AGE
DOESN'T MATTER IN WRITING
"I
write at eighty-five for the same reasons that impelled me to write
at forty-five; I was born with a passionate desire to communicate, to
organize experience, to tell tales that dramatize the adventures
which readers might have had. I have been that ancient man who sat by
the campfire at night and regaled the hunters with imaginative
recitations about their prowess. The job of an apple tree is to bear
apples. The job of a story teller is to tell stories, and I have
concentrated on that obligation."
The good
thing about writing is that it isn't covered by time; you can
either start early in life or you can begin on the latter part of
your existence; it all depends on you. While your brain is still
normal and while you can still type on the computer's keyboard
using your fingers; you can always be a writer no matter what your
age may be. In fact, when it comes to writing, there's no such
thing as good or bad timing; it all depends on you. Some writers
started early in their life while others started late, many were
successful though others have failed; nevertheless, in the final
analysis, they're all writers.
There's
a saying that, "life begins at forty" and I believe this
is true. My passion for writing was heightened when I was in my late
thirties though the feeling really started in my late twenties. But
the real craving came to me after I reached the age of forty; I'm
forty-three now. At this moment, writing is no longer an ordinary
passion for me, it's more than that (it's like an insatiable
hunger). I thought the yearning was just passing through, but I was
wrong since it didn't leave me until now. As I grew old my appetite
for writing was intensified even more. The desire was like a ghost
that keeps on haunting me day and night. I have no choice but to
concede and surrender my whole life to it.
Since
age doesn't matter in writing let's talk about the qualities that
makes a person a "true" writer despite of his or her age?
Technically speaking not all people who can write are writers in the
same way that not all who sing a song are singers. You may hold and
use the brush of Michael Angelo or the water-color of Leonardo Da
Vinci, but even if you do that it'll not make you spontaneously a
painter. There are things that makes a painter, painter. The same is
true for the writer; there are some dynamics that you need to
ascertain before you can call yourself a writer. Can you honestly
answer the following questions: Do you have the passion to write? Can
you communicate effectively? Can you organize your thoughts and
emotions by way of writing? Can you describe events through writing?
Can you entertain and educate people through your writing? Finally,
do you have the power of consistency? If your answer to all these
questions is yes - congratulations, you're indeed a writer.
Whether
you're old or young, before you start to write something make sure
that you have a passion for writing. Passion is the driving force
inside you; it's the unquenchable thirst within. Without passion
you'll not be able to write anything worthwhile. Dreaming something
won't make it happen, you'll have to go for it. Passion is the
prerequisite behind every success. If you're passionately curious
about writing, you'll do everything to learn all about the art of
writing. In your journey as a writer you'll encounter many
obstacles such as self-doubt, low-morale, boredom and many emotional
and psychological burdens. Without passion you'll give-up. Passion
is the energy inside your heart that will support you during
difficult times. Hence, whatever topic you're writing or planning
to write, just make sure that you're passionate about it before you
embark on your work. The Filipino poet Francisco Balagtas was so
passionate about his writings that he was able to finish his classic
book called "Florante and Laura" while he was serving his
prison term. Because of burning passion countless literary works were
accomplished by numerous writers. Nobody can give you the kind of
passion that you need, you must create that for yourself. Once you
have it, you've got to feed it every day in order to make it grow.
Second
to passion is the ability to communicate to your readers. So, you're
certain that you have this burning desire to write, now the question
is, can you communicate effectively? Your eagerness will only be
wasted unless you know how to communicate your idea effectively.
Effective communication simply means that your readers understand
clearly the message that you're delivering to them. Now, if you
want to capture the attention of your prospective readers don't use
flowery words instead you must go directly to the point. It doesn't
really matter what you're writing; whether it's a novel, poem,
essay, corporate report, memorandum or email the fundamental
principles are still the same: it must be clear and concise.
So, if
you're convinced that you've the passion and the ability to
communicate, the second question now is can you organize your
thoughts? Organizing your thoughts is an act of consolidating the
power of your thinking. Writing is all about communication, but you
can only communicate effectively if you know how to organize your
thoughts. According to many veteran writers, writing regularly using
freewriting (writing fast to record new ideas without paying
attention to the accuracy of sentence structure) style is significant
in consolidating and organizing your thoughts. Don't worry about
your imperfect grammar and spelling, it can be dealt later. Just
continue writing especially when the ideas are flowing. The same
strategy is applicable when you're experiencing writer's block.
Just write and keep on writing, ideas are more important compared to
the rules of grammar. The sole objective of freewriting is to force
your mind to work in a creative way.
Always
remember that, through constant practice, you'll learn gradually
how to record and preserve your thoughts which is very vital in
writing. Keep on writing all the ideas that enters in your mind no
matter how trivial or silly it may look; everything that's
connected to your topic, write it down, in the end it'll be useful
to you. And of course, you've got to do more reading and research.
As a
writer, your main goal is to entertain and to educate your readers;
because of this, any writing project whether it is long or short
should be done methodically. You owe it to your readers. Don't
forget that the length and size of your writing is immaterial, what
matters most is the substance of the content.
Consistency
is power; your talent and skill are useless unless you know how to
utilize it consistently. The cardinal rule is, once you start
something you must finish it. Therefore, your reliability as a writer
must be sustainable. Consistency is the trademark of a true writer.
Vacillation and dilly-dallying attitude is the worst enemy of any
writers; you've got to overcome these bad habits.
If you call yourself a writer, please do write; the job of the
gardener is to supervise the garden, the role of the farmer is to
plough the land - every person has an obligation in life that he
needs to fulfill. Your task is to write, don't waste that
opportunity while there's time. Seize the day (carpe diem)
my dear writer, seize the day!
As you
go along, always bear in mind this important reminder. Be the best of
what you are, always be true to yourself. What I mean is, don't try
to be a novelist if your niche is in writing essays and articles. Or
shall I say that, it's nice to be a copywriter but it'll not work
for you if you're not interested in business matters like marketing
and advertising. And of course, it's a wonderful idea to dream of
becoming a poet or lyricist yet you must honestly ask yourself
whether you really love writing verses or not. In a nutshell, don't
follow the shadow of other writers; you can study their life and
works but don't try to be exactly like them; you'll get
frustrated. Instead, find your own calling and you'll be happy and
successful.
If in
case you'll have to choose between knowledge and wisdom, I say go
for wisdom. Great writings in history were the by-product of wisdom,
not just knowledge. Read the writings of the philosophers (example:
Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Plato, Aristotle and many others) and
you'll feel the power of their wisdom echoing through the pages of
their works. Knowledge is important but it's the wisdom of the
writer that gives life and immortality to his works. Take for
instance the epistles of Paul the apostle (the true founder of the
Christian religion), his epistles were written in a very simple and
conversational way. Notice that the tone of Paul's writings can be
likened to a father who's reading a story book filled with moral
lessons to his children. Nevertheless, it can't be denied that no
matter how simple and concise the presentation of his epistles, we
can still feel today the wisdom of Paul's words resonating from the
distant past.
Finally,
I shall conclude this essay by saying that, the age of the person is
just a factor, it doesn't really matter when it comes to his
writing. Whether you'll still be alive for the next ten, twenty,
thirty or forty years is not important. The important thing is that
you believe in yourself, you believe that you're a writer. Use that
belief as your point of departure in your journey through the
exciting world of writing. The essence of living is not confine to
the number of years but on how you live your life throughout those
years. Life is brief, ephemeral and monotonous; let's not waste it
by squandering our talent and skills. As writers, let's celebrate
the beauty of life by sharing our thoughts to others through our
works.
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