veteran out of his home without letting the man speak, and when another man tries to show proof in court that he does not owe rent, the judge disregards the evidence and throws him out of the courtroom.
Every day, millions Americans go to court for one reason or another. Many of them encounter discrimination and injustice. They are full of anger, despair, and helplessness. Their legal rights are trampled by unethical lawyers and judges, yet they can do nothing about it. If everyone knows how tainted judges and lawyers operate in a courtroom, I’m sure less people will fall victims to the corrupted system. Judges are capable of committing wrongdoings. Litigants should arm themselves with knowledge, protect their legal rights. Therefore, ensure the fairness of the Judicial System.
Many people have no idea that in the United States, most judges are chosen from a pool of private lawyers, not by the people, but by the State Governor, who needs them for political reasons. Take NJ State Governor as an example, with the help of those judges he personally appointed, he’s able to block the investigation on Washington Bridge Incident, and prevent the public from knowing the truth. This man is also eyeing the presidency, what a horror. No wonder Judges in this country abuse their power, and openly shield criminals from prosecution. The citizens of the land need to know Judges are not above the law. Sadly, very few litigants know that judges must follow the Code of Judicial Conduct, or else they would be disciplined.
The only way to beat the corrupted system is by gathering the strength of the people and spread the knowledge. My story reveals dark courtroom secrets that legal professionals don’t want the public to know. The tale sends a positive message to the people: money and power can’t overthrow the truth. With knowledge and wisdom, even the weakest person can become invincible. I’m currently seeking a publisher for the novel.I always do. My main topic is respect for the use of water. This includes efficient use, pollution, how water helps life, the way our bodies use water, products that use water, and how we can support nature's water cycle. I always include an action component, so readers have some good takeaway.
Unfortunately, most people are searching for more mundane things, like the latest movie or sports star gossip, or family support topics, like recipes or things to buy for children or for the home. I don't get much readership, even though my hubs are written to HP's highest standards.Water is a very important topic. Maybe you could do a piece on the water shutoffs in Detroit? That might draw in people through the political angle and get more attention for your other hubs.
Family support is important. And certainly, it links back to use of water. After all, families use water, too, which means they would buy water products for their family, and are also dependent on the water cycle to survive.
I do write to inspire people for living a better life with humanistic, moral and healthy values. I started my blog at vnktchari.blogspot.in two years ago with this good intention and still writing there whenever I like to writing. At hubpages also I want to give inspiration with my hubs which can be of help to people. I would like to see a good world with no corruption, no crimes and a place where people live with good moral values and healthy thinking attitude.
Yes. I write on homelessness topics. I also incorporate themes of ethical action, responsibility, empathy, joy and wonder found in science, and brotherly love in my science fiction.
You write something that matters by choosing topics that matter to you, then having conversations about them with your keyboard. Pretend your computer is a very nice person with a kind and caring heart who will want to act on what you say as soon as he or she understands it like you do. Then help that imaginary person understand by giving him or her facts, personal experiences, and feelings that come right from your gut.
Respect your readers enough to give them raw, deep feelings that hurt you coming out without being afraid of scaring them away. Try to state facts without bitterness, but don't shy away from your anger, just express it civilly and clearly directed at those who actually deserve it. Don't shy away from your joy, either. It may be hard to understand how there can be joy associated with a horrible injustice, but there's beauty to be found even in the darkest topics. Share that with them, too.
Extend your trust to your readers by being vulnerable. They won't all be worthy of it, but those who are will realize you respected them enough to take those risks and they will care what you have to say. Nothing makes people act like good people quite as well as showing them you trust them to be good people. And you CAN trust them. People WILL amaze you.
The results of my writing have been better than I ever dreamed they could be. People have written me to say my writing has inspired them to start charities. Individuals have written to say I've changed their minds and formerly homeless people have even emailed me to say I saved their lives, though I think they were being a tad overly dramatic. One of my articles on myths about homeless people currently on HubPages has been included in social issues textbooks for children ages 11 to 13 in the UK. One couple even credits an article of mine for inspiring the $20 homeless backpack care kit movement.
It's both joyous and humbling. Nothing anyone writes would do any of that if the people they were writing for weren't already amazing human beings.
People are social, caring creatures. Most of them will care about injustices if they are made aware of them. Remember that it isn't about you; it's all about them. It's a privilege to show people how kind and powerful they are.This is my major reason for writing. Benefits come after you have done something. Writers do act as the voice of the world, the voice for the hopeless, the voice for the rights of humans, the voice of what is true, and so on. If one's intentions is majorly money, then the quality and the message of the written word want to be effective and of quality. Pass the message, make the world at least a bette rplace, and reap the rewards in the long run.
Thank you very much for the comments that have been submitted so far. Obviously, many have given this subject a lot of thought, and have awesome, unique and interesting reasons for their responses.
I have decided not to choose a "best" answer, or comment on the responses individually, because I think they are all valid and remarkable in their own ways. It is an important subject to think about-- even if you believe your writing is not that important.
As a classroom teacher, I was surprised to find out that, occasionally, something I had previously said or done, became significant to an individual. Matters that I had given little thought to, and had long forgotten, sometimes did make a difference.
I hope others will continue to contribute their thoughts.... and keep up the good work.I write to satiate an inner itch. Making the life of someone or the world better through my writing, if at all happens, is purely accidental!
I write something that matters just to me; I write on several subjects like Hinduism, childhood nostalgia, human relationship issues, peaceful living, management and/or any other subject that interests me.
Again if it matters to somebody, it is welcome!What a sweet and unexpected question? Actually the answer lies in your own state of consciousness; your willingness to serve with sincerity of purpose. When the purity of intention is there, I'm not sure the subject matters. Still, I write about the spiritual. One can act from this base to serve in many different ways.
Not necessarily writing about the spiritual. There are many areas to serve, but I'm saying that the base, the foundation, must be spiritual. It is impossible to serve without some degree of Love. Much peace.- John Crawfordposted 9 years ago
0I try to go by the standard St. Paul set down:
"For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8, Douay-Rheims version)
Writing is an art. This is defined to me the best by Socrates and the Greek meaning of it as 'excellence'. Therefore, writing, speaking, and thinking, particularly from the view of virtue and excellence calls forth the desire to do such in a way that continually seeks to make life better, or at least improve one's outlook on life, and most especially to what is true, excellent, and virtuous.
That said, I write on various topics and interests, be they every day things, like a journal, or fantasy/science fiction, and everything in between. It really depends on what strikes my intrigue or imagination at the time. But in all things, I try to keep to the principles of virtue and art to the best of my ability, and pray and hope for God's grace on the rest.
It's easiest to start with what I have passion about. In time, more things will come to you that matter. For me, it often comes down to that there can be too many things that matter that I have to slow my mind down and filter out what are the most important things to focus on at the time.
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