Philosophy of Writing

I am often asked my thoughts on writing. While the answer does not fit on an index card, I thought I would attempt to articulate at least some of what has occurred to me over the last 20 years.

First, my view of writing depends entirely on the type of writing. Commercial writing, whether it be ad-copy and product literature or for-profit blogging, dictates that the author intimately knows their audience. There is no room for Shakespeare on a soup can. At the same time, it is important in commercial writing to not cater to the lowest common denominator. The three tenants of commercial writing that I have learned are:

1. Get to the point. Your audience is rarely captive or ready for a commitment. Tell them what is most important and leave the fine print to the lawyers. Do not say in ten words what you can say in six.
2. Differentiate without alienating. We are a consumer world and there are more products and ideas than there are consumers. You must stand out. However, always keep in mind that a six year old boy will rarely ask his parents for a hot-pink cap gun.
3. Pay attention to detail. All too often I encounter packaging or web copy that looks like it was created in Shenzhen using translation software. ALWAYS proof-read using more than a spellchecker. And, yes, I know this blog has typos, but my commercial copy has NEVER had a typo.

Personal writing is far less restrictive, but I have developed (and ursurped) a few thoughts that have proven useful to me over the years. Most can be summarized by a quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald:

“You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.”

Note that Fitzgerald does not comment on the quality or merit of what you have to say. To me, the "what" is often far less important than the need to articulate something that itches in your brain. Most writers I have encountered or studied have been insomniacs. I suspect it is because their mind in on an infinite road to everywhere. Unfortunately, many young writers think that every word they write has to have merit or an external purpose. It does not. Sometimes, writing is simply a means of tricking your mind to end one episode and move onto the next.

I am not a big believer than you can choose to make a living writing. I think most writers who do manage are simply able to recognize the gems in their prolific volumes of otherwise pedantic musings. It is those who are unable to work through the pedestrian in order to discover the special who are forced to seek shelter elsewhere. If you do not believe me, try reading a first draft of any Ernest Hemingway book and study the evolution of the prose.

In the end, I enjoy writing because is has few dire consequences. It allows me to converse with myself and as a result expand my experience and understanding. If my writing happens to find an audience, then I suppose you could say I share Ayn Rand's view of altruism.