I have made a few attempts to come up with something, but nothing ever stuck. And so, I just kept writing, knowing that eventually something would hit me.
Two days ago, I was glorying in some old David Foster Wallace interviews, and afterward I was thinking about the differences and the similarities between the approach he took to literature and the approach I take to literature.
And then, a gorgeous set of words shot through my head.
I wrote the words down.
I read the words before I started writing this morning.
I am storing these words somewhere between the back and the front of my mind.
Here are those words:
Objective:
To write soaring stories about humanity that are complex in their simplicity, beautiful for their honesty, and full of life through characters who become alive to the reader and stay with them forever.How about it, Dear Writers? Do you have a mission statement of your own? If not, what would a mission statement of your own look like?
I feel that it is tremendously important for each writer to know the direction in which they want their works to go; while (of course) a clearly-defined statement is not a prerequisite to knowing the direction in which your writing will take the reader, it certainly cannot hurt to have one.
Furthermore, it cannot hurt the reader to read words regarding your mission in writing - even if the works you put out there are not at all what your readers are expecting.
Here is one of the DFW interviews, in case you are reading this at home rather than at work (or in case you can slip some headphones on and watch it at your desk). And if you are at work and cannot watch this, it's worth returning later to watch the video and spend a few moments with a master of the craft.
Immerse yourself in literature, Dear Writers.
Give your readers something that will cause them to fly.
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That is a wonderful writing mission statement. I really love the phrase in your post before the mission statement...
ReplyDelete"a gorgeous set of words shot through my head."
Such a delicious and confirming feeling when that happens! Love it!
To write one paragraph, on one page of one book, some time in my life, that will make you feel an emotion you cannot deny. To make you laugh, to make you cry, to reach inside you and heal something you never knew was broken, to cut you so badly you never stop bleeding.
ReplyDeleteTo change the world, one paragraph at a time.
Brenda - Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteLevi - That is truly tremendous!
This post reminded me of some words I read of Ursula K. Le Guin's when I first started writing. For a long time I had the words posted on the wall of my office. I'm not sure what happened to that piece of paper. Her advice has never left me though. Here's what she said:
ReplyDelete"Socrates said, 'The misuse of language induces evil in the soul.' He wasn't talking about grammar. To misuse language is to use it the way politicians and advertisers do, for profit, without taking responsibility for what the words mean. Language used as a means to get power or make money goes wrong: it lies. Language used as an end in itself, to sing a poem or tell a story, goes right, goes towards the truth.
A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper."
Very cool idea; I never thought to do something like this. I can honestly say I know my goals and what direction I want to take, so it would be interesting to create some sort of statement. I'll be thinking about that the next couple of days.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! I have a "writer's statement" of my own:
ReplyDeleteBorn in southern Missouri, and traveling the American southwest throughout my early life, I became rooted in ideas rather than places. To me, home is literally where the heart is. Having developed an early fascination for words, the writing process is not second nature, but first.
There is nothing so vital, so alive, so beautiful in my eyes as the transformation a blank page into an informative article or imaginative fiction, and thence into a thought completely new to the reader. Poetry, lyrics, fantasies and imageries are my stock-in-trade. My tools are intuition, observation, vocabulary and rhythm. Well, those and a good word processor.
If the product of my fancies should become meaningful to an eight-year-old or an octogenarian, my work is validated and my purpose fulfilled. Enlightenment is worth striving for, but smiles and tears are no mean feat.
In short, I like to think of myself as a poet, writer, actor, storyteller, artist, photographer, & new world man.
Mark - I love the amount of study you put into the craft; it always impresses me.
ReplyDeletePaul - (Don't rush it, of course - wait till it hits you and feels right - but...) I'm excited to see what you come up with. Let me know when you have one.
Logan - I love that approach: (paraphrased...) 'If my work becomes meaningful to anyone, no matter who they are, the purpose of my work is fulfilled.'