And yet, I want to be the very best, not because it cements me as a person, but because I adore writing, and I find it to be my it thing, what propels me towards greatness. So with this partially-earned feeling of superiority, how do I plan to become (hypothetically,of course) the greats writer of my generation?
Here are the points I will make, and thoroughly explain as to how I will become the greatest writer of my generation:
1) Constant communication with my peers
2) Helping fellow writers obtain their utmost potential
3) the 3 "Rs" of writing : Reading, Researching, and Revising
1) Firstly, I feel what makes me, in-terms of knowing my generation, the choice of my generation is that im a certified outlier. So thwt allows me to speak to my gerneration's culture, without feeling objectified by it, and in-such, i can talk to those connected to me by chronological order, and learn rather than agree/disagree. Talking to many people, regardless of the ever popular concept of chaining oneself to a desk in their basement, writing the stories that define the times, socialization is what makes this generation unique. Older generations do not understand this phenomenon! The Millennials have become globilized, having friends throughout the world, so they see themselves as global citizens, in respect to humans being seen as humans, not specters across vast oceans. With a Wi-Fi or LAN connection,we are so quickly connected to people thousands of miles away, that we tend to not process just how fast this is all happening,because it's already finished before they realize!
2) Knowing my generation, which I feel juxtaposed towards, never understanding their obsessions, likes/dislikes, yet writings still has precision tools, strict (heh) rules, and competent style, that traverses centuries. Knowing this,magrsty affects one's chances of becoming one of the best writers of a generation. Learning from those who have passed on, and those who still write today; more importantly, reading what they have read is just as crucial as writing nearly every single day. There are hundreds of writers out there, grasping for that coveted prize, to call their art the best, and although this is not a competiton, in-fact, we as writers do best when we band together and critique one-another so we all collectively grow in the craft. Truthfully, writers know that it is a great service to the craft when their compatriots of the quill are pushed to their extremes. By helping my fellow writers learn to take criticism, grow as artists, and improving oneself through others, we all grow, and that is a great sign of altruistically looking beyond one's own desires, for the benefit of their beloved craft.
3) Next, read: I've touched on this, but if anyone (including myself) are going to attempt tot become the greatest writer of their respected generation, have to read, it is without question that reading is fundamental to the process. Books, articles, magazines, and trade journals, never limit the candid availability of so many diverse forms of published content. Reading is something I enjoy, and it should feel jovial, more fun then a task. There is never too much reading, and there is never too many times one piece of literature/article/etc. can be read. I've read Strunk's Elements of Style so many times,MIT would be fruitless to even attempt to estimate the number of read-throughs I've done, but it must number in the hundreds. I don't think there is one year over the course of 18 that I've not spent an rainy afternoon, or a surprisingly sunny summer evening with that book in hand. If I don't touch upon that book at least ten times a year, I'm shocked at how little I go back to reference it, but that is the point. Reading is just referencing with greater interest, placating the mind's yearning desire to outwardly stretch for knowledge, grasping at every printed page, and gold-foil cover.
Research! You can't pretend to know something, but you can fake it overnight with some research. It is pliable to almost every form of writing: essays, (obviously) fiction, articles, short stories, and editorials. Research is that quintessential tool of success we fail to realize on a given basis, because the "time" to write always comes unwarranted with the telling trials of everyday life. If you don't have time to write, then excuses will be made that you I simply don't have time for research, and that in-turn will keep you from barely passing a history course, let-alone becoming a great writer. Research is key, and one of my tools to cemented my place in the storied history of the write word.
Revisions....arguably the hardest of the three...it requires self-criticism, the worst kind if you were to ask me...still, a necessary evil to writing. I always called it the "math" of writing,trying to figure out word counts, seeing if a sentence is aesthetically clear, using editing components that will allow for say a self-published work to look/act a certain way on different e-Readers. And of course: spelling and grammar....my favorites. I'm the king of typos, and that's because my fingers work like sausages made out of pig shit in ten cent panty hose. Excuses are a lovely way to waste time before reprimanding, that's why I try my best to no-longer make them. Simply say, "I fucked up" is more honest,mand more respectful to whoever pinted out my faults, rather than going into a tirade of how life's unjust and cruel tricks have used its ploys to outwit me on my best day, and that my dog must've walked over the keyboard.
Revising is a must, and if you don't do learn that you're never perfect the first time through, and even if you are, there's always something that needs a look-over. Even if your first draft is perfect in every way, you still have to re-read it regardless to assure yourself that it was godly in the first place, so revisions are impossible to avoid. Just accept that, and life gets much, much easier. However, if applicable, even the greatest of writers may need to get themselves a proper editor. The truth is that you should lean to become your best/4am rat critic, and to always, always read over what you've written. As the saying goes: measure twice, cut once.
I hope to become my generation's premier writer, and maybe I hate to admit it that I would enjoy the benefits that come with such an honor, because the art should always be the most important aspect of writing. If anyone goes into writing thinking it's for the money, they are more delusion than I even making the statement of becoming the greats writer of the now. I know I'm here to write, but how far will I go? How awesome will my publications become? Will I fear success, where failure is just a building block to carve out with those writing tools? I don't yet know, but I'm shaking like a soaked naked mole rat in anticipation to find out.
Thank you for reading theMalacast Editorial, this is a fun little farce on writing. I've done so many writing posts, I figured I do a different narrative this time around. Feel free to tout off on if it's a success or failure, or send me a message on Twitter: @mcasteditorial. Have a great day,,and thank you all for continuing to come back to read my work on the Malacast Editorial. The sample of The Divines up on the site now, the book will be out in-full later this year. Feel free to check back for updates on the exact date of the book's release.
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