WRITING

     "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."

Ernest Hemingway

     There's a thing about writing, you either get it or you don't. It must be nurtured and taught of course, but in the end you either grasp the ineffable quality of arranging words into a painting or you don't. Some of us get it late (it's never too late), and some of us never will. It might not surprise you that I see this in a partisan way, and you know which side doesn't get it. It's too bad, they used to, not too long ago.

     What makes a good writer? That's a complicated question. The reader might say that a good writer is one who tells an engaging story, exposes inequities, allows us to see the humor in life, creates artful poetry. A writer would point out, in addition, the quality of thought, sentence structure, or other technical attributes. The critic would look for excellence in communicating the subject matter. Few but the writer would see it as complicated. Several years ago, in a conversation with my oldest son, who was at Pacific University at the time, getting a double degree in History and writing and who was also encouraging me to continue writing my memoir, I said something about a writer writes about what they know. My intention was to paint republicans with a snarky comment. After all, when is the last time they displayed knowledge? Quinn replied, "no dad, a writer writes". He was right. Sometimes the writing process doubles as a learning tool. Sometimes it is a way of relieving stress, or applying stress where necessary. Sometimes it's pure entertainment. It does not need to be a lengthy tome, haiku is no less writing than Russian literature. Sometimes it is a complex structure involving word pictures with musical notes enhancing the picture. The only writing I can think of that does not qualify as writing is a diary. It is not intended to be read by others. Quality of presentation is not important.

     A writer creates dragons, or they slay dragons. They expose hypocrisy, or cover up hypocrisy. They make us woke, or help us see the humor in that term. They introduce us to helpful products, they defend useless products. They write. The reader is the crucial element. Without the reader the writer is merely another opinion. It does not need to be supported by reason or logic, readers being less likely to be critics.  If the writer can capture the readers imagination, they will be remembered for their one success, not their failures.

     That is now soon to be the past. The future is Chat GPT. We will soon see if future writers will know anything about the Oxford Comma.