When I started writing articles for this website, I only occasionally did so. Eventually I wrote an article every month or so. Now I produce an article once a week. That’s a miracle. Writing is what I’ve done much of my adult life, but not consistently, and at times only by having a co- author, or a ghost writer.
I didn’t call myself a writer. Writing was a means to an end. As a teacher of religion and a management consultant, it was important for me to publish books and articles. So that’s what I did.
But, it wasn’t until I started writing on this website that I would say, “I’m a writer.” Hemingway said, when you’re a writer, you “bleed.” I’m bleeding.
I bleed every single day of my life. To this point I’ve written somewhere around 120 articles. I’m loyal to this website, because it represents a company that I partially own. I’m loyal to our products.
But if you’re a writer, you must be loyal first to writing. Writers have no agenda. They’re not using writing to pull you into something. They’re not trying to sell you something. They’re not trying to convince you. They write.
It is a gift I have been given by the CEO of grënx to write as I alone determine.
There are very few great writers among religionists. Why? There is something more important to them than writing – religion.
I am a writer.
I’m under no obligation to write an article every week. I imposed that in order to force myself to write every single day.
I have no other idea come into my mind other than the one I’m writing about. When I’m finished, I send it off to be published. The people who work to get the article ready to send out have been told not to edit anything I write.
Here is the surprise. At the moment I finish an article, a new idea comes into my mind, and I start writing. I’m constantly bleeding. That’s the new experience of this phase of my life. I used to struggle coming up with ideas to write about. Not only that, but once I did it took a long time to develop them. Not this time around. I finish, a new idea comes, and I’m writing. Lately, it’s become even faster. I write, I finish, I write.
In writing there are layers of restraints I still have to be conquer. Culture is the biggest one. Writers overcome their fear of retribution as they step beyond the margins of conventional wisdom.
For my money, there has only been one writer who has towered above all others. That’s Frederick Nietzsche. Next comes Hemingway. I’ve probably read more Shakespeare than Nietzsche or Hemingway. But I don’t like Shakespeare as much because he doesn’t write in an English that is easy to read.
I want my writing to be like the food I eat, simple and straight forward. I want no self indulging. I want the truth. And I want it as honest and efficient as I can get it.
The only way to become a writer is to write.