Thursday, January 5, 2012

Write Good! er, um, well

"There is only one way to defeat the enemy, and that is to write as well as one can."
Saul Bellow Jewish-American author, who won the Nobel Prize. Jewish Virtual Library

This quote can cover lots of territory. Out of context, we don't know who the enemy is.
Who? Our critics, reviewers with a tendency toward sadistic literary knife twisting? Definitely, superior writing will put them in their place.
This cartoon is a good example of writing well. The point is made through sarcasm. Words count, but must be written with care to actually express an idea.
Or could the enemy be someone against what we hold dear? Does the enemy undermine the American dream? Thomas Paine used writing to communicate the ideas of the Revolution to common farmers as well as to intellectuals, using words to stir the hearts of the leaders and followers of the Revolution. But Thomas Paine espoused a deist's anger against God and the Bible in later tracts.
So the enemy might be a good person with a concept that does not glorify God. A bludgeon does nothing to change one's opinion, but carefully crafted words can. It behooves us to write well when we wish to influence our readers to ponder the things of God.

Writing well is a worthy goal.

3 comments:

  1. ime that same 13 year old gril in 7th
    grade i would like it if you would talk with me about the book me and my cousin are trying to make i have some good ideas but i need help PLEASE !

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  2. I LOVE Calivin and Hobbs!

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  3. We chat on Monday nights about writing. Also, you can read "how to write books" that are for teens. You should be able to find some at your public library. No one is going to be able to sit down and walk you through the process. Writing is very individual and all my writer friends have their own methods. You will have to read, read, read to determine what your favorite style is. Then you will have to write, write, write, just like an Olympic champion has to practice to become the best in their sport

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