Jun 24, 20193 min read

The Art of Writing

The art of writing - Writing is an art form, painting, sculpting, music, design and yes-even living a certain way might be seen as artistry.

The burning question that crossed my mind today was this. As a writer, should I strive to be more commercial and slake the thirst of the hungry masses? Or alternatively, is the perpetuation of art itself where the devotional fruit ripens?

The books that spoke to me as a child were colorful, adventurous and made me laugh, Where the Wild Things Are, and Pippi Longstocking.

The ones later in my life that moved me were ironic, honest and sometimes brutal, Catcher in the Rye, and Alas Babylon.

Lately I find myself seeking out what some folks might consider alternative texts. Lifestyle choices different than my own reality, word usage or poetry mixed with prose and even philosophical works seem to jibe more with me now. We change as we grow older. That’s cool, especially when the books that spoke to us years ago… continue to make sense.

Struggling to get noticed as an emerging writer is akin to threading a needle-tough. Struggling with NOT selling out might actually be tougher.

What makes a classic remain a focal point in the minds and on the shelves? Incredible sentences, absolutely. A new world or unforgettable character, definitely. The crossover for all longevity is true to one thing that cannot be packaged, homogenized or faked.

The purest form of writing is a love letter to the art itself.

There is a sweet, almost painful release when exactly the right words stream from the writer, begging someone, anyone- out there to hear them. I nod my head sagely as I write this, because no matter how many times I hear or see the saddening message- To be hugely successful...You must make your work more palatable, and suck the heart out of it... like a heathered grey t-shirt or a cheese pizza. Style-maker, rogue reader and wordsmith, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Well I just can’t and I won’t, because to me writing is all about passion- not fitting in, not being like you or anyone else. There is something amazing about a single snowflake and a random cloud moving through the sky.

Rebellion of the status quo is something I know a lot about. Has it ever paid off? Perhaps it has.

Writers are trailblazers, the curators of voices unheard. What will you contribute to that understanding? What will I? What you will find in my writing is truth. Mine, yours and maybe an echo, returning from the future.

A piece I wrote about the "Dreamers" is next, because the terrible stuff going on in Texas concerning immigrant children is not okay and something needs to be done now, not next year or next week.

A talented friend of mine dubbed himself, ‘An academic and a soul writer.’ His pursuit has been challenging, because his style is not for the timid and his topics are heart wrenching.

I admire his mettle, because this unfettered honesty is what we need in the world. No one has ever changed a thing by remaining silent or tracing within the lines. Hemingway is his ideal model- in pithiness and bravery and for a million other things. Papa Hemingway is one of mine too, but I am still finding my way and moving into my own definitive style.

For me, it will always be about the art first and giving the broken hearted & unsung a place to call home.

Please celebrate and share my joy for the seventeenth title published on Amazon, Loftus Hall.