Writing To Change The World
“You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can’t, but also knowing that literature is indispensable to the world… The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” – James Baldwin
Circumstances Decide Our LifeAll humans are good at birth. The circumstances only shape and decide their future. The major circumstances having impacts on a person’s life are discussed here.
Writer’s Block Isn’t RealWriter’s block isn’t real. I hate the term. I maintain there is no such thing. The notion is offensive to me because it is negative and inaccurate. What if every profession or activity could claim that as a valid excuse. If you are conscious enough to label yourself as having writer’s block, then you are able to understand that there is no such thing. Don’t worry, I have answers, not just observations. But first we have to address your attitude towards the writer’s block theory. Yes, the attitude that has you reading this very article.
Getting Real: Soap or Fantasy Literature?One of the strange phenomena of literary life has been haunting me for years. It is the curious snobbery and elitism that attends certain types of books and certain types of readers. This is well illustrated at the very highest levels. Writers like George RR Martin, or in the UK, writers like Neil Gaiman, never get short-listed for prizes like the Man Booker. Why? Well, because they write ‘horror’ or ‘fantasy’ and this isn’t ‘real’ writing. ‘Real’ writing always deals with real people and real situations – so historical fiction, like Hilary Mantel, can win. But fantasy? It’s all a bit silly, isn’t it? It’s taken a real long slog to get that brilliant writer, Rider Haggard, on any teaching syllabus. I remember years back a friend of mine, a university lecturer in English, waxing lyrical about Dickens, but when I mentioned the Lord of the Rings, then that was really beyond the pale: all those elves, absurd! The implication being of course that Dickens is ‘real’, describes real people in real situations. So, I guess, was somehow relevant. Relevant to what? Life.
The Benefits of Beginning in CreativityBeginning anything can be hard, and something that requires pieces of us can keep us locked in fear and therefore not having the courage or trust to just start. How does one begin writing? There are more ways than there are books in a library. One just begins. An idea, a conversation, a picture, an event, a realization or epiphany, a dream or a job can all spark a person to just begin. Most people can begin anything, but it takes a lot to complete that same project.
Christmas Spider AttackI breathed a sigh of relief after I rolled the incendiary bomb through the slightly-ajar door, having never been a competent bowler, and I had been experiencing incredible amounts of pre-rolling anxiety, but everything went as planned. I jogged back to the lawn where I’d left the others waiting after our late-night retreat from our motel room. “That should take care of the lot of them,” I said, and picked a spider leg out of my teeth.
Is Fantasy Nerdy or Cool?Fantasy is an extension of mythology and legends. If you love tales of heroism, beasties and Dark Lords then when did it all begin and as a writer is this genre for you?
The Easiest Procedure For Writing an Effective EssayThis essay summarizes the basic steps in essay writing. It details the three most important phases in essay writing.
Choosing Writing Contests Most Suitable For YouWriting competitions can be some of the best to get your writing skills noticed. They also offer you the chance to win amazing prizes including having your work published which can be the start to a great career in writing. With the simplicity of finding contests thanks to the internet, you can now easily get into a contest that is most suitable for you. However, you must make important considerations when looking at the options available to you so that you can make the right decision with the selection.
Ways to Keep Creativity AliveIf we’re going to be a writer, we must write. However many words a day we can get down or minutes we can give to our art, gives us the practice of not only know the basics of composing sentences, mixing colors or flavors or melodies, but to become intimately familiar with how our Muse shows up, what makes Her dance, and what creates walls that keep Her locked inside.
How to Keep the Creativity FlowingWhen people ask where we get our ideas, sometimes we don’t know. However, even if we’re not consciously filing away the things we see, hear, taste, smell, touch, or experience, it does get saved, and if we engage with the Muse, then we recreate those sensual inputs in our writing, painting, prepared meals, or dance.
Creativity As Passionate ExpressionBy creating, whether we share it with others or not, is part of expressing ourselves on earth. Once we have found a medium, and we begin to make sense of the emotions and the gifts that come from creating, we become, in a way, addicted. We like where our art takes us, how we feel when we’re creating and collaborating.